December 2007

P.6 Interview

Masahiko Mori: President, Mori Seiki Co., Ltd

P.19 The Exquisite “X”

The Strange Connection Between Sensors and Rugby

P.23 Breaking News

Why PTC of the US Acquired CoCreate of Germany

P.27 Breaking News

New Amendment of Consumer Products Safety Law Would Make Inspection Compulsory After a Set Period of Time

P.29 Breaking News

Yokogawa Electric and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Carry out Successful On-Site Testing of Remote Adjustments of Digital Manometers

P.31 Breaking News

Delmia Focuses on Automation with a Debug Using a Virtual Model as a First Step

P.33 Breaking News

Renewed Emphasis on Value Engineering as a Development Method Against a Background of Demand for Developing “Alternative Technologies.”

P.35 Breaking News

Tokai University Gets into ITO Replacement Materials Development with Cheap Magnesium Hydroxide

P.36 Breaking News

Be Prepared for the Effects of the Cooling of the US Market and the Stronger Yen on the Results for the July to September 2007 Quarter

P.38 Detailed Reports

Did the Brakes Slip in Just 2 Days When Recreating the Minato Ward Elevator Accident?

P.50 Cover Story

The Challenge Facing Japan’s Manufacturing Plants

P.52 Part1: A Flexible Response to Rapidly Changing Markets and Production Environments

P.56 Part 2: Case Studies - Honda, Komatsu, NTN, Fujitsu Hitachi Plasma Display, Obihiro Matsushita Electric Works, Mitsubishi Electric, Yasukawa Electric

P.77 Special Report

Report on the 40th Tokyo Motor Show - Moving Towards Lighter Vehicles and Moving Away from Fossil Fuels: A Plethora of New Technologies and Concepts

P.87 Special Report

How Resistant to Earthquakes is Japan’s Nuclear Power?

P.98 Sites in Figures

Reducing Tooling Change Time

P.113 Mechatronics Course - The Plan to Develop a Tea-Serving Automaton

Part 9 - Concept Design for Features and Functions (4)

P.123 The Art of Visualization

Part 9 - Visualizing the Daily Business and Administration of Administrative Divisions (1)

P.133 Basic Geometric Tolerance

Final Part - Line and Surface Tolerance

P.141 Global Plant Safety

Part 9 - Evaluation and selection of safety circuits

P.148 Talking About Manufacturing in English

Part 9 - Production Planning

P. 151 SME Relay

Nippon Fusso/Kato Mfg.

P.210 How to Select and Buy Low-Priced Parts in China

Chinese Tools are Less than One-Fifth Those in Japan - Check the Actual Products Thoroughly Before Ordering

P.214 The Master

Time to Go to “Manufacturing School”

P.218 Frank Opinion

Promoting a Way of Life with Things as Teachers - Computerized Robots Have Changed Children’s Perceptions