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Specialists in Precision Measuring Gauges, Utilizing Advanced Technological Skills Built through Untiring Efforts to Meet the Needs of Consumers
FAM Corporation Kaizuka City, Osaka
Ryo Takeda, President (center) with Mitsuo Takeda, Production Engineering Department Manager (right) and Yoshihide Shimokawa, Plant Manager (left)
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| Address |
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1257-2, Mikeyama, Kaizuka city, Osaka |
| Established |
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October 1987 |
| Businesses |
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Manufacture of precision measuring gauges, precision jigs for development of equipment and other precision jigs, and precision measurement |
| URL |
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http://www.seimitsu-sokutei-gauge.com/ |
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For this edition of the Mitutoyo Report, we visited FAM Corporation in Kaizuka City, Osaka, a metalworking company that manufactures precision measuring gauges for measuring profiles of precision parts, inspection jigs and other tools. With the company name derived from the expression “Fine Article Makers,” FAM Corp. has earned the deep trust of many of its customers through its advanced machining and measurement technologies.
Quickly sensing moves in the marketplace, they switched business lines from die parts to precision measuring gauges
FAM Corp.’s expertise lies in custom-made precision measuring gauges used for inspecting complex shaped parts. Founded in 1987 as a manufacturer of die parts, company president Ryo Takeda had the foresight in the latter half of the 1990s to change direction sharply and begin manufacturing precision measuring gauges. In the midst of advancing globalization in the industry, he realized that "Dies will be manufactured in China because of costs. We have to start working on products that require a higher level of precision, including precision measuring gauges and inspection jigs."
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Mitutoyo high precision digimatic micrometer with 0.1 μm display |
Being a new challenge for the company, they apparently went through a period of trial and error. According to Mitsuo Takeda, manager of the Production Engineering Department, they had difficultly searching for machining methods that would achieve high precision in the precision measuring gauges needed for profiles made up of complicated combinations of multiple parts.
“Parts and precision measuring gauges are completely different things. Many precision measuring gauges require profiles that cannot be produced using normal machining methods, so the president, plant manager and I puzzled over how we could manufacture quality tools.”
After devising machining methods that used all their combined knowledge, they manufactured gauges that were apparently measured with the use of a microscope. According to plant manager Yoshihide Shimokawa, “We did not originally have a coordinate measuring machine, so we figured out how to do it using a microscope. Later, when Mitutoyo measured them for us, we found our precision was perfect. This is how we knew the machining methods we were using were right. Since then, Mitutoyo has provided us with all sorts of other help as well.”
FAM Corp. still continued efforts to improve quality. They particularly had to understand more about geometric tolerances to meet precision requirements in global standards, which led to lots and lots of study. By constantly setting high goals and building their expertise, the company was able to gradually cement its new business base.
Everyone keeps in mind that "the next process is the customer” to master machining and measurement
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Wire cut electric discharge machine
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Measuring room
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FAM Corp. is forming close partnerships with Japan's leading manufacturers.
Manufacturing of precision measuring gauges may start from interviews with the design divisions of manufacturers, where the size of our role may be revealed as starting from the concept stage, with them bringing in engineering drawings of the work piece. The company apparently proposes lots of different machining methods, which often lead to design changes.
They have developed a thorough quality assurance system from the machining process through to the inspection process, where workers take responsibility to measure parts they machine and only send accurate parts to the next process.
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Mitutoyo CNC
coordinate measuring
machine
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Mitutoyo roundness/
cylindricity measuring
system
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Technical handbook
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Mitsuo Takeda commented, “Following ‘the next process is the customer’ approach, we all measure parts and only send good parts to the next process.”
One characteristic of the company is that they freely share with their customers the knowledge they have built up over many years. In 2014, the company produced, and distributed to their customers, a technical handbook with information on such things as geometric tolerance basics and measuring gauge design points. The younger engineers of these customers were apparently very happy to receive the publication.
Mitutoyo is helping FAM Corp. in its quality assurance. From the Crysta-Apex C 544 CNC coordinate measuring machine to the QV Apex 302 PRO CNC vision measuring system and the CV-3200 contour measuring system, the company’s measuring room contains many Mitutoyo products operating all the time.
With active involvement of young engineers in their twenties, the company holds workshops and other events to live up to the trust of their customers. They apparently work hard every day to improve the level of machining and measurement technologies.
In President Takeda’s words, “developing the company is all about developing people.” Takeda said, "Our management philosophy is to ‘repay our obligation to society.’ We believe that the way we can repay this obligation to society is to train top quality engineers and provide products that satisfy our customers.”
The whole company is also busy with social contribution activities in the neighborhood as well, such as donating blood and cleaning rubbish off the roads local children walk along to school. With its tireless efforts toward quality improvement and a sincere desire to see its customers and society grow, we expect continuing great progress from FAM Corp. going forward.
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