The Goal: Development Prototypes Ready in 3 Days
What EMTAC Brings to Ebara’s Technologies
With a hundred requests arriving each year, EMTAC began with a single voice originating from a certain department
The Ebara Manufacturing Technology Advanced Center (“EMTAC”) serves to support the “monozukuri” (manufacturing) of the entire Ebara Group. EMTAC provides prototypes required for product development, treating each location and department in the Group as a valued customer. EMTAC’s motto is “Prototype in your hands in 3 days!!” These activities all began when EMTAC was providing consultation on customer problems and was asked to create a prototype of a certain pump product with a tight deadline.
TAKASHI YAMAKAWA (of the Innovative Production Engineering and Quality Assurance Division, Manufacturing Technology Development Department), who leads EMTAC, and HIROYUKI KAWASAKI (of the Building Service & Industrial Company, Development Division, Industrial Business Development Department), who was the catalyst for the prototype project, discuss why EMTAC began and the value the organization brings to the table.
How did this new initiative kick off ?
—What kind of organization is EMTAC?
Innovative Production Engineering and Quality Assurance Division
Manufacturing Technology Development Department
Yamakawa—EMTAC provides support for “monozukuri” throughout the Ebara Group without belonging to any specific department itself. Mainly, EMTAC consults with each segment about problems concerning “monozukuri”. We work together with those departments to solve those problems. EMTAC is currently working with 17 bases and departments in Japan and overseas to resolve issues.
EMTAC also quickly creates and provides prototypes needed for product development.
—Why did you set up EMTAC and begin these sorts of activities in the first place?
Yamakawa—Even before the establishment of EMTAC, I had been involved in “monozukuri” throughout the company as part of the corporate headquarters. We were looking for ways to contribute more to the business functions and to the company as a whole. That’s why we had the idea of creating an organization that would treat in-house departments and bases as actual customers, listen to concerns and solve problems together within the company. That led to EMTAC being born in 2020, to provide support for solving “monozukuri” problems in different business segments.
—So why did you start delivering prototypes?
Yamakawa—It all started when we went to each business segment and talked to them about their problems and issues. As we were doing that, Mr. Kawasaki’s department asked us to create a prototype.
Building Service & Industrial Company
Development Division
Industrial Business Development Department
Kawasaki—Yes, that’s right. Our department develops industrial pumps that are used in plants and other such facilities. We had just received a request from a certain customer to create a prototype for a new product in a short amount of time when I was told that EMTAC wanted to discuss our development issues and requests, so we consulted with them about creating a prototype. We usually outsource creation of prototypes, and this was the first time we would collaborate with EMTAC.
We had several goals in mind when we asked EMTAC to take on this task. First, we wanted to speed up the process by creating prototypes in-house. In-house production allows us to quickly go through the full PDCA cycle, from prototype production to evaluation of the finished product, and then adjustment. Being inside the company also means we do not need to go through the NDA process, and due to that and other factors, we can expect shortened delivery times.
Prototypes of new products that are not yet available in the market may be new or unique shapes and the experience of creating such prototypes is valuable to have within the company, and continues to build over time, leveling-up “monozukuri” throughout Ebara.
EMTAC was recognized for drastically reducing delivery times to under a month and won the Grand Award of the Ebara Global Challenge Award (EGCA), a company-wide program that recognizes those undertaking challenging initiatives at Ebara.
—How did you feel when you received the request for a prototype from Mr. Kawasaki?
Yamakawa—I definitely did not think that it would be an easy job. However, as Mr. Kawasaki said, being able to build a prototype internally at Ebara would present us with something of significant value. I also believed for some time that such an internal organization was necessary. While there is no doubt that the role would be difficult, declining to take on that role and declaring that it couldn’t be done would only mean putting the brakes on progress taking place at the company and at EMTAC. That’s why I decided to take on the challenge and approach things with a trial-and-error approach even if things were going to be tough at first.
