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Powerfully driving the machine tool industry through the development of high-value-added solutions

After working in the Precision Machinery Division that handled machine tools at Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., he established Citizen Seiki Co., Ltd. in 1982. In 2015, it changed to its current trade name, and has been engaged in the development, manufacture, and sale of machine tools centered on CNC automatic lathes. CITIZEN MACHINERY CO., LTD., Ltd.
With a business vision of "providing the world's most advanced production innovation solutions (="individual mass production") and establishing a corporate position for new manufacturing, we will contribute to the development of the manufacturing industry through the realization of innovative manufacturing. Contributing.
We are developing our business centered on two brands, "Cincom" for sliding headstock CNC automatic lathes and "Miyano" for fixed headstock CNC automatic lathes. We are promoting the machine tool business globally with our strengths in unique technology, operability, and processing technology know-how.

As a leading company in the machine tool industry, the company develops various solutions, and the Development Planning Department of the Development Division develops products with high added value by making full use of new technologies.

ー Mr. Nakatani
In order to solve the problem of automatic lathes that unexpected machining defects occur due to long chips that are generated during cutting, we use LFV technology that uses low-frequency vibration to break chips into small pieces, as well as bar materials. We are conducting research and development that leads to the creation of new value in automatic lathes, such as the development of friction joining technology that has succeeded in reducing residual materials by joining and integrating residual materials, which account for 10% of materials in processing, with new materials by friction. increase.

Purpose

Challenges to Failure Prediction Shown in Industry 4.0

As a new theme, the company considered a failure prediction mechanism for automatic lathes that it provides. The impetus for this was the use of AI to analyze various sensing data obtained from machines and predict failures. It was a way to connect

ー Mr. Nakatani
We also examined the weak points of current lathes in order to create an environment that can provide new added value such as failure prediction. As a result, we decided to develop a failure prediction technology for this part as the first initiative, because the bearings of the spindle rotating at high speed have a relatively high failure frequency.

In the past, the main focus was on periodic maintenance, where target parts are replaced at predetermined intervals, and post-maintenance, where parts are replaced at the time of failure. The aim was to create an environment for condition-based maintenance in which parts are replaced only when a decision is made.

- Mr. Kera
We have been trying sensing not only for spindles, but we decided to focus on diagnosing failures of spindle bearings. For customers who perform preliminary replacements during regular maintenance, this eliminates the need for wasteful part replacements and provides value in terms of cost.

When he started working on it in 2016, not only machine tools, but there were few devices that had a failure prediction mechanism installed, and it was an advanced project in the automatic lathe industry.

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