President, Yamazaki Mazak Corporation
How Yamazaki Mazak Uses Cisco Solutions to Boost Production and Achieve Carbon Neutrality
In this video, learn how Yamazaki Mazak, a leader in manufacturing technology, leveraged Cisco industrial network switches to enhance its production capabilities and move toward carbon neutrality. Mazak adopted Cisco’s reliable and secure network infrastructure for data collection and transmission, improving production efficiency while reducing environmental impact. Discover how Cisco’s solutions helped Mazak streamline operations, optimize processes, and meet sustainability goals.
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Cisco Industrial Networking Solutions → https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/prod...
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About Takashi Yamazaki
Takashi Yamazaki, president of Yamazaki Mazak, discussed the company's use of Cisco industrial network switches to improve production efficiency and pursue carbon neutrality. He stated that environmental measures and factory smartification are "two wheels of business," and that collecting and storing equipment operational data via networks is the starting point for CO2 reduction, which must then be analyzed and reflected in on-site improvement activities. Yamazaki noted that the company's smart factory initiatives serve as a model for next-generation manufacturing, utilizing IT, ICT, and IoT to visualize equipment data and improve overall factory productivity. Yamazaki also described the company's adoption of Cisco's Webex for internal and external communication, including virtual product inspections for overseas customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized that digitalization and smart factories are essential not only for productivity gains and labor efficiency but also for optimizing factory power consumption toward a carbon-neutral world. He concluded that Mazak aims to contribute to manufacturing DX through its smart factory activities.
Transcript (15 segments)
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Takashi Yamazaki0:05
Our company, Yamazaki Mazak, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019 as a global leading company in machine tools. Moving toward the next 100 years, we will continue to pursue further digitalization.
Environmental measures and smart manufacturing will be two pillars of our business. To reduce CO2 emissions, the starting point is to collect and accumulate operational data from equipment through a network. Then it is necessary to analyze that data and reflect it in on-site improvement activities.
First, the iSMART Factory uses our own factories as model factories to proactively adopt next-generation manufacturing, verify through demonstrations, and propose to customers. We utilize the latest IT, ICT, and IoT technologies to digitize manufacturing information from equipment and make it visible in real time.
We also aim to improve equipment uptime and overall factory productivity. Digitalizing factories poses security challenges, especially since production equipment is used for a long time. Controllers may be the latest at the time of installation, but become outdated after several years.
To address this, through collaboration with Cisco Systems, a global leader in IT networking equipment, we were able to realize a smart factory that safely connects all equipment and devices to the network. The MAZAK iSMART Factory Box, co-developed with Cisco, is being deployed as the infrastructure for the MAZAK iSMART Factory.
The Smart Box incorporates Cisco network switches, enabling secure connections between factory floor equipment and office networks. Equipment operational data is communicated using the MTConnect standard protocol. Since data outside the defined protocol is not transmitted, it实现s a highly secure network environment.
Since its sales launch in 2016, it has been deployed not only in Japan but in factories around the world. It enables equipment visualization and production improvement, supporting our customers' journey toward smart factories.
Furthermore, beyond the on-premises Smart Box solution, we have started providing cloud-connected production support services through MAZAK iConnect. This service adopts Cisco's network technology. MAZAK iConnect directly connects customers' equipment with Mazak, providing various services such as visualization and e-learning.
The remote diagnosis function connects customers' distant equipment with Mazak, accurately diagnosing situations to prevent downtime.
In the parts warehouse area of the iSMART Factory, we link automated storage systems, transport equipment, robots, and machine tools to achieve automated production.
Processed parts are tagged with RFID tags, making the location, quantity, and dwell time of parts visible for logistics management and improvement. This system also covers movements between sites such as shipment to assembly factories, and is utilized for logistics management within assembly factories.
Because the network is solidly established, this extends to initiatives beyond the factory scale. With the introduction of the MAZAK iSMART Factory, productivity has increased 1.5 times.
However, this is not the final form. Through leveraging the network, analyzing accumulated data, and repeatedly providing feedback, we intend to further evolve going forward.
For internal communication, we also utilize Cisco Webex, advancing a hybrid of real and virtual. We also use Webex for external communication. With overseas customers, due to COVID-19 infection prevention measures, it has become difficult for them to visit before delivery to confirm products, so we have also implemented initiatives for virtual participation.
Factory digitalization and smart factory initiatives are essential not only for improving productivity, labor savings, and efficiency, but also for optimizing overall factory power consumption toward a carbon-neutral world. Through our iSMART Factory activities, Mazak will contribute to the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry.