DX Declaration
Our vision for the future is to deliver value through products and services powered by Aska Company’s proprietary technologies, contributing directly to a circular economy.
Our core manufacturing philosophy centers on "Human-Machine Collaboration."
The foundation of this philosophy lies in our Quality Control (QC) Circle activities—known internally as our proprietary continuous improvement framework, "MK Activities"—which forms a core pillar of our management.
Initiated in 1978, MK Activities (Minna de Katsudo, Minna de Kaizen) represent an unbroken, company-wide commitment to quality control deeply rooted in the concept of "source management"
This philosophy of source management naturally aligns with data science and digital technology, consistently driving our problem-solving by integrating analog expertise with digital solutions.
Going forward, we will actively leverage modern digital technology, including AI, to further advance our human-machine collaboration.
By fusing field-proven continuous improvement with digital transformation, we will enhance productivity and accelerate our contributions to a circular economy.
Aska Company Co., Ltd.
Makoto Naganuma
Representative Director & CEO
Background and Objectives of DX Promotion
At Aska Company, Digital Transformation (DX) is a natural evolution of our long-standing small-group improvement framework, the "MK Activities."
Quality Enhancement
Achieving true "source management" to eliminate human error and prevent product defects at the origin.
Workstyle Transformation
Improving work-life balance through automated night-shift operations, allowing personnel to focus on high-value, analytical tasks.
Organizational Growth
Fostering "frontline scientists"—empowering personnel to master digital tools and solve operational challenges logically.
Digital Transformation (DX) Strategy
Strategy 1｜Promoting Factory IoT and Automation
■Advancing IoT Integration Across Machinery Implementing IoT capabilities to capture and utilize real-time equipment operational data.
■Expanding Unattended Nighttime Operations Installing additional automated infrastructure (such as auto-stockers) to support fully autonomous overnight manufacturing.
■Early Anomaly Detection via AI Data Analytics Leveraging LMK (Let Me Know)—our proprietary system designed to detect and alert operators to potential anomalies—to proactively reduce defects.
Strategy 2｜ Comprehensive Data Visualization and Analytics
■Visualization of Quality Control Data
Analyzing molding machine parameters (Input) alongside optical camera inspection data (Output) to maintain consistent product quality.
■Energy Optimization via Infrastructure Sensing
Collecting and analyzing ambient plant temperature, humidity, and power consumption metrics
to monitor overall production environments, schedule preventive maintenance, and streamline process control.
Strategy 3｜Cultivating "On-Site Data Scientists" (Human Capital)
■DX Talent Development Training "On-Site Data Scientists" capable of leveraging data analytics to drive logical, continuous shop-floor improvements.
■Fostering an Improvement-Driven Mindset Utilizing our long-established small-group Quality Control framework (MK Activities) to build the foundational mindset necessary for driving DX initiatives.
DX Implementation Framework
Shop-Floor DX: Sensing Technologies and Target KPIs
Our proprietary sensing technology visualizes the plastic injection molding process
—a domain historically considered a "black box"—bringing full transparency to manufacturing operations.
Optical Camera Inspection System
Stores and analyzes 100% inline inspection data to identify defect trends in real time.
KPI: 10% Reduction in Customer Claims
Molding Machine Log Monitoring System
Monitors operational parameters, such as clamping force variations, to detect early indicators of anomalies.
KPI: 10% Reduction in Non-Conforming Units
Predictive Cause Notification System
When an anomaly occurs, AI predicts the underlying cause and dispatches instant alerts to managers, minimizing downtime and accelerating recovery.
KPI: 5% Increase in Production Target Attainment
Measures temperature, humidity, and power consumption factory-wide, driving energy conservation through automated HVAC control.
KPI: 10% Improvement in Energy Efficiency
Human-Centric DX Management
Technology serves as an enabler, with human expertise remaining the central driver of innovation.
Aska Management System
A culture where all employees systematically execute the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle forms the foundation of our DX implementation.
—a practice we define as Collaborative Synergy Between Humans and Machines.
External Value Co-Creation and Social Impact
We actively share our internally proven DX methodologies with the broader industrial community through educational seminars and consulting services.
designed to support digital transformation implementation across small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Practical Data Utilization in Manufacturing
Through IoT integration, Aska Company visualizes plastic injection molding processes to proactively prevent defects and streamline incident recovery.
Quality Assurance via Root-Cause Management
We integrate and analyze molding machine operational logs (input metrics) alongside optical camera inspection data (output metrics).
For example, if inline camera data indicates a flash defect trend on a specific mold, molding parameters are micro-adjusted in real time to minimize non-conforming units.
AI-Powered Root Cause Notifications (LMK)
When an anomaly occurs, our proprietary LMK system predicts the underlying cause—such as mold-related or raw material factors—and dispatches instant push notifications to management devices.
This capability enables rapid next-morning recovery and remote diagnostic assessment, even during autonomous overnight operations.
Automated Infrastructure Optimization
By continuously monitoring plant temperature, humidity, and power consumption, environmental data is used to automatically adjust HVAC and chiller systems, driving energy conservation.
Evaluation Systems Fostering DX Talent
Developing "On-Site Data Scientists" capable of logical, data-driven reasoning is central to our DX strategy.
Evaluation Integrated with Aska Management System (AMS)
Grounded in ISO 9001 standards, our evaluation framework incorporates small-group improvement initiatives (MK Activities) and cross-functional Project Teams (PT).
Performance assessments evaluate not only individual target attainment, but also team problem-solving processes and the effective application of digital tools.
Promoting "Autonomy and Collaboration"
We encourage personnel to execute the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, documenting and sharing shop-floor insights and failures as structured data.
Empowering operators with clear, actionable goals—such as maintaining zero overnight stoppages on assigned equipment—fosters accountability and professional pride.
Career Advancement Through Knowledge Sharing
Our framework highly values employees who digitize individual technical expertise, transforming tacit personal knowledge into standardized, organization-wide assets.
This enables junior staff to learn efficiently from senior specialists, cultivating a new generation of digitally empowered manufacturing professionals.
