NIKKEI Monozukuri December 2005

Feature
Rapid Pro g ress of Excellent Small and Medium-Sized Firms

Part 1 : Four strategies of winners
Part 2 : Case Studies
Iguchi Issei, Milestone, Saijoinx, Wing, OET, Topia, Fourteen, Autech Mechanical, Akaishi R&D

Frank Opinion

Japan has restored its reputation for industrial innovation, and its next target is semiconductor fabrication

Kaleidoscope

Let’s develop tools for your own use

Detailed Reports

TOTO has combined ceramic with resin to develop a coating technology resistant to scars and lime deposits
CAD vendors have started expanding the application of 3D data to PDF files and software for
office automation equipment
With component standardization, Fuji Xerox’s new system brings the cost down by 9 billion yen
Hiroshima University has collaborated with Mazda Motor and Fujitsu in a joint research project
that analyzes vehicle collision data using its grid of networked personal computers
Rhinoceros-based CAM tools can be used easily

China's Secrets,Japan's Secret Plans

(Part 12) Even legitimate sales agencies sell counterfeit products openly, so customers may be demanding them after all

New Ideas

Push-button recliners with single step form

Search for Manufacturing

Enhancement of factories in Japan

Special Report

Can Sony Make a Comeback?
Reasons why it is difficult to establish the Toyota Production System
Huge fuel cells are needed, which can extract 60 percent of the energy potential in coal

The Method

Taguchi Method (Part 1) Its significance and basic concept

Essence of Standardization

(Final Part) Standardization of materials for parts

Documentary

Comeback of mechanical watches (Part 4): This design is not realistic

Studying Hot Products

Home Bakery: As superior taste and user-friendly design are taken for granted, more emphasis is put on multifunctionality, health, new materials, and new eating-texture

Material Dynamics Mandala

(Part 12) How to minimize bending

Treasure Box of Embedded Software

(Final Part) Embedded software supported by coordinating different types of software

Outstanding SMEs

Estic, which is known for fluorine resin processing, is increasing the number of its clients on the
strength of its ability to deliver products quickly
Yamaichi Metal, which is known for recycle processing of aluminum, has started recycling aluminum foils and caps

The Master

(Part 19) What seems“expensive”can turn out to be cheap

Accident Investigation

The defect in Sony’s CCD has raised a question about the way acceleration tests are conducted

Diary of an IT Consultant

Preparation is important for both cooking and analyses

MAGAZINES IN ENGLISH	MAGAZINES IN JAPANESE
NE Asia fulfills your needs by offering articles covering a wide spectrum of topics. In addition to the English edition, the local editions for Taiwan and Korea now offer editorial sections written by local editors. Magazine Subscription Information	You can subscribe to the magazines of NikkeiBP from outside Japan at the same price as in Japan! Magazine Subscription Information The NE ASIA News Update e-newsletter
Nikkei Electronics Asia (monthly) We are offering a magazine monthly to qualified engineers and managers free of charge. In-depth Articles from Nikkei Electronics Asia Cover Story SSDs Challenge HDDs, but Quality a Problem Solid-state drives (SSD) using NAND Flash memory are beginning to show up in a variety of equipment as storage devices. Prices are dropping as semiconductor technology continues to evolve, accelerating adoption of the drives, but manufacturers must also deal with eroding quality. Analysis Expanded Use of Silicon Tuners Transforms Tvs With analog television broadcasting slated for the axe in about two years in Japan, TV broadcast tuners are evolving rapidly, replacing old radio frequency (RF) analog circuits with new integrated circuits (IC) called silicon tuners. Signal demodulators are evolving with them, and by tracing the direction of their evolution it is possible to delineate the shape of tomorrow's TV. Convenience Stores Lead in Energy Conservation Convenience store franchises are moving to slash energy consumption following the revision of the Japanese Act on the Rational Use of Energy, and are rapidly becoming showcases for cutting-edge energy-conservation technology. The technologies honed here will spread to other firms in the distribution industry, office buildings and more, eventually worldwide.	Nikkei Electronics (biweekly) The magazine for electronics designers and managers. Cover Story Electronic Books: Opening the Door to Major Participants Nikkei Monozukuri (monthly) Design You Won't Regret - How to Reduce the Risk of Accidents Cover Story Time to Focus on Human-Resources Development Nikkei Microdevices (monthly) The most comprehensive technical journal for makers and users of LSIs and LCDs. Cover Story Optical interconnection on electronic equipment Nikkei Automotive Technology (bimonthly) The comprehensive automotive technology magazine. Cover Story Impact of Honda Insight

MAGAZINES IN ENGLISH

MAGAZINES IN JAPANESE

NE Asia fulfills your needs by offering articles covering a wide spectrum of topics. In addition to the English edition, the local editions for Taiwan and Korea now offer editorial sections written by local editors.
Magazine Subscription Information

You can subscribe to the magazines of NikkeiBP from outside Japan at the same price as in Japan!
Magazine Subscription Information
The NE ASIA News Update e-newsletter

Nikkei Electronics Asia (monthly)

We are offering a magazine monthly to qualified engineers and managers free of charge.

In-depth Articles from Nikkei Electronics Asia

Cover Story SSDs Challenge HDDs, but Quality a Problem

Solid-state drives (SSD) using NAND Flash memory are beginning to show up in a variety of equipment as storage devices. Prices are dropping as semiconductor technology continues to evolve, accelerating adoption of the drives, but manufacturers must also deal with eroding quality.

Analysis Expanded Use of Silicon Tuners Transforms Tvs

With analog television broadcasting slated for the axe in about two years in Japan, TV broadcast tuners are evolving rapidly, replacing old radio frequency (RF) analog circuits with new integrated circuits (IC) called silicon tuners. Signal demodulators are evolving with them, and by tracing the direction of their evolution it is possible to delineate the shape of tomorrow's TV.

Convenience Stores Lead in Energy Conservation

Convenience store franchises are moving to slash energy consumption following the revision of the Japanese Act on the Rational Use of Energy, and are rapidly becoming showcases for cutting-edge energy-conservation technology. The technologies honed here will spread to other firms in the distribution industry, office buildings and more, eventually worldwide.