ASKACOMPANY

Thank you for reading Market News. Aska Company has been developing products using molds called "development molds" in order to speed up the development process. In this issue, we would like to introduce our own AS Family series molds as an example. What is Needed in Product Development In product development, we believe it is necessary to consider and propose product shapes with high-added value. 3D printers are available as tools for shape proposals, but we need to ask ourselves questions such as, "Can this shape fulfill the function of the product? and "What does the surface look like? To confirm these questions, we need actual molded products made of resin, and for that, we also need molds. However, it takes two to four months to manufacture a mold, which makes the development period longer and more costly. Therefore, to speed up product development, we are working on new development models using tools called  "development molds." What are Development Molds? Development molds are simple molds that enable low-cost product development in a short period of time. We can make samples with actual molding resins, enabling early proposal of products with shared functions and textures with customers and facilitating smooth development. Our company uses a common base mold and a mold structure that allows replacement of only the product part, which makes it possible to mold products of different shapes and sizes in a short period of time. We also have two types of development molds, Agile Mold and Rapid Mold, which are used differently depending ...

Aska Company utilizes CAE software, including resin flow analysis software, in product design. We repeatedly check quality simulations at the design stage, and design products on a daily basis to provide the best possible product. In this issue, we would like to introduce some examples resin flow analysis software. About CAE Software CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) is an engineering support system using computers. It is a technology that assists in examining the validity of product design by performing molding simulation and quality analysis on a computer. There are various types of software available for different applications, such as resin flow analysis and structural analysis, which we will introduce here. About Resin Flow Analysis Software We have been using Autodesk Moldflow Adviser since 2018. It allows us to check various items such as the foreseeability of defects in molding due to geometry and the balance of resin filling in the mold. Confirmation and Accumulation of Results Analysis results can be viewed with dedicated viewing software. We also record the analysis results in a form to accumulate records. In the future, we would like to develop the above system into a database to speed up the verification of analysis results and to cultivate our know-how.   Feedback from Actual Molding Using the aforementioned form, a system for comparing analysis results with actual molding results is under construction. By feeding back the comparison information to the next analysis, we expect to improve the accuracy of the analysis. アスカカンパニーではこのようにシュミレーションソフトを活用しながら設計検討を行い、安定した製品をお届けできるように製品設計を行っております。 また、解析結果は開発部門への共有にとどまらず、社内製造部門やお取引のある金型メーカー様に共有し、コミュニケーションツールとしても活用しています。

Thank you for reading Market News. Recently, the PM Group has been showing up at meetings with our customers. The PM Group is involved in the development of various products, but we suspect that most of our customers do not know what they do just by hearing the name of our department. We would like to take this opportunity to introduce how the PM Group is involved in product development and how they contribute to our customers. Translated with DeepL.com (free version) What is the PM Group? The PM Group, which stands for Product Management Group, is composed of the Evaluation Team and the Standards Team. These two teams work daily to evaluate prototypes, manage projects from development to mass production, and review the details of customer communications in the course of product development. Mission of PM Group We develop high value-added products, but there are three important considerations. Constant Temperature Room We use a constant-temperature room for product development. The constant-temperature room is controlled to maintain a room temperature of 23±2°C (according to JIS K 7100:1999) so as not to be affected by external temperature changes such as weather and seasons. We also have a full lineup of measuring equipment, including image dimensional measuring instruments, the "Z-Gauge" strength tester and "compression resistance tester," both developed in-house. Using them, we measure the metrological values of length and depth, and numerically evaluate sensory evaluation items such as pushing, pulling, and bending. As an example, here is how we evaluate the numerical values when opening a spout ...

Various efforts are being made worldwide toward a decarbonized and recycling-oriented society, rather than the plastic waste problem. As a manufacturer of plastic containers, Aska Company is working toward realizing a sustainable society. In this issue, we would like to introduce some of our activities.   ■Proposal of Mono-Materialization for Spout Pouch In order to improve recyclability, we are strengthening our response to mono-materials. Currently, we are developing prototypes of molded PET spouts and testing and verifying their welding onto PET film pouches.       Social Implementation of 100% Pre-Consumer Material Products (Material Recycling) We are working to create new products from pre-consumer materials. Pre-consumer materials are processing losses generated in production, which are crushed in-house and used as raw materials. This approach is called "material recycling" because the material is recycled from object to object. Although there are lot size restrictions, we can provide products without obtaining any environment-related marks.     Development for Spouted Pouch Containers and Lightweight Development To meet the ever-changing market needs, we are developing our own AS series of products for spouted pouches. We are also working with our business partners to develop lighter-weight products. We offer a wide variety of products according to the diameter size and application, so please feel free to contact us for more information. We are also promoting various other environmental measures. Click here if you want to know more details.

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, ...