Recent trends in the robotization of the Japanese automotive industry

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Recent trends in the robotization of the Japanese automotive industry

Yagi, T.

There are two ways for Japanese robots to be used in overseas automotive industries, one is directly supplied via overseas branches or representatives of Japanese robot makers and another is exported as the transplant to overseas factories of Japanese automotive industries. In the past the former was most common, but now the latter is increasing as Toyota and Honda have made overseas factories in USA, Europe, and recently in China, and they are going to get more shares in these countries. In the former, overseas automotive companies usually adopt robots for their plants after evaluation testing of a single robot's quality. In the latter, if there are no robots that fill the demands of their plant, then engineers in the automotive companies and robot makers cooperate to get a usable robot as explained in this paper. This is a reason why the Japanese automotive companies and Japanese robots have become strong to the world. Japanese robot makers have exported robots of universal purpose that were developed and refined according to Japanese automotive companies' request. Recently members of foreign automotive companies often visit Japanese robot factories and talk about cooperation with robot engineers. Japanese robot makers are also reinforcing their overseas branches by dispatching young engineers. Just as the electric-servo gun and a full digital arc-welder originated in Europe and were improved in Japan by being united closely with robot, it is hoped that the new type of robot systems in the machining field will be devised from the intimate cooperation between engineers of foreign automotive companies and Japanese robot makers conquering the differences between them in life style and language.