Before realizing fully automated assembly processes, how did you go about assembling toner cartridges?
- Kitamura
- We call it unit assembly. People would first assemble unit parts that could not be handled by a machine, and then introduce that into the automated assembly line.
- Mizuno
- Until the very end, there were about five or six units that we couldn't assemble using the automated equipment.
This may be a basic question, but why was it difficult for an automated machine to assemble flexible components?
- Machino
- With flexible objects, even though the machine would move in the same way, it didn't always produce the same result. After solving a variety of problems, we had to make sure that the part went exactly where it was supposed to. In other words, we had to ensure accuracy.
I see. But even if you solved all of the problems, a highly reliable, fully automated assembly wasn't achieved overnight, was it?
- Kitamura
- That's right. Even though everything was okay with regard to the production technology, we had some deficiencies in reliability at the early stages. It took several years to achieve the improvements that increased reliability.
How did you finally solve the problem?
- Machino
- We analyzed the cutting and applying of the sponge form seals, for example, what actually happens while cutting the sponge portion of the seal.
Impressive. And how did you resolve the application of grease?
- Machino
- The way we approached grease was the same as for seals and tape.
- Kitamura
- When we were able to clearly identify the structure and scope of the physical phenomena that we were aiming for, we were naturally able to identify the scope of our development, and construct a device capable of achieving these phenomena.
There must have been many such themes.
- Kitamura
- There certainly were. New themes pop up all the time, any number of them. If we solve one problem, it gets us thinking that we could solve another. There's really no end to new development themes.
The engineer spirit stirs. (Laughs.)
