After World War II, Japan, having lost much of its distinctive foundational technology, rebuilt its manufacturing industry through advancements in production technology during the postwar recovery and high-growth periods.

Today, however, Japan faces significant challenges. Experienced personnel who developed their skills on the front lines are aging, with many remaining in their final overseas positions. Domestically, there is a growing disconnect from production technology within Japanese companies, driven by factors such as deflationary pressures and a risk-averse, management-centered approach. In many Japanese manufacturing firms, a culture where failure is intolerable and trial-and-error is discouraged has become widespread. If this stagnation in production technology continues, Japan risks losing its long-standing expertise in developing effective mass production techniques.

This article aims to raise an alarm for Japan's manufacturing sector by introducing the “SMAP Method + FA”, the ultimate process integration advocated by Yamada Machine Tool and its group.

The Consequences and Reality of Neglecting Production Technology

In recent years, the decline in production technology within Japanese manufacturing has led to two significant issues:

1) An inability to translate newly developed foundational technologies into mass production
2) A lack of innovation in existing mass production techniques, allowing companies in emerging countries to replicate and catch up more easily

As Japanese manufacturing companies place increasing emphasis on added value and investment efficiency in financial statements, the global expansion of production bases has accelerated. This shift, however, has led to a hollowing out of domestic production, reducing both opportunities and budgets for production technology experimentation within Japan.

Particularly since the 2010s, reformative production method reviews using the latest technology have tended to be avoided in light of the amplification risk of having to uniformly apply such methods to production bases scattered around the world.

Since the 2010s, companies have shown a tendency to avoid implementing innovative production methods with the latest technology, given the amplified risk of having to standardize these methods across globally dispersed production sites. As a result, companies remain in a state where only incremental “improvements” are feasible within the supply chain, sustaining traditional production methods that tolerate some level of defects and waste.

Here are some of the challenges we have faced in this environment, along with examples of how we have addressed them.

For internal combustion engine components, increasing fuel injection pressures aimed at improving fuel efficiency have made part shapes, materials, and quality standards more demanding with each model change. These challenges cannot be fully addressed through improvements to existing production methods alone. In response, one of our customers adopted our tools alongside the latest machine technologies and, by implementing the SMAP method, achieved a dramatic yield improvement and a 40% cost reduction compared to previous production methods. This expertise is now also being applied to mass production prototyping for hydrogen combustion engine components, which require even higher levels of airtightness.

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The successful development of new products has created massive production demand, making rapid mass production of components essential. However, incorporating numerous new technological elements into these components has increased processing difficulty, leading to a high defect rate and making mass production challenging with existing methods. Despite this, the industry's stringent cost-reduction norms have created an environment where investment in process development (production technology) is not permitted, resulting in a deadlock.

As a result, customers who actively adopted our tools from the prototype stage and implemented the SMAP method experienced a significant reduction in defects to nearly zero, while the production time per unit was reduced to less than half that of existing methods.

In addition to the above, our SMAP method is addressing various challenges related to quality, cost, and delivery in components across multiple advanced technology fields, including medical devices, drones, and robotics, by significantly enhancing productivity.

All Processes Integrated into One Unit! Achieving Mass Production with Unmatched Productivity in the Machining of Complex-Shaped Parts

To address the increasing complexity and integration of component shapes, along with the severe shortage of skilled personnel in production technology, we recommend the SMAP + FA manufacturing method.

While the SMAP method requires investment in specialized tools for incorporating unique processing within the machine, it delivers revolutionary benefits in quality, production efficiency, and cost compared to existing methods. Since intermediate inspections, work-in-progress inventory, and dedicated personnel for each process are no longer necessary, components produced with this method can simplify final inspections. This not only significantly reduces the manufacturing cost per part but also facilitates automation through FA. Consequently, the entire process up to shipping can be unmanned, enabling the mass production of high-precision components. Additionally, operating multiple sets of equipment based on a general-purpose CNC design allows for flexible resource allocation according to changes in production volume, leading to more efficient utilization of assets and space.

▲ Example of an actual processing facility using the SMAP method

▲ Example of automated equipment for post-processing + inspection

【Advantages of the SMAP method】
✔ High-difficulty precision components can be produced with a high yield
✔ Not affected by labor force issues or international wage competition (remains consistent regardless of location).
✔ When adopting FA for post-processes, it enables constant remote management of production performance and quality information (DX).

Revitalization of Production Technology is Urgent to Enhance Japan's Industrial Competitiveness

We aspire to contribute to the resurgence of Japan's production technology and high value-added precision machining through the promotion of the SMAP method. In particular, we hope to leverage this method to preserve high value-added manufacturing technologies in Japan's small and medium-sized enterprises.

If we continue to overlook the stagnation of production technology capabilities in Japan and within Japanese companies, it could not only halt the advancement of Japan's manufacturing technology but also lead to a deadlock in addressing global manufacturing challenges that remain unsolved. By promoting the "SMAP Method + FA" and building a network of collaborators, we aim to cultivate the next generation of production technology talent in the precision component processing industry. We will persist in our outreach efforts to contribute, even in a small way, to the development of Japan's manufacturing market and small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises.