ASUKA ALUMINIUM NEWS NO.665 NOVEM
NOVEMBER 2016
Asuka Seminar opens successfully
The 53rd. Asuka Seminar was grandly held on October 7 and 8 at the Kira Kanko
Hotel in Mikawa Bay National Park as one of the biggest annual events. Eighty
customers of Asuka’s products were invited and attended.
At first, President Takashi Amano addressed welcome speech, and then the allattendants devoted themselves to the informative seminar, which was summarized asfollows. The photo on page two is Mr. Nakaba Ichikawa lecturing on stage andenthusiastic attendants.
Is your molten metal clean really?
Mr. Nakaba Ichikawa
Chief Manager, Eco System, LLC.
(1) The fittest molten metal for casting
Strangely enough, a clean molten metal doesn’t mean the best molten metal forcasting. This is too hard to understand, but the clean molten metal has some
important weak points.
We know a clean molten metal invites,
reef defects
poor liquidity
bigger crystallization
bigger blowhole
As you know well, a dirty molten metal has same faults as follows,
big blowholeoxided substances
hard spots
From these conditions, we would like to recommend the intermediate molten metal
for the best product.
(2) New checking system of molten metal, ALTEC
At aluminum alloy casting plants in Japan, K-mold system or press-filter system
has been used for checking molten metal. However both systems take time until
showing results, a half hour or two hours, and this is the greatest weak point.
Under these circumstances, we developed a new checking system, ALTEC, with
Asuka’s study team, and both companies had a license. ALTEC can check outautomatically the situation of crystallization, volume of impurities and casting
condition through molten metal cooling curve line after six minutes.
We believe ALTEC can support to check and advice the best casting time at job
sites in very short time.
(3) Conclusion
Traditionally, the management of molten metal has been controlled mainly underJapan Industrial Standard and the composition. Most cast men have had thecommon sense that to clean up their molten metal means to decrease casted defects.
But today we know clean isn’t best. We would like to seek the best casting condition
with ALTEC to exterminate any casted defects.

Grand party is held generously
After Mr. Ichikawa’s informative seminar, a grand party was held in traditional
Japanese fashion as the photo on page three shows, where every attendant enjoyedhimself the autumn taste in Mikawa Bay.
Then they moved to Night Salon , where all attendants had a very good time ,singing Karaoke and tasting mellow drinks thoroughly until midnight. The open-air
bath has favorable views, stars, small isles and peaceful bay water, and everyone had aquite good time there.
Customary golf competition opens
Following regular custom, a golf competition was held at the Kira Country Club on
the morning of October 8 for golf devotees. After a hard fight, winners are,First prize
Mr. Toshinori Ogasawara(Wako Aluminum Co. Ltd.)
2nd. prize
Mr. Toshi hisa Kusumoto(Hanwa Co. Ltd.)
3rd. prize
Mr. Akihiko Takeda(Tokai Trading Co. Ltd.)B B proze
Mr. Yasuichiro Ota(Itochu Metals Corp.)
Congratulations everyone! Let’s fight here next year again.
Kudos for Shigeo Tsuge
As one event of the autumn all Japan safety driving campaign, the Japan Traffic
Safety Association (Mr. Satoshi Imai, Chairman) awarded persons who had done distinguished service for safety driving.
Mr. Shigeo Tsuge, Chief of Purchase Dept. Asuka Industries, Inc.) was elected oneof persons who has done distinguished service to safety driving campaign, He has
made efforts as the leader for safety driving at Asuka for many years.
On October 26 at Nishio Hall of Japan Agriculture Cooperatives, the ceremony of
notify a recipient of Traffic Kudos “Green Cross Copper Medal” was held for Mr. Shigeo
Tsuge, who was congratulated with a round of applause. The photo on page four is Mr.
Shigeo Tsuge holding the award certificate.
The Japan of today
Shichi-go-san festival
In the calendar of Japanese events, the cutest festival is the one celebrated on
November 15 each year, called Shichi-go-san. Each year, parents with children who areseven, five, and three years old visit a shrine to offer their thanks to the tutelary deity
for enabling the children to reach these critical ages, and to pray future blessing.
Traditionally, the children are dressed in their finest cloths – oftentimes fancy intheme. In recent years, most female children are seen on this gala festival day inpretty Kimono, traditional Japanese costume.
At the shrine, the tots receive talismans and sweetmeats from the priests, as well as
presents from relatives and friends.
For camera devotees , the Shichi-go-san Festival is a big occasion, and they always
turn out en masse to snap pictures of the happy children visiting shrines n theirbeautiful costumes. Someday, when readers have the opportunity to come to Japan,
you must see this colorful festival for yourself.