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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tokyo, May 29, 2020 --- Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. today announced that Mr. Seietsu Takashina and Mr. Shota Takahashi, two employees in their Akita Plant, were awarded the 2020 Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Prize for Creativity for their important contribution to the promotion of science and technology.
Prize for Creativity award ceremony at Akita Prefectural Office
(Left to Right: Seietsu Takashina, Deputy Governor Makoto Kawahara, Shota Takahashi)
Mr. Takashina was awarded the prize for creating an autonomous oxide scale remover”. In the manufacturing process of hydraulic pump shafts assembled in power steering, a product manufactured at the Akita Plant, an oxide film (scale) is generated from heat treatment, and can lead to quality issues. Instead of removing this oxide scale manually, the method which had been adopted to date, he devised a creative method to remove the scale by installing a newly manufactured autonomous remover adjacent to the processing line. As a result, the plant was able to improve quality and achieve stability, in addition to saving labor.
Mr. Takahashi was awarded the prize for productivity improvement through cutting tool shape and combination. His creative idea enables cutting tools to achieve manufacturing line productivity improvement targets. More specifically, his idea employs a combination drill that simultaneously cuts corner parts and drills holes in part processing which halves the process. He has also introduced a method where tools create screw holes on the inner side of holes which release grinding fluid from the inside of the cutting tool. As a result, process time was shortened by 23%, and production volume increased by 30%.
The Prize for Creativity is awarded annually by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to those who contributed toward improving technology in their respective occupations in the year. In Akita Prefecture, a total of six people, including the two Hitachi Automotive Systems employees, received this prestigious award this year. The award ceremony was held at the Akita Prefectural Office on May 19.
As a global supplier of automotive parts, Hitachi Automotive Systems will continue to train our engineers and technicians to strengthen our development capabilities of the latest technologies to become a world leader in monozukuri.
| Organization | Recipient | Creative Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Akita Plant | Noriyasu Satoh | Grinder that Reduces Industrial Waste Disposal Costs |
| Kazumi Takahashi | Calling Method Improvement when Errors Occur through Introduction of Special Sensors |
|
| Itsusei Takahashi | Cutting Tool Life Extension through Tip Holder Development |
| Organization | Recipient | Creative Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Akita Plant | Morimasa Sakamoto | Finished Power Steering Unit Lifting Device and Logistics Improvement |
| Jiroh Odashima | ||
| Kohshi Ishibashi | Setup Time Improvement by Changing the Machining Method |
| Organization | Recipient | Creative Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Akita Plant | Makoto Saito | Tip Life Extension through Thread Cutting Holder Development |
| Masanobu Shibata | Dresser for Screw Grinding Wheels |
Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and services of automotive components, transportation related components, industrial machines and systems, and offers a wide range of automotive systems including Powertrain Systems, Chassis Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/
