Daikin Device (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., a group company of Daikin Industries, Ltd., produces compressors and control printed circuit boards for air conditioners. In the face of growing difficulties to secure human resources in China, the company is promoting the standardization and automation of manufacturing operations in order to further improve product quality. As part of these efforts, the company decided to implement major improvements in compressor airtightness testing, which had previously relied on the skill level of operators. In addition to adopting a new testing method, a motion monitoring system that visualizes the movements of the testers was developed with the cooperation of KDDI Shanghai.
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Case study Daikin Device (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
Visualization of human movements to achieve improved work quality The evolving Smart Factory is transforming the future of manufacturing.
Key implementation services
Contents
Client interview
Summary
Issues to be tackled
- Testing quality was inconsistent due to reliance on operator experience
- Wanted to reduce the workload and management burden within testing process
- Aimed to automate testing operations that are challenging to perform
Support provided by KDDI
- KDDI helped visualize the inspection process, eliminating the variation in quality caused by individual operators
- The system automatically judges the accuracy of the inspection, reducing the workload for both operators and managers
- The system can record the movements of inspectors, which can be used to train automated robots
Reason and Background for Introduction
They developed a cutting-edge system that visualizes human movement
Photo of the meeting with KDDI Shanghai Staff
Mr.Kagiya explains the background and why KDDI Shanghai was selected:
"After consulting with several companies about system development, we decided to entrust KDDI Shanghai with the project. Their motion capture-based motion monitoring system was the most likely to meet out required accuracy, and we also felt their passion for cutting-edge technology development."
Effects of the Introduction
The motion monitoring system developed by KDDI Shanghai has standardized inspection work and opened the path to automating difficult testing tasks, which is the ultimate goal.
Mr.Kagiya talks about the achievements：
"The introduction of a new testing method using a detection gun was a major factor in improving inspection work quality.
"As the testing method relies on human skill to move the detection gun along the compressor joint at a specific speed and interval, a system to objectively determine whether the test was performed correctly was essential. After consulting with several companies regarding system development, we were presented with a motion monitoring system proposal from KDDI Shanghai, utilizing motion capture technology. Given its strong potential to meet our accuracy requirements, we engaged KDDI Shanghai in the collaboration. The development of the system was extremely difficult, but after several months of trial and error, a system that could capture the trajectory of the detection gun in millimeter increments and determine testing accuracy was successfully developed."
"In addition, the motion data obtained from this system can be used for robot learning, marking a significant step towards the full automation of testing performed by robots."
Keita Kagiya
Deputy Section Manager
Technology Section
Technology Department
The Challenge of variation in inspection work has been brilliantly solved by the motion monitoring system. By capturing the movements of the inspection gun, the accuracy and stability have been improved, enabling high-quality inspection at all time.
Ye Qian
Technology Section
Technology Department
Ms.Qian explains:
"As the motion monitoring system automatically determines testing accuracy, compared to the conventional method in which operator made subjective judgments, this new system has reduced variations in testing operations."
"Results are displayed on a monitor on the spot, and if a problem is identified the corresponding point is indicated, meaning that only that specific point needs to be retested, eliminating the need to start from scratch. Our technical staff sometimes have a hard time grasping the operational aspects of what is a very sophisticated system, but KDDI Shanghai is very helpful in providing detailed support."
The new testing method and motion monitoring system have also reduced operator workload
Ms.Wang explains the effects of the introduction:
"Whereas in the past testing was performed by moving a heavy compressor by hand, now testing can be performed by simply operating the detection gun, with the system providing support so that even physically weak operators can perform testing with confidence."
"This system has also reduced manpower by enabling a single operator to perform testing that used to be performed by four operators. In addition, training of new operators has become easier, and the ability to look back on past testing operations by saving motion data and videofootage has reduced management workload."
Hui Wang
Manufacturing Section Chief
Manufacturing Section 2
Manufacturing Department
Service Introduction Overview Diagram
Airtightness testing method for compressors at Daikin Device (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
Message from the project leaders
Qifeng Zhang (left)
Suzhou Branch
KDDI Shanghai Corporation
Nan Li (right)
Digital Transformation Division
Suzhou Branch
KDDI Shanghai Corporation
Factories have many management challenges. Advancements in technology are enabling us to address issues that were previously technically impossible to solve. As a group of information and communication technology (ICT) and digital transformation (DX) professionals, we have a global presence spanning over 100 locations and are driving factory DX projects that utilize cutting-edge technologies all around the world. We have many experienced engineers, so please feel free to consult with us at KDDI about your challenges.
| * | The information provided is accurate as of the time of reporting. |
Customer profile
| Company Name | Daikin Device (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. |
| Head Office | No.256 Changyang Street, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China |
| Company Name | Daikin Industries, Ltd. |
| Head Office | Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South, 1-13-1, Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-0001, Japan |
What is the best solution for your problem?
Please consult a KDDI consultant.
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