Home :. Table of Contents :. Index :. Nikkei Monozukuri May, 2004

Nikkei Monozukuri

May 2004 Issue

P. 6 Mastering Manufacturing

Olympus Pen F Series cameras: The foundation of manufacturing is understanding what customers want

P. 15 This Month’s Record

Japan’s best human-powered aircraft: Pedaled a distance of 12 km to set a new record in Japan

P. 17 World News

“Let’s get together at Toulouse” and other articles

P. 34 Feature

Develop, Use, and Protect Core Technologies
The decisive factor for a breakthrough is “core technologies”

P. 36 Part 1: Overview
Core technologies become the driving force for the next wave of growth
Their positioning and the scope of their applications need to be changed

P. 40 Part 2: New values in the existing markets
Added values are incorporated into mature products using technologies that other companies want to have

P. 46 Part 3: Making inroads into new markets on the strength of existing technologies
Useful technologies should be utilized both inside and outside of the company

P. 52 Part 4: How to develop and protect core technologies
Entry barriers against competitors can be erected by transforming R&D results into new business

P. 58 Part 5: Promising markets and technologies
The key concepts are ecology, response to the aging society, and amenities in the home

P. 60 Kaizen in China: Part 2

Safety measures at factories in China are still insufficient

P. 64 Reports

P. 64 Honda develops the next-generation 4-wheel-drive mechanism

P. 66 Matsushita Electric Industrial measures the effects of IT-based innovation in terms of money

P. 68 Shinano Kenshi’s new model of pump is effective for cooling the heat generated by PCs

P. 70 More research is carried out on the translation of design information (except for the aspect of shape) into 3-D form

P.72 Tmsuk launches rescue robots that are used in the rubble at disaster sites

P. 73 Virtual training reduces the time it takes to acquire welding skill by 30%

P. 74 A new feature is added to design review for the purpose of eliminating defects in products shipped to market

P. 76 The University of Tokyo proposes a new type of steering truck with independently rotating wheels

P. 77 The die and mould industry hopes that its business will improve thanks to the revision of the Act Against Delay in Payment of Subcontract Proceeds, Etc. to Subcontractors (Subcontract Act)

P. 78 An interference check is performed on an entire car

P. 79 NEC develops a new type of battery that can be charged in 30 seconds

P. 89 Commentary

New Toyota design takes on the challenge of overcoming an antinomy

P. 95 Commentary

3-D measurement completes the loop between physical objects and the data on them

P. 105 Commentary

Report on the seminar commemorating the launching of Nikkei Monozukuri

P. 111 Commentary

Get rid of hazardous materials

P. 118 Search of Manufacturing

Facing the difficulty of finding a decisive solution for the know-how transfer

P. 152 Structure of Errors

A hole in a solid rocket booster is to blame for the failed launch of a Japanese H-IIA rocket

P. 156 Series: Practical PLM Academy: Part 2

How to launch a new project

P. 160 Series: The Method that Makes Sense

Work restructuring based on TOC (Part 2): Thinking process

P. 175 Documentary

IXY DIGITAL (Part 2): Cold response

P. 180 Study of Hot Products

Cell phones tailored to individual needs: niche products that meet the diversifying needs of consumers

P. 182 Interview

Dr. Toshi T. Doi: Executive Vice President, Executive Officer, Sony Corporation

P. 126 Interesting News

P. 142 New Products

P. 165 Plaza

P. 168 Calendar