Nov. 06, 1989

TOYOTA RECEIVES HONORS FOR REVOLUTIONARY STAMPING DIE
MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

 

Toyota City―TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION today was awarded the fiscal 1989 Technical Award from the Japan Society of Precision Engineering (JSPE) for the development and practical application of an automated system for high-speed, high-precision manufacturing of stamping dies.

The system's foremost features, which make it one of the world's most advanced, are as follows

  1. It allows for high-speed precision machining of all types of dies, including those for inner panels, which tend to have extremely complex shapes. This was made possible by a Toyota-developed system that automatically creates reliable data at high speeds for numerically controlled machining, and through Toyota's detailed machine-tool control technology.
  2. It also allows for long-term, continuous, and unmanned operation of the stamping die manufacturing system. This was made possible through the creation of a compact and highly efficient system for the entire production process, including an automated rack-type warehouse and unmanned transport vehicles, and an independently developed operation control system with the flexibility to adapt to various abnormalities.

The system is an extension of Toyota's state-of-the-art CAD/CAM, machining, and automation technologies that have been developed over the years, as well as an "integration" of dozens of new technologies. Test operation began in September 1987 and full-scale operation in March 1988.

Toyota estimates the system achieves a 60% reduction in the time required to manufacture stamping dies for inner panels and the lead time for their preparation, as well as a 50% reduction in the time for manual finishing by skilled engineers. The overall result is improved car body quality. Toyota has, in fact, already utilized the system in conjunction with the development of its new flagship luxury car, the Lexus LS400.

The JSPE Technical Award is awarded every year to researchers or engineers in precision engineering for excellence in their precision machines or manufacturing technologies.

REFERENCE
Outline of the award ceremony
  • Date and time
    Monday, November 6, 14:00-15:00
  • Place
    Faculty of Engineering, Osaka University; 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture
  • Awardees from Toyota
    Koichi Ikemoto, general manager of Body 4 Production Engineering Div.; Hiroaki Kikuchi, general manager of Stamping Die & Tooling Model Making Div. (SDTMMD);
    Masatoki Utsumi, general manager of SDTMMD's Quality Control Dept.; Akio Asai, project manager of SDTMMD's Quality Control Dept.; Mamoru Nakaoki, assistant manager of SDTMMD's Die Engineering Dept.
Outline of Japan Society of Precision Engineers
  • Address
    Ceramics Building, No. 22-17, Hyakunin-cho 2-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
  • Established
    October 1933
  • Objective
    To promote liaison, cooperation, and progress in research into precision engineering, and thus contribute to the advancement of science
  • Membership
    Approx. 7,000 including individual and corporate members
  • President
    Tomoharu Yamada, professor of Osaka University
Outline of JSPE Technical Award
  • Objective
    To reward the diligence and efforts (and stimulate future progress) of researchers and engineers who have made creative accomplishments in the area of precision engineering
  • Major areas
    Development of precision machines; research or development pertaining to production or manufacturing technology
  • Qualifications
    (a) Either an individual researcher/engineer
    or a group of not more than five researchers/engineers who have made one of the aforementioned accomplishments; (b) an accomplishment that has been published or is scheduled to be published shortly; and (c) an accomplishment which has not been given other public recognition.