NANO SEIMITSU CO., LTD. (hereinafter NANO SEIMITSU)'s "LINE QC SPECIALIST" which we have been introducing in the Samurai Asia magazine and WEB news, its experimental-monitor sales will start on July 20, 2020 in Thailand. Let’s ask Mr. Oishi, the Managing Director of NANO SEIMITSU for the details.

▲ LINE QC SPECIALIST provided as a package (including equipment such as measuring instruments, transmitters, and mobile wagons)

—We’ve heard that this product is a system that helps in quality control and improvement in the production process. What are the details?
Oishi: LINE QC SPECIALIST is a comprehensive monitoring and management system that prevents producing defective products in the production process. Although the system is mainly software, it is offered as a full set, including the part that handles electronic data such as the instrument actually used for measurement, the wagon (MQS: Mobile Quality Station) that can carry the measuring instrument to the side of the machine of the manufacturing line, the transmitter for electronic transmission of data, and the server. There are two types, a wagon type that is used while moving around at the manufacturing site and a PC type that is used for receiving inspection and pre-shipment inspection.

—Why is it offered as a package (whole system) rather than software alone?
Oishi: At first, we considered selling only the software, but if we cannot properly take care of troublesome points such as selecting the brand and model of the measuring instrument, compatibility with the transmitter, and exchanging data with the server, we were worried that “can’t use it well at the manufacturing site, meaning employing this system would be pointless." Thus, we decided to pre-select the optimal brand and model, and propose a total system and a completed state. The wagon is custom made.

—Can it be put in use immediately after the purchase?
Oishi: Ah, there are some pre-settings needed. In order to put it to actual use, it is necessary to register the standard value of the drawing, the measurement points, and the tolerance of the measurement points of the target product. It will require information such as the person who will set it up, the LINE QC personnel, machine number, product number, lot number, and so on. A master information maintenance period of about half a month to one month is required.

Since the improvement process for making high-quality products is systemized, it is necessary to firmly maintain standard information such as setting mass production standard valuesthat are actually going to be used to manage the customer's site, information such as management standard values narrower than ones used for adjusting machines,measurement frequency by measurement location, setting information of n numbers, calibration frequency of inspection equipment, and master pin information used in calibration. When these data are input, quality control and monitoring in the production process will be drastically improved, and it will be greatly useful not only for quality but also for productivity improvement.

—Can this mechanism assuredly improve quality?
Oishi: Yes, without any doubt. We too operate a mass production factory. We think what we should do at the manufacturing site is similar to thinking about how to manage the good trends and the central position, including the management methods taught by the customers. However, the difficult thing is to make sure that the rules that have been set are adhered to and complied with.In the line, it is very difficult to monitor workers and supervisors, issue a warning if they violate prescribed rules, and immediately stop, re-adjust and restart the machine. Isn't it painful and unpleasant to keep watch over the work of others? How comfortable it would be to let a system do the job! Not only that, if we caneliminate the in-process defects that this system is aiming for, how much more can we expect to reduce costs and improve quality assurance? I think the effect is immeasurable.

For production management and accounting, management using PC software is common, but I think that a system for quality control at the manufacturing site is a system that creates new value. If we can improve quality with AI-based systems such as LINE QC SPECIALIST, productivity at manufacturing sites will change significantly.