NIKKEI Monozukuri February 2008

Cover Story
Challenging the Global No.1 Position

Omron: The World’s Smallest Micro-Electrical Mechanical System Microphone Chip
Minebea: The World’s Smallest Radius Stepping Motor
Covalent Materials: Vacuum Break Timing for the World’s Fastest Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment
Bridgestone:The World’s Thinnest Full-Color Electronic Paper

Interview

Masatoshi Koshiba, Distinguished University Professor, The University of Tokyo

The Exquisite "X"

What is Locked Inside Amorphous Materials?

Breaking News

Honda Uses 4-Cylinder-Mode for the Cylinder Idling Function in Its New Inspire Line
The CAD Strategy of Parametric Technology Corporation of the US Can Be Seen in Its Next-Generation Versions
Mitsubishi Rayon Makes a Brilliant Move in Reducing Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics Costs
SANYO Electric Moved by TSE to Supervisory Post After Correcting Past Anual Reports
Matsushita Electric Works Develops a Conductive Paste that Can Bond a Substrate and Components at 150
Degrees C
University Super-Computers to be Used by Private Sector

Detailed Reports

Why Electronics Manufacturers Are Further Strengthening Their Environmental Measures

Special Report

Improving Manufacturing Sites Using Clever Mechanisms

Special Report

The Sodick Method for Developing Core Equipment in Thailand

Sites in Figures

Employment and Use of New Graduates

Mechatronics Course - The Plan to Develop a Tea- Serving Automaton

(Part 11) Concept Design for Features and Functions (5)

The Art of Visualization

(Part 11) A Process for Management By Objectives Using Visual Management to Achieve Goals

Basic Tolerance Design

(Part 2) Estimating Process Capacity

Global Plant Safety

(Part 11)Actual Examples of Risk Reduction in the Design and Operation of Book-Binding Equipment

Talking about Manufacturing in English

(Part 11)Push Production and Pull Production

SME Relay

Crystal Optics - Strength in Component Processing Based on Polishing Technology

Ktech Design - High-Speed Processing Through Coordinated Use of Industrial Milling Machine and Machining Center

How to Select and Buy Low-Priced Parts in China

The Analog Barrier in Electrical Components - Making Full Use of the Wisdom of Veterans

The Master

The Connoisseur’s Feather Duvet

Accident Investigation

Was a Faulty Bulb Operation at the Root of the Fire at the Mitsubishi Chemical Ethylene Plant?

Frank Opinion

Nurturing People Who Do Great Things - How IT Skills Resonate with Manufacturing Skills

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.