Sources of Value Creation

Hirata’s Competitive Advantage
Synergistic effects created by engineering and manufacturing capabilities

Engineering capabilities reinforced by manufacturing capabilities

Our competitive advantage is created by the synergistic effects of our engineering and manufacturing capabilities, which• Highly experienced engineers who provide concreteOver our 70-year history, our engineers, who have been

have been cultivated by responding to various customer requests. The major factor that enabled the fusion of the two forces

proposals and realize customer requests

nurtured by customers and on-site, have cultivated their

was the close distance between design and production and the sense of unity that comes from that. At the same time,

Accounting for about 70% of Hirata employees, ourunique proposal and design capabilities. At the same

concurrent engineering, which integrates design, procurement, and production, has created new ideas and efficiencies.

engineers are experienced human resources who cantime accumulated within the organization is engineers’

Stemming from these advantages, we cultivated our ability to respond to change and our ability to make proposals from thecover a wide range of segments. For engineers, the“experience knowledge,” which we are working tocustomer’s point of view, and the Assembly Cell System (ACS) concept is a representative example of this idea.

workplace is a place of practice = a place of education.

strengthen by actively incorporating the latest tools.

InterviewR

heavy pressure, but with the support of our customers, wewere able to successfully complete the project in more thana year. Hearing the customer say, “I was very impressed withquthe professionalism and disciplined spirit shown by the entire
Hirata team,” led to a sense of accomplishment. I will continue

lir o p o sals t o reizto aim to be an engineer who supports Hirata quality on thenalioep

front lines to satisfy our customers.

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Manufacturing
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to the on-site installation and handover, we struggled undere sts

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for an automobile manufacturer. From the conceptual stagenesig/De

Engineering
capabilitiesmEngineer Who Supports Hirata Quality on Front Lines

As a leader, I was in charge of building an engine assembly linedve

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ProduEmployee in Manufacturing Department
Kumamoto #1 Business Division, #1 Business Unit

Manufacturing capabilities that underpin engineering capabilities
Assembly Cell System (ACS) Concept• Integrated production that balances quality

times and a processing system that can operate 24and speed

hours a day.

• Accelerates production start-up by shortening the time to install and qualify equipment.

Our engineering capabilities are underpinned by our• Simplifies the assembly line by standardizing parts to reduce space and ease maintenance.

well-equipped in-house equipment that can handle• Shortens the assembly line and reduces in-process inventory.

large-scale production equipment with short delivery

The effects of in-house production contribute to ahigher speed of development and cost reduction.

• Adapts readily to product changes or future assembly line changes.
• Supports changing production output by modifying equipment quantity or layout.
Integration

Flexibility

Quality

Equipment and parts used in each process
are standardized and integrated into
standardized modules.

Each module is equipped with a range offunctions adaptable to different
manufacturing processes.

Stable product quality and a minimizationof equipment failure are assured
through standardization.

A conventional assembly line

An assembly line based on the ACS concept

Single-Function MachineStandardized Modules

A dedicated, single-function machine isstationed at each stage of production processStandardization

Standardized modules enable high-mix
manufacturing through multiple processes
Vast plant that enables trial runs

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Hirata Integrated Report 2022

Hirata Integrated Report 202215