KAYABA TECHNICAL REVIEW No. 64 APR. 2022

Foreword

Future of High Value Manufacturing(Evolution from Ultimate Form Generation to Function Generation)
KURIYAGAWA Tsunemoto*1. Introduction
In Japan, it is important to discuss a vision for Monozukuri (creative design and manufacturing), which is thecountry's industrial base.
However, Monozukuri that has long contributed to theprosperity of Japan with mass production and volume
consumption is almost coming to an end. We will facecircumstances that require us to develop another type ofMonozukuri responding to various senses of values in thefuture.
For example, we need to take measures for achievingcarbon neutral or supporting super-aging of society. It isbeing internationally discussed to develop novel technologies to accomplish these goals as an urgent challenge.
Besides technological innovation, economic and societal innovations are also indispensable. For these ends, weshould have a broad range of knowledge and insight covering areas from human and social sciences to naturalscience. In recent years, some attempts have been actively
made to establish a cross-sectional innovation and ecosystems in which industry, academia and government cantalk together through coalition. Then, what the Monozukuri field can do to help them achieve the ends. One is todevelop even higher-accuracy, even higher-value-added
products that cannot be achieved with foreign technologies. What is significant to achieve this is not only theexisting simple Form Generation, but also Function Generation that creates a structure for expressing functions on
the surface or internally. The author named this "Function
Generation Machining" and has promoted its research anddevelopment to be one of the technologies for "High
Value Manufacturing".
2. What Is Function Generation Machining?
Machined parts are normally evaluated for their machining accuracy with two criteria: form accuracy and surface
roughness. Requirements for machining accuracy haverecently become more intense with some of them exceeding nano order to reach pico order. To achieve such ultimate machining accuracy, comprehensive research and*Professor, Tohoku University

development has already been started covering machining
principles, tooling, machine tools, evaluation and measurement methodologies, materials, assembly methods,and design theory. Function Generation Machining produces microscopic structures on an ultra-precision
machined surface achieved with these techniques or controls crystal structures in the proximity of the machined
surface, thereby expressing new functions.
In this way, a combination of form generation and function generation is used to try to achieve high-value-addedgeneration. This type of Monozukuri is called Function
Generation Machining. In other words, the conventional
simple form generation should be merged with function
generation into a new style of Monozukuri.
To achieve this, it is indispensable to scientifically makeclear how the machining works in the molecular or atomic
level and to establish a new machining process for realizing pico-precision machining. Specifically, this comprehensive technology to be established must leverage pico/nano/micro/macro or so-called multi-scale mechanicalsystem design theory that supports pico-precision machining to complete a device or even a system, and tool design
engineering, pico-level in-situ measurement and evaluation techniques, cooperation of machining simulators andsystems, pico-level implementation for precision assembly of microscopic structures, and material generation andstrength reliability evaluation for ensuring safety andsecurity.
3. The Keyword Is “Hybrid”
Many function generation products have a hybrid structure. For example, μm-order diffraction grating is formedon an aspherical lens surface, and furthermore a several
hundred nm-pitch moth-eye structure is superimposed to
be a high-function hybrid refraction-diffraction opticaldevice with nonreflective function. Such a hybrid structure can often be fabricated by combining different
machining methods, not using them independently, toexpress significantly higher efficiency and/or specialfunctions. These examples include ultrasonic-assisted
grinding that combines ultrasonic machining and grinding, laser-assisted micro machining that combines laser
cutting and grinding, and ultrasonic vibration assisted―1―Future of High Value Manufacturing

electrochemical grinding that combines three techniques:
ultrasonic machining, grinding and electrolysis. In addition, one of the technologies recently developed is one
that uses ultrafine bubble (UFB) machining fluid to simultaneously achieve improved machinability and surfacemodification. In this type of machining, the chip removal
mechanism will be greatly affected by chemical factors
because chips are as fine as nano order. Particularly whereelectrolysis, discharge, laser and UFB-assisted process
are combined, nano-order physico-chemical phenomena
must be understood not only from the mechanical engineering aspect, but also from the chemical and quantum
aspects.
4. In Closing
This paper has introduced Function Generation Machining for achieving high-value-added Monozukuri that may
be significant in discussing future Monozukuri. To implement a machining technique for future Monozukuri, scientific and rational Monozukuri based on understandingof what's really happening in the nano-order world isindispensable.
It is also important not to heavily depend on development of innovative mechanical solutions, namely,advanced hardware. Of course, hardware development isimportant, but software development is also essential inthat hardware items cannot be combined and used efficiently without quality software. Furthermore, Monozukuri must essentially take into account production,
disposal and recycling (including reuse) to be a recyclingbased technology. In the life stream of "materials" (thesyllable "mono" of Mono-zukuri literally means "material" in Japanese), greenhouse gases including CO2 aregenerated. Therefore, it is also needed to design andaccomplish life cycle assessment to minimize the greenhouse gases.
Finally, needless to say, it is important to develop humanresources with capability and spirit to overcome various
difficulties in societally implementing novel technologies,
the so-called Devil River, Valley of Death, and DarwinianSea. It is strongly desired to establish a corporate environment for such human resources development to be realized in house as well. Simultaneously, I expect young
engineers to develop and deliver entrepreneurship themselves for jumping into a world they have never seen
before. I am really looking forward to seeing how Monozukuri (creative design and manufacturing) will evolve infuture.

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