News Releases
June 7, 2004
NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP.
NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP.
Expansion of in-house utilization of robots
to drastically improve productivity
NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP. will apply know-how and application technology nurtured in auto-industry, industrial machine industry and other various manufacturing processes to main manufacturing lines in the company, to substantially improve productivity and create model lines. Moreover, we will present in-house improvement cases of model lines to customers, and provide know-how and application technology of robot adoption to meet sophisticated need for manufacturing and to expand robot business.
1.Backgrounds for expansion of robot adoption ---improvement of productivity and quality
- Due to the favorable sales of automobiles, industrial machines and electric and electronic appliances, production increase and short delivery time are being required.
- Pursue cost reduction by productivity improvement.
- Create lines which can flexibly respond to large item small volume production.
- Reduce manual works to improve and stabilize quality.
- Skill is declining by the decline of skilled workers.
2.Results up to now
- In developing the multiple business of machining, component parts and materials, we have introduced about 150 units of robots into various production lines in group companies, and we got certain results such as productivity improvement and quality stability. In addition, we have horizontally expanded accumulated application technology and know-how to customers, and worked on the development of markets and application for mainly medium and small demand.
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- Machine loading and deburring in a casting line (Hydraulic valve factory)
- Machine loading of drills and end mills (Drill factory and end mill factory)
- Assembly of car control valves (Car hydraulics factory)
- Insertion of balls into bearings (Bearing factories)
- Insertion of balls into bearings (Bearing factories)Machine loading and painting in the machining lines of hydraulic parts (Hydraulic pump factory)
- We made a package (standard cell) of deburring robots, cutting tools and peripheral equipment, and started delivery to the machining lines of parts for automobiles andindustrial machines.
- To the assembly lines of electric and electronics-related precision parts and automobile parts, we provide small size, high speed and high precision robots (VS Series), which are utilized for the assembly of car control valves.
- We made a line up of loading robots for drills and end mills as MA Series (travel type). We are promoting market development of robots for transfer between machines in mainly machining lines of automobiles and industrial machine parts.
3.Future efforts
- We formed a robotization promotion project in the company in September. Promotion teams in Manufacturing Innovation Dept. (which promotes and controls manufacturing innovation) and each division will cooperatively promote robotization centering on bottleneck processes of each machining line to drastically improve productivity.
- They will develop new application technology, and provide it to manufacturing processes of customers.
- Plan of robot adoption and productivity improvement Currently running: 150 units -->300 units in 2006 -->500 units in 2008 (including group companies)
Productivity improvement: 30% improvement in 2006 - Case examples of recent robot adoption, and adoption plan
Up to now: Robotization aiming for labor saving, power saving, productivity improvement and automation of 3 D job.
In future: Introduction of intelligence robot systems aiming for automation of skilled works.