Futaba Kogyo has signed a pressed parts technical assistance contract with Thai Summit Eastern Seaboard Autoparts Industry Co., Ltd. (TSESA), a Thai automotive parts manufacturer. The signing was carried out at the TSESA headquarters. In addition to support offered last year via licensing of pressed module parts technologies, we are further expanding our global activities through licensing of pressed parts technologies.

Futaba Kogyo participated in the Karakuri Kaizen Mechanism Exhibition, which was held for two days (October 25-26, 2007) in Nagoya. We showcased our “Yoki ni Kaeru” product, which removes empty part containers and returns them with a single pedaling motion-the name, meaning “cheerfully return,” is a play on words with yoki implying the two meanings of “cheerful” and “container.” Manufacturing floor workers utilize their wisdom, get their handles dirty, leverage power sources and make full use of available mechanisms. If employees think for themselves and achieve greater kaizen (improvements), they can enhance their knowledge and skills, which further vitalizes the organization as a whole.

At the Futaba Kogyo headquarters, we signed a pressed parts technical assistance contract with Thai Summit Eastern Seaboard Autoparts Industry Co., Ltd. (TSESA), a Thai automotive parts manufacturer.
In addition to our joint venture efforts in Nanjing, China, we are further expanding our global activities through technical support and assistance.

As of April 1, HIROSHIMA SEIKEN KOGYO CO., LTD. has been acquired as a subsidiary of Futaba Kogyo Co., Ltd. Moving forward, we plan to provide management reorganization guidance for HIROSHIMA SEIKEN KOGYO to increase numbers of orders, reduce costs and so forth while also utilizing both companies’ strengths to expand product offerings and bolster the future competitive strength of the Group as a whole.

Futaba Kogyo exhibited products at the Plastic Industrial Fair 2006 Nagoya, which was held from November 12 to 15 in Nagoya City. DaikyoNishikawa Corporation, Japan Climate Systems Corporation (JCS) and Futaba Kogyo jointly showcased a Mazda Atenza cockpit module at the event. We were able to successfully promote our technological strengths thanks to our receipt of the Best in Class (BIC) Award for weight and cost reductions achieved via the steering member component.
Moving forward, we will participate in industry-academia-government joint working groups and otherwise strive to enhance our proprietary technological capabilities.

On November 10, President Masaru Otsuka of Webasto Japan Co., Ltd. visited Futaba Kogyo to view the production line for the kinematic lever assembly and other such components used in the opening/closing mechanism for Mazda Miata retractable hardtops (RHTs). These RHT products were jointly developed with Webasto Japan, and President Otsuka honored us with words of gratitude regarding the successful product implementation and commencement of mass production.

Under the sponsorship of the Hiroshima City Economic Affairs Bureau, Futaba Kogyo participated in the exhibition and business event held on September 2, 2005, at Shanghai General Motors (Shanghai GM) together with other local businesses from Hiroshima. Futaba Kogyo exhibited its steering member and aluminum lid products, which drew great interest from Shanghai GM’s purchasing department.
In addition to joining the exhibition, participating employees observed local companies and were exposed to real-life Chinese culture, which enabled them to experience the globalization movement firsthand and learn a great deal from everything they did at this beneficial event.

At Futaba Kogyo, we have commenced sequenced component delivery of steering member parts, which are cockpit module components, using AGVs (automated guided vehicles) at our Hofu Factory. Sequenced component delivery entails delivery of necessary components in accordance with customers’ takt-based production schedules and relevant production sequences at neighboring modular part manufacturers. This approach makes it possible to reduce customer inventories to minimal levels, integrate production bases and bring about an immeasurable range of other benefits.
From Futaba Kogyo’s standpoint, we have established the long-awaited direct integration of production lines and customer processes in order to realize a factory with world-leading high production efficiency.

(AGV is short for “automated guided vehicle,” a crewless delivery vehicle.)