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Many companies may consider factory automation, labor saving, and operations without humans to realize a decarbonized society. The benefits of factory automation, labor saving, and unmanned production include reduced labor costs and human error. However, the hurdles to moving forward are high, and it is necessary to organize issues. Quality Assurance of Unmanned Time Aska Company's unmanned operation is set for 8 hours from 0:00 at night to 8:00 the next morning. For quality assurance during the night when no one is present, IoT data such as camera inspections and machine condition monitoring are used. We share information with the entire site during the morning meeting the next day.   Although unmanned operations may give the image of people being eliminated, since people (workers) analyze data obtained from machines, it creates cooperative activities that take advantage of the respective strengths of machines and people. Rather than completely eliminating people, we believe that factories of the future will need people to do what only people can do.   Machines that Support Manpower Saving and Unmanned Nighttime Operation in Factories We have also achieved manpower saving and nighttime unmanned operation by utilizing IoT data through other tools such as auto-stockers, short-shot detectors, and camera inspection systems that we developed and manufactured in-house. We will continue to upgrade our workplaces by actively engaging in digital tools. ■Aska Company Seminars For those who don't know where to start in advancing factory automation and unmanned nighttime factory operations, the Aska Company offers seminars on unmanned nighttime factory operations. Based on ...

Thank you for reading Market News. Recently, we have been receiving a lot of questions about the "AS Spout Series," which we have been introducing, such as "Can we use it with ice cream?　Is there any problem if we want to store it frozen? We have received many such questions about "freezing," so we decided to evaluate the product by freezing it. Functional Evaluation of Frozen Spouts Recently, we have been receiving a lot of questions about the "AS Spout Series," which we have been introducing, such as "Can we use it with ice cream?　Is there any problem if we want to store it frozen? We have received many such questions about "freezing," so we decided to evaluate the product by freezing it. To ensure that there is no leakage of the contents, it is necessary to guarantee airtightness. There are several methods to evaluate airtightness, but we evaluate it using a pressurization test. To compare and evaluate with AS spout, we purchase samples (market products) that are compatible with the freezer and use them for measurement evaluation. Our measurement targets are ・AS9.5 Spout (inner diameter: approximately 9.5 mm) ・AS16 spout (inner diameter: approximately φ16mm) We prepared three samples for comparison. (We will refrain from giving details, but these products are for ice cream and frozen beverages.)   Airtightness Test Evaluation Details   Evaluation Item: Airtight (Pressurized) Stand the sample with spout and cap mated at room temperature (23°C) and freezing (-18°C). Set the sample on the jig. Pressurize at 0.3 MPa for 10 seconds ...

Thank you for reading Market News. Spout pouches are increasingly being used not only for traditional refill applications but also as containers in place of bottles. We have been developing various spouts and caps called AS Spout Series such as AS18 Spout. The main feature of the AS18 Spout is that a general-purpose pump or trigger can be attached to the spout pouch, thereby reducing the need to refill the contents of the liquid, which many people consider to be a hassle. ■Ideas to make spout pouch x pump easier to use Part 1 Unlike bottles, spout pouches have the disadvantage that the spout pouch is soft. When the pump is attached and we push the head, the pouch part is crushed, making it difficult to use. The "AS18 Pouch Stand" was developed to solve this disadvantage. The stand can be detached with a single touch from the spout section and is both sturdy enough to withstand the force of pushing the pump and minimalistic to minimize the amount of resin used and not detract from the pouch design.       ■Ideas to make spout pouch x pump easier to use Part 2 In bathrooms and washrooms, where pouches with spouts are used, there are many things to put down, and things tend to get messy. Recently, "floating storage" has become a trend. Aska Company has developed a hanging hook for AS18 Spout. Like the "AS18 Pouch Stand," it is designed to be attached to the spout with a single touch. You can store ...

Digitization and IoT At Aska Company, we continue to promote digitalization. The company's sensors and devices are connected to the network through the IoT, and employees can see data from anywhere. As we understand the benefits of digital, we get actively networked. We can check and review the data from production lines and check the operating status and abnormalities of factory infrastructure from afar. Networking has helped bridge the distance and increased the time that we can spend on review. The Aska Company's digitalization challenge has lasted more than 20 years, including the parts that are undisclosed to the public, and these many years of digitalization have enabled us to take advantage of skills that used to be tied to individual and regional areas. But when we are surrounded by so much data, which ones do we need? That is where "LMK" comes in. What is LMK? LMK stands for "Let me know." The LMK is a system that "automatically notifies you of its status." If certain conditions are exceeded, the Apple Watch (and other devices) worn by workers receive the information. Workers can see the problem on the spot. We use a communication tool called Slack for notifications. The general-purpose tool provides good communication stability and saves time and effort in creating, installing, and operating applications. In the past, the use of digital technology required operators to see the data from camera inspections on a monitor and to check the molding machine data for any abnormalities. Since LMK automatically notifies us of its status, ...