Manufacturing, of course, requires a variety of knowledge and skills. EMTAC has members who have worked on “monozukuri” in various businesses and departments. I felt that taking on this challenge would truly bring the strengths of EMTAC, with its diverse technologies and members, to life.
—When the prototype was actually delivered, how did things look and what kind of speed was involved?
Kawasaki—We requested a small amount first, which was ready in about a month. It was faster than outsourcing externally and the quality was good too. Since then, we have asked for prototypes many times and have increased the quantities involved. Each time we did that, we saw increases in production speed and shortened delivery times.
Yamakawa—Every time we got a request, we thought about what process to shorten next. Delivery times, which were a month at first, became two weeks, then ten days...and so on. Gradually, we began to receive requests from other departments and eventually decided to expand this initiative to the rest of the company in a full-fledged manner.
Since we were going to be expanding the initiative throughout the company, we wanted to create a tagline that would be easy for everyone to understand what it was about. That’s when our motto “Prototype in your hands in 3 days!!” was born. We receive more than 100 requests annually for prototypes, not only for pumps but also for the precision machinery business and new business initiatives.
—This activity also resulted in the winning of the EGCA Grand Award. Looking at everything again, how do you both feel about the value and benefits provided by doing things in-house when it comes to the production of prototypes?
Kawasaki—I think it is a very significant thing for us designers to be able to hear the opinions of the manufacturers very early in the product development stage through creating prototypes at EMTAC. Product designs are based on what we, the designers, have in our minds or based on data. However, when commercializing a product, whether or not it is easy to manufacture onsite or at all are important factors to consider and the best way to find out is to listen to the voices of those who manufacture the product.
In that sense, since EMTAC is an organization within the same company, they are able to give their honest opinions on the manufacturing process, and we can rework the design at an early stage if necessary.
Yamakawa—By creating prototypes for the latest products, EMTAC has the potential to become a hub for connecting technologies within the Ebara Group. As I mentioned earlier, prototypes often incorporate new ideas and technologies. It may be possible, for instance, for the technologies utilized in pump prototypes to be deployed to other departments via EMTAC. I think we can contribute to raising the level of “monozukuri” throughout Ebara and that will allow us to bring better products to market in a speedy manner.
Start small and gain experience by seeing things through to the end
—What are the prospects for EMTAC in the future?
Yamakawa—We have received many requests for prototypes from various departments, which is a source of great joy for us. I would like to see us continue working hard to deliver prototypes in as short a time as possible.
We will also strengthen our commitment to health and safety and 5S, the basics of manufacturing, as well contribute to carbon neutrality through making energy efficient products and reducing CO2.
—Both of you have been involved in “monozukuri” for many years. To finish this interview, do you have a message for young people working at Ebara and those who are interested in “monozukuri”?
Kawasaki—I would like to say to young people that no matter how small a task is, they should be accumulating experience by following through with it till the end. Each project has a starting line and a finish line. I believe that the starting line and the finishing line are connected in a circular manner as opposed to being two points on a straight line. One lap around that circle from start to the finish actually signifies the start of another endeavor.
The important thing is to complete laps around the circle. Even small circles are fine, the important thing is to finish the lap. If you have a great start but end up stopping in the middle, you don't have the full experience of that task to completion. Even if the circle is small, going around it once and getting back to the starting line means that you can draw a bigger circle to go around next time. I think it’s all about doing that over and over again.
Yamakawa—My train of thought is similar. I want to see young people challenge themselves and not give up on things easily. Even if something is difficult, there is nothing to be gained if you just give up then and there, declaring the endeavor to be impossible. I think that it’s important to give it a try and to not give up right away. It’s also important to consult with others and think about what is necessary to make your endeavor succeed.
Kawasaki—When it came to the developing prototypes initiative, Mr. Yamakawa did not back down from the challenge. He pressed on and the initiative grew as a result. When it comes to “monozukuri”, I think that not giving up easily and making sure you see things through to the end is the most important element, even on a small scale.
