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"DX" is a major keyword when thinking about future manufacturing (digital transformation = corporate transformation to respond to the digital age by making full use of the latest digital technology). Manufacturing that makes use of digital devices and networks such as IoT (Internet of Things), AI (artificial intelligence), and robotics is spreading to medium-sized welding establishments. This paper introduces the efforts of medium-sized welding establishments to make digital transformation in a series (irregular). This time, we will introduce the efforts of Fujimura Seisakusho (Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, President Tomohiro Fujimura) to provide tablets to all employees with the aim of becoming a "digital sheet metal factory" and to "visualize" the welding process. The company specializes in precision sheet metal processing such as TIG welding and laser processing, and manufactures stainless steel housings and parts for industrial and medical machines. Most of the welding methods are TIG welding, but the company deals with about 500 customers, and since the customers have a wide range of industrial fields and products to be ordered, welding such as hand torch type YAG laser welding and carbon dioxide semi-automatic arc welding. It also supports welding of various materials and plate thicknesses. The company has many high-mix low-volume production products with an order unit of 10 or less, and the welding conditions are also diverse. Welding by the skill of a welder ensures quality and productivity rather than automatic welding using a welding robot. It is said that it is suitable for welding. The characteristic of DX is that tablets are provided to all employees and used for production control and skill improvement. For example, in the case of welding, the welder can read the barcode on the welding work instruction sheet with the tablet camera before, suspend, resume, and after welding, so that who, what product, and how long can be used. Information such as whether or not welding is done is shared and directly accumulated through the entire company network, which is useful for managing the progress. In particular, the company has two production bases in the same city, the first factory and the second factory, in addition to the head office factory attached to the head office, but the data entered individually is shared through the in-house network, and the process The progress is connected by an in-house network, and a large monitor is installed in each process to "visualize" it. In addition, in repeat products that are not rare in high-mix low-volume production factories, the production control system "alfaDOCK" manufactured by Alpha TKG is used as one of the tools to suppress quality variations due to reproducibility and the skill of welders. As a result, the photograph of the welded part of the product taken with the supplied tablet is linked to the barcoded product number and automatically accumulated as data. The accumulated database can be accessed at any time as past product information. For example, when a welder welds a repeat product or a product with similar conditions, he is an inexperienced welder by checking information such as welding conditions and photos of welded parts with reference to past databases. Welding that is close to the welding quality of highly skilled workers can be performed. Hideto Shionuma, chief of the welding processing group of the company, said, "Depending on the content of the order, there is almost no setting for welding from the user in the welded part of the product, and there are cases where the welding conditions are determined by the knowledge, skills and techniques of the welder. The issue was how to eliminate variations in reproducibility and quality in the case of repeats, but with this system, the photograph of the welded part taken was linked to the product number, so the shape of the bead. Welding quality such as size and size has been "visualized" and welding quality has improved. " At the company, 80% of welders are in their 20s and 30s, but tablet terminals are also used to educate young people. Welding preparation and review were facilitated by sharing videos of welding work and viewing them from a tablet terminal. The company has about 15 full-time welders, and most of the JIS basic and specialized grades for TIG welding of stainless steel have been obtained except for foreign technical intern trainees who joined the company last year. Under the theme of "digital sheet metal factory," the company has built a management system that connects orders, design, manufacturing, packaging, and shipping to an in-house network, greatly shortening delivery times, and improving quality and productivity. Due to these efforts, sales have been increasing from the previous year, despite the situation of Korona-ka in 2020. There is also a plan to open a new factory in the city to expand business in the future. The company discloses the company's sales and profits to employees. The results of productivity improvement and sales and profit increase by DX are "visualized" to employees. President Fujimura said, "If you promote DX by introducing hardware and software just because you want to improve productivity and increase profits on the management side, it will not work. An environment where employees can work comfortably and a means to motivate them to work. DX is one of them. The theme of our digital sheet metal factory is also to give back to the treatment and work environment of employees by making it a workplace where profits can be sustained, and those who want to continue working at the factory. I want more people, "he says about the company's efforts. In addition, "a system called" Digital Transformation (DX) in factories, such as welding process and laser machining, can be introduced to employees working in the field to realize the merit that it is easy to work, and motivation for work is increased. And it is important that the improvement in productivity and profitability by DX is also "visualized" to employees, and by giving back, the number of people who want to work at the manufacturing site will increase. " Emphasize the points to introduce.

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