History (Machining and assembly equipment/facilities)

Year
Production method
Machining and assembly equipment/facilities
Equipment/facilities
In-house machine-making
Controls
1937
 
 
 
Dependent on skill until 1954
1937
 
 
Start in-house making
 
1947
2-machine responsibility
 
 
 
1950
Andon use commenced
 
 
 
1953
Kanban use commenced
Japan-made special-purpose machines introduced
 
 
1955
 
 
 
Control by electric and hydraulic/pneumatic equipment until 1964
1956
 
First Japan-made transfer machine introduced
 
 
1960
 
 
First in-house transfer machine made
 
1962
 
Automatic inspection process
 
 
1963
Multi-process responsibility
 
Building-block method
 
1964
 
 
In-house honing machines
 
1965
Inter-process automatic transport
1965-1970 Japan-made special-purpose machines introduced
 
 
Large-volume introduction of transfer machines
1970
 
 
Assembly transfer machines
 
1973
Machining line for multi-parts variety
Engine auto assembly line
 
 
1975
 
 
 
Control by electronics and servo technology until 1984
1978
 
High-accuracy nut runner
 
 
Equipment size reduction
NC machine for mass production
1979
 
 
Function tester
 
1980
 
Valve clearance automatic adjustment equipment (earns JSPE Memorial Award)
 
 
1982
 
Palletizing robot
 
 
1983
 
 
NC machine for mass production
Personal computer system and CAD/CAM system developed
1984
FMS line for mass-produced engines
AGV
Electronic equipment for machine making
 
Andon multiplex transmission
Production instruction system
1985
A/T assembly room
High-precision gear shaper
 
 
1986
CAD/CAM introduced
 
Assembly robot
 
1987
 
Fillet grooving miller for crankshaft pin
Mechanical reciprocating-type bore honing
 
Changeable gang head
In-house high-performance motor and controller for equipment
NC hobbing machine
1988
Operation drawing by CAD
Cubic boron nitride (CBN) cam grinder
Full-scale support to overseas projects
Gleason: Machining support system
Ball groove creep-feed grinding
Friction pressure welding (for CVJs)
1989
Flexible production line with medium variety and medium volume capability
Skiving introduced for crankshaft journal turning
 
 
Single-rank bore machining
1990
 
Electrostatic resin coating on piston skirt
 
 
Vibro-broach (broaching of hardened spline with additional vibration)
1991
 
Contouring machining
 
 
Piston profile NC lathe
Turn-broach machining of crankshaft journal
NC hypoid gear shaper
High-speeded Gleason
6-spindle cage window grinder
1992
 
 
Immediate startup due to all people involved working together at the spot (TMUK Engine plant)
 
1993
 
Deck face grinding of aluminum die cast block
Multi-arm robot for assembly operations (earns JSPMI Prize)
 
Internal cam miller (for camshaft)
Full automated engine assembly
1994
Prototype model by rapid prototyping
Gear face honing machine
 
 
Energy-saving and environment-improving activities
1995
Line with flexibility
Turret shaving machine
Hansin Great earthquake disaster restoration support
Distributed control system (transfer machine)
CART (motor sports) parts production
Major component CASE activities
1996
 
Lead-time-reduction activities
 
 
Low-cost helical broach
1997
Multi-row line by single-axis NC machine
Line simulation (Virtual pre-evaluation of production capacity)
Emergency support to Aisin disaster
Large built-in motor
Engine parts variety-reduction activities
Skillet conveyor for engine assembly line
Engine motoring system
Hypoid gear grinder
1998
Actual application of line simulation
Globally standardized production preparation tasks
 
 
Proto-production line for precision small parts (for D4 pump and common rail parts)
CVT complex grinder
Automatic assembly of differential case interior
1999
Standardized axle machining line (first step)
3D process design support system
Separation of jigs and tooling
 
Low-thrust transport monorail between machines
2000
First phase of general-purpose line construction (for MZ)
Production preparation lead time 3M activities
 
 
F1 (Motor sports) parts production commenced
2001
Automatic calculation of ergonomics (workload) evaluation point
Production preparation support system
 
 
Digital SE group (for digitalization promotion)
Engine standard line
NVOP established
Global production preparation process reform (systemized job-sharing by equipment segmentation)
 
NC friction pressure welding (for CVJs)
2002
Reform addressing all casting and machining processes
Low-thrust transfer equipment
 
 
Standard axle shaft-parts machining line
GEL assembly line
GTL assembly line
2003
Virtual confirmation of NC program
Production start of concave cam grinding
Changeable jig and multi-face machining jig (i.e., production application of all-direction machining jig)
 
BT2 in-house activity to improve cost competitiveness
Sub-assembly expansion at assembly line
Separation of specialized and general-purpose equipment
2004
Production Engineering study on CPUs (digital engineering)
Machining GEL line
 
Andon monitor introduced
Assembly GTL line (Assembly room clean technology)
In-house programming of NC machining
2005
Fully automatic axle assembly line
Automation by robots
OJT training of TMMP maintenance members
 
Automation of A/T sub-assembly
Equipment set-up building method
Equipment lock-out system
Assembly GCL line
Traceability system
Face-hobbed hypoid gear- cutter based on in-house technology
Assembly GDL line
2006
3D digitalization promotion for drive-trains
CX pin grinding machine introduced for crankshaft (ZR)
 
Simulation technology for hobbing and lapping processes
Robot-washing machine
2007
Second phase of general-purpose line construction (at Shimoyama Plant)
Single-axis general-purpose NC machine applied to specialized finishing process
 
 
2008
Skill-Up Center established (for conveying skill)
Full automation of engine block sub-line (for AR engine)
 
 
2009
Activities to improve drawing completeness
Full automation of piston sub-assembly (at Shimoyama Plant)
 
 
Low-thrust and simple material handling
2010
 
Reciprocating-type SS assembly conveyor
 
 
2011
 
Blade assembly machine for face-hobbed hypoid gear- cutter
Support for East-Japan great earthquake disaster
Low-cost universal NC equipment
Aggregated assembly process
Emergency support for Thailand flood
Safety circuit control switched to software
Simple and Slim jig and tools
Expansion of universal control devices

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