background

Providing various solutions that contribute to safety and security, such as disaster prevention products

Nikken Kogyo Co., Ltd. was established in 2015 as a manufacturer of metal products through the merger of Nikken Koki Co., Ltd., Nikken Shiga Co., Ltd., and Nikken Service Co., Ltd. As a group company of Nippon Steel Construction Materials, we provide contract manufacturing and processing of major products sold by Nippon Steel Construction Materials in the fields of construction and civil engineering. We manufacture and sell disaster prevention and steel structure products used in rivers and mountains, guardrails used on roads, lighting poles used in urban areas, U columns used as building pillars, and inside houses. We provide various solutions that contribute to safety and security, such as emergency beds and emergency shelters.

The company has offices all over Japan, including Tochigi, Shizuoka, Nagoya, Gifu, and Buzen, and each office handles different products. One of these facilities, the Buzen Plant in Fukuoka, is used for slit dams that contribute to the prevention and mitigation of landslide disasters, reinforcing materials used in non-frame slope disaster prevention construction methods, dams against debris flows, and erosion control dams. We are involved in the manufacture of disaster prevention and steel structure products such as the SB Wall that is installed. Among them, slit dams have the largest production and shipping volume in the western Japan area, and contribute greatly to the creation of a safe and secure environment with disaster prevention products in the civil engineering field.

Task

Considering Switching to LED Lighting to Reduce Electricity Costs

In such a company, the reduction of electricity costs has been a major theme company-wide for some time, and for several years it has been promoting the conversion of mercury lamps, which had been used in workplaces and warehouses, to LED. "Mercury lamps themselves cannot be newly procured due to legal restrictions, so we have been switching to LEDs with the aim of reducing electricity costs," says Mr. Nobuo Fukuma, Director of the Advisory Office. . In that sense, the switch from mercury lamps to LED lighting has already been promoted in each workplace for several years, and this time, the target was the No. 8 workshop, which was newly used as a warehouse.

As for Workplace No. 8, illuminance itself was also an issue, and improvements were expected in terms of productivity as well. “There is a shipping area in the workshop, and at the time of shipment, product barcodes and lot numbers are confirmed. There were times when we didn't notice old lots that should have been used," recalls Mr. Jin Tanagamaru of the processing plant.

selection

Determined that ShinyU, with its high durability and long life, will contribute to cost reduction

When considering a new environment, the company focused on the high-efficiency industrial LED lighting "ShinyU" provided by Macnica. In fact, the second and third workshops used by the company also switched from mercury lamps to LED lighting in 2020, and the company once again focused on ShinyU, which was used in these two workshops. "The second and third workshops not only carry out work such as cutting and welding, but also serve as inspection stations. We have a track record of using ShinyU for lighting there, so we reconsidered ShinyU." Mr. Nagamaru. In particular, ShinyU, which has a light source lifespan of 72,000 hours, has a longer lifespan than typical LED lighting, and was expected to contribute to the company's cost reductions, including replacement costs.

In addition, in the No. 8 workshop where we planned to introduce this time, the ceiling part of the building sometimes gets hot in the summer, so it was necessary to have a product with sufficient consideration for durability. "I used to work on a regular basis in the workshop that I introduced before, and I didn't pay much attention to the heat because it was running a large fan, but the No. 8 workshop, which is used as a warehouse, has no fans installed. We needed something with more durability than usual,” says Mr. Tanakamaru. In the case of general LED lighting, performance is guaranteed at around 40°C, but ShinyU has specifications that can withstand up to 50°C, and was highly evaluated in terms of durability.

The illuminance simulation conducted by Macnica in advance gave a clear picture of how the product would develop, and was a source of support during the product selection process. The company was also praised for its proposals that lead to increased productivity, such as by using lenses that cast the optimal light where it is needed without scattering the light, making it possible to brightly illuminate your surroundings without being too dazzling.

Also, as a partner of Macnica, Spina Co., Ltd., which handled everything from on-site proposals to installation, was also a big factor. It was determined that Spina would be able to appropriately dispose of the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contained in mercury lamps, and would also be able to appropriately dispose of the existing environment. As a result, ShinyU, proposed by Spina, was selected as an environment that would reduce costs and improve work efficiency.

Current operation

消費電力削減率65%以上・400％越えの照度アップで作業品質向上に大きく貢献

Currently, 21 ShinyU lights have been installed in Workplaces 2 and 3, which were previously introduced, and 32 ShinyU lights have been newly installed in Workplace 8, achieving a significant energy-saving effect compared to mercury lamps. It contributes to improving the quality of on-site work. Specifically, the illuminance was increased by 204% in the second and third workshops compared to before installation, the east area was increased by 131% in the eighth workshop, and the illuminance in the southwest area was set so that it could also be used as a workshop482. Achieved a % increase in illuminance.

In addition, with this changeover, the No. 8 workshop achieved a power consumption reduction rate of 68.8% and a reduction in CO2 emissions of approximately 5,745 tons over 10 years, contributing greatly to the reduction of electricity costs and CO2 emissions.

After installing ShinyU, it was well received by members working in the field that it became easier to see their hands. "Unlike mercury lamps, which take time to turn on again, LED lighting can brighten up immediately, so even if you want to go home and need to work after turning off the lights, the fact that you can immediately brighten up is a big advantage from the site. It's a reputation," said Mr. Tanakamaru. In particular, workshops 2 and 3 are used for welding and other work, contributing to the improvement of the quality of cutting work that is performed in millimeters and welding work that requires precision. “Because the visibility changes depending on the illuminance, for example, there is an impact on welding defects and disturbances.Of course, it is more efficient to find problems on the spot than to check them in the post-process. It should be very useful in improving the quality of work,” says Mr. Tanakamaru.

Improving the illuminance of the site will greatly change the impression even when an outside person conducts an on-site inspection of the product. “Actually, customers such as government officials come to the site and look around the site and the process of processing and welding. Brightening the workplace changes the impression, and the visual effect cannot be overlooked. ” said Mr. Tanakamaru. In addition, since the entire group has been actively engaged in environmental initiatives such as decarbonization and energy saving, it has been highly evaluated as an environmentally friendly measure.

Regarding Spina Co., Ltd., which was in charge of everything from ShinyU's proposal to on-site construction, he said, "We have been in contact with the entire group for a long time, and we have been asking for other machines and on-site construction. This time as well, they provided us with the materials we needed, such as the return on investment.

from now on

Efforts to ensure the safety of employees, such as disinfection lighting, are also expected

Currently, the switch to LED lighting in all of the work sites has been completed, and there are no plans to expand the use of LED lighting. However, there is room to consider areas such as sterilization lighting, where demand is increasing during the current coronavirus pandemic. “When it comes to lighting in the office, it is highly possible to consider disinfecting lighting that reduces the risk of infection for employees and improves the safety of Macnica. We've received some referrals about this, so it's worth considering," said Tanagamaru.

In addition, we would like to continue to consider the creation of an environment that is effective for mechanisms and safety measures to contribute to the environment. Mr. Fukuma said about the future, "I look forward to further proposals, not only for lighting, but also for environmentally friendly systems that lead to decarbonization and things that are useful for safety, such as disaster prevention."

Related product

ShinyU LED High Efficiency Industrial LED Lighting