Abstract
The Museum of Industrial Technology of the Nippon Institute of Technology preserves at least 300 original drawings used to manufacture machine tools from the early Showa era. These machine tools were designed using the latest technologies at that time and manufactured by fully utilizing the most advanced industrial fabrication technologies. However, such ingenious structures and elements are difficult to observe directly in detail because they are mostly located inside the machine tools or in components difficult to access. We have developed 3D models of five machine tools using a 3D computer-aided design (CAD) system on the basis of the preserved drawings. These models have been used as exhibits at the Museum and as research materials for people studying the history of machine technology. In this study, we interviewed engineers and people familiar with the early Showa era, providing the 3D models for reference. We report the methodology of the survey and summarize the results obtained to examine the history of machine technology.
