Factory Diagnostics and Optimization

Abstract

In October 2010, the Ayabe plant launched energy-saving efforts at its production site. The Ayabe plant aims to cut power usage in target areas for energy-saving to half the existing level by March 31, 2014. It was considered that it was difficult to press forward efforts due to concerns about a bad influence on quality and productivity.
This plant developed and utilized “Andon environmental information system”, by which we make “diagnoses” for electric power and environment. It expanded energy-saving efforts to “optimize” all things which plant place a high priority on, such as quality, productivity, environment, safety, and reassurance.
As a result, the plant realized a 50% reduction in power consumed by clean rooms, which require a large amount of electricity. At the same time, the amount of air-borne dust was reduced by two-thirds. These are just some examples of the 36 documented energy-saving and environmental improvements that the plant had achieved in December 2013 by cutting electricity usage while improving productivity and product quality. The plant proved that with the participation of everyone in the plant, energy-saving efforts at its production became the “optimization” Eco efforts which provide also to the improvement of quality and productivity.