ASKACOMPANY

In this issue of Market News, we would like to introduce the automatic control of air conditioners in the production area of our headquarters S/N Factory as an example of the use of IoT. In our production area, several air conditioners are set to cooling all year round due to heat dissipation from the molding machines. However, the settings are constant regardless of high or low outside temperatures, and the number of air conditioners had not been reviewed. This time, we have taken steps to automatically control the air conditioners so that only the necessary amount of electricity is used while maintaining the room temperature in the production area.   Grasp the operating status of HVAC equipment First, to determine the operation status of the outdoor units, we installed a current value measurement kit in the switchboard and obtained current values for one year. As a result, we found that the current values were low in winter when the outside temperature was low, and that only two of the six units were in operation. In addition, there were also events that repeated ON/OFF in a short period of time depending on the time of day. We found that the indoor unit automatically switches from the cooling setting to the air blowing setting in winter when the outside temperature is low, and that it operates unnecessarily.   Air conditioner operation that does not rely on human intervention To eliminate unnecessary operation, temperature and current data were used to automatically turn the air conditioner on and off ...

At Aska Company, we use digital production as a collaborative activity between man and machine. At our production site, our dashboard is filled with diverse information in real time. In order to achieve stable production, the ability of people to read and interpret the various data, and the ability to respond to the conclusions they read and understand, are required. In other words, "Data Scientists" are indispensable. "Data Scientist” is a person who makes rational decisions based on data, but many companies may have a problem that data scientists’ knowledge is not used in the field. One reason for this is that there is a gap in thinking between the “data scientist” and the person in charge of the field. Data scientists can analyze data and make rational decisions, but they do not have the sensory knowledge and experience of field personnel. As a result, there were differences in the way analysis results were communicated and perceived, and they were not being communicated well. Therefore, the Aska Company came up with the idea of training “on-site scientists” who possess both types of knowledge as a means of eliminating such gaps and arriving at appropriate solutions. Training of "On-Site Scientists" to analyze data and make improvements. Aska Company defines a on-site scientist as a person who can logically process data and “create stable production” with his/her own on-site technical skills, and is focusing on the training of on-site scientists. People have their good points, and machines have their good points. By converting information from machines into ...

In this issue, we would like to introduce you to Aska Company's YouTube Channel. Among several contents, we will provide video contents about "MK Activities" and "Seminars"! About YouTube Channel The Aska Company YouTube channel provides videos about various initiatives and products. You can learn about the AS Family Spout Pouch, which contributes to a recycling-oriented society in your spare time with a quick and easy YouTube Short. You can watch videos introducing ASKA Company's original product, AS Family Spout Pouches Caps, and their use and application. In the videos, you can see in more detail the size of the cap diameter, how it feels to use, and how the contents come out. Please feel free to contact us for more information about the AS family on our website or in our catalogs! Aska Company is posting on YouTube about our own AS family of products, our internal efforts, and MK activities. Please feel free to subscribe to our channel and give us a like if you like.    

Aska Company recommends the use of spout pouches from the perspective of a decarbonized society and circular economy. The spout pouch has a spout part and a pouch film part. The spout part provides a "recap" function, and by using the pouch film as the main part of the container, the film's ability to handle a variety of contents can be effectively utilized. We offer the convenience of a hinged cap, and new developments in pump connections, stands, etc. Translated with DeepL.com (free version) Various spout diameters and shapes provide flexibility for different situations Current Spout Products Products under Development We have introduced the products and contents corresponding to the spout diameter here, but they can also be used for applications other than those listed here. Please contact us if you have any questions about what kind of packaging material is suitable for your product.

We introduced the AS26.5 spout once in a blog post or carried by Sales with a sample. As of February, the pump connection was ready, but we have developed a special pouch stand for practical use of them, which we would like to introduce. Pouch Stand for Newly Developed AS26.5 Spout The product we have developed is the AS26.5 Pouch Stand. This product is a must-have for functioning spouted pouches to which a pump can be attached. During the product design process, we considered the shape of the container bacause we wanted to contribute to decarbonization. As of result, we finally developed a container that looks slender and can be supported securely without functional problems. Pouch Stand/Finger Hook for AS18 Spout The AS18 spout series has been a favorite of our customers. Two accessories are available for connecting the pump. Pumps can Now be Selected by Application and Capacity The AS18 spout pouch is compatible with a 1-ml volume pump and is targeted for products such as lotion and milky lotion, which require relatively small amounts of product per use. In contrast, the AS26.5 spout pouch is compatible with a 3 ml discharge pump and is suitable for products with a large single-use volume, such as shampoos and treatments. In addition, disinfectants and other products are considered to have a minimum volume of 3 ml per use from a functional standpoint, and can be expected to play an active role in sterilizing and disinfecting situations. Supports "Replacement" Caps with tamper (tamper-resistant) for the AS18 spout ...

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 ...