Kazunori Watanabe
(Machining Technology)

The work I am in charge of

I’m in charge of machining custom pump parts. In addition to machining large impellers and high pressure pumps, we also manufacture wooden molds for casting. Since our machinery is large, the parts are also large. What we’re trying to do is to prevent accidents and disasters, maintain accurate process control technology (strictly observe deadlines and maximize production), maintain machining quality, skills and know-how, and preserve machine tools.

Changes and evolutions from the past in the monozukuri (manufacturing) field

Process management files can now be shared and collaborated on digitally, making it possible to plan on a reduced timeline with shorter hours and less workload for people. In addition, job sequencing, or the order in which machining processes are done, has been converted into electronic data from paper documents and tacit rules passed down, so that it can be selected automatically.

What I want to do in future, and my message to young people

I believe that a highly productive production system can be made into one package. The most important objective is to increase productivity, and to this end, we must prevent accidents and disasters and avoid machining defects by simulating high quality work and high precision production and realizing highly accurate schedule planning. I want to organize this PDCA into one package. It will require IT technology and human resources who can use it.