Thank you for reading Market News. In this issue, we would like to reintroduce the "Spout Pouch," a product we have introduced many times before, and summarize its functions, applications, and merits. What is a Spout Pouch? Spout pouches have become increasingly common in supermarkets, home centers, and drugstores in recent years. Originally, we often used them for refill purposes, but now, with the increasing variety and usefulness of their functions, many products are beginning to switch from "pouch-only products" to "pouches with spouts," as people's understanding of their use has increased. A "spout pouch" is a product that combines a spout and a pouch, and the Aska Company develops and manufactures Spouts and Caps for these products. The spout produced by our company is welded to the pouch film, and they finally become a spout pouch. We design caps specially for spout pouches, and various caps are available, including screw-type caps with a tamper-resistant function, hinged caps with one-touch closure, and caps with nozzle diameters that match the intended use of the pouch. What are the Uses of Spout Pouches? Spout pouches are still often used for refill applications. The spout makes it easy to refill a bottle container. The cap also makes it possible to use only the necessary amount and store the remainder (resealability). The acquisition of resealability has also led to the development of applications for replacing plastic bottles. Aska Company is developing products that allow spouted pouches to be as containers themselves, and as one such product, we are offering ...

In the December 2022 issue of ASKA MARKET NEWS No. 334, we introduced the evolved mold change application. In this issue, we would like to introduce our review after its operation. 1. ASKA's Approach to Management of Mold Change Operations (Purpose) First, I would like to introduce the purpose of ASKA's work management of mold changes. As shown in the figure below, the purpose of ASKA's work management of mold changes is to provide time management in the workplace and motivational information for each individual.   2. Comparison Before and After the Introduction of Mold Change App After introducing the mold change application, we began to focus on the "planning" part. We also began to plan more carefully, as shown in the figure below. In addition, we are also reforming the workplace so that we can perform the PDCA cycle of the mold changeover operation in conjunction with the introduction of the mold changeover app. ※A manufacturing standard is a written standard for the replacement of molds for each product. We are able to retrieve the numerical values of each job as data after the introduction of the mold change application. For the issues that existed before the introduction of the app, we now analyze the data in a way that meets the needs, and visualization of individual results, such as achievements, has been realized. 3. Mold Change Time Review After Operation Before and after the application, the average time for mold change was reduced by as much as 60 minutes. The following three factors ...

Aska Company's Spouted Products Considered Up to Now We sell spouts and caps for pouch containers as original products. The caps are available in diameters from 9.5 to 18 mm, and there are screw-type caps and hinged caps. We can give functions such as inner stoppers and discharge control valves to expand the range of usage. We are developing spouts and caps in an interesting way. Let us introduce some of them. ※We are currently making rapid development molds for the pouch stand. (As of 2023.03) Inverted Pouch   小容量パウチをキャップでI tried to make it inverted. It is similar to the tube product and stands firm. The pouch is small and compact, making it easy to carry around. Moreover, the hinged cap allows one-touch opening and closing! Twin Pouch - No.1 and No.2 2つのスパウト付きパウチのThe name is "Twin Pouch," which is a container in one. By folding it in the middle, it is compact and can be used at the same time. How about using it to hold items used in the same situation, such as shampoo and treatment, lotion and milky lotion, sauce, and mayonnaise, etc. It will be great for travel use or as a seasoning container for camping! Please note that I have no idea about the filling machine.   Pouch Stand This stand allows the pump function to be utilized with a pouch. We are considering material recycling and coffee residues for material and weight reduction. Environmental friendliness is one of the concepts! Decoration "Gold plating" The customer applied the plating treatment to ...

We introduced the article"Easily Analyze Various Sensing Data" in the July 2022 issue of Market News. In this issue of Market News, as a sequel, we would like to introduce examples of Aska Company's utilization of sensing data. First of all, we proceeded step by step, considering the following three steps for the utilization of sensing data. "Three Levels of IoT" for Utilization of Sensing Data Level.1『Monitoring』 Visualization of data on the status of facilities, people, and goods Level.2『Optimization』 Energy-saving operation and determination of abnormal conditions by integrating products, equipment, and applications Level.3『Maintenance』 Areas that can be addressed without constant human supervision We use various sensors to sense and visualize data on infrastructure systems, production equipment, human movement, temperature, and humidity (environmental systems) for monitoring.   Level.1　Example from Monitoring Main Plant: Demand Alarm   The following case is an example of consolidating power data from infrastructure facilities, monitoring the power values at all times, and linking them to LINE notifications. By notifying relevant parties in the event of an abnormality, we suppressed the demand value and reduced the electricity costs. Monitoring Contents Since we didn't monitor the demand, we made it possible to monitor the power data of infrastructure facilities together. Result When demand values are about to be exceeded, a line is sent to the relevant parties, and we can deal with the situation. We prevented an increase in contracted electricity (400,000-500,000 per year). Level.2　Example from Optimization Main Plant: OHU Automation   Problem The Manual operation has limitations and may result in lost opportunities ...