A story that connects through measurement.

"Microtech Laboratory Co., Ltd., based in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a company engaged in the manufacturing and sales of high-precision rotary encoders and motors. We have had a relationship with them for 30 years, including the supply of OEM products."

The company has been developing and selling rotary encoders since its founding in 1981, but in 2015, it developed the direct drive motor "μDD motor" based on that technology and entered the industrial motor market. After its release, this product has grown to account for 30% of the company's sales, including adoption in the semiconductor industry and motors for surgical robots.

The company is currently implementing our MT series torque detectors and TS series torque stations.

"Our μDD motors are designed to achieve high torque by packing the space between the permanent magnets and coils as tightly as possible. While it is impossible to completely eliminate cogging torque, we implement techniques such as skewing (twisting the iron core with winding grooves) to achieve a 'soft landing,'"
says Yusuke Nomura, the company's representative director and president. Depending on the product's torque capacity, we use torque detectors MT-82M14 and MT-6222A to measure cogging torque, and we also utilize torque detector MT-84M25 for performance evaluation of newly developed prototypes.

This time, in delivering our products, Masumi Iwai (from the Testing Equipment Technology Lab), who is in charge of the product, promoted the project together with Hitoshi Iwasaki and Naoki Inose (from the Manufacturing Block).
"I think it’s a product that is difficult to manufacture. Although it is part of the standard product lineup, we often customize it to meet customer needs, and there are many semi-custom responses (Inose)."
"The torque detector MT-84M25 is made to fit the needs of Microtech Laboratory for the mounting fixture of the specimen. We closely communicated with Mr. Iwai and proceeded with the production by actually borrowing the μDD motor. This is the first time I have seen this product being used (Iwasaki)."

In response to the comments from the two individuals, Iwai reflects, "I was pleased to hear from everyone at Microtech Laboratory that the products I am responsible for are contributing to product development and ensuring quality. It makes me feel a sense of responsibility."

We hope that the solutions provided by our customers will become a new standard that supports daily life.

In August 2014, the company introduced the torque detector MT-6222A and the torque station TS-7700 at its Machida factory. In February 2023, the company introduced the torque detectors MT-82M14 and MT-84M25 at its Nakacho Development Center. A mounting fixture for the MT-84M25 has also been provided by the company.

"It was incredibly hot. As I descended into the machine room at the bottom of the ship, drenched in sweat while carrying heavy measuring equipment, I found a thick shaft connected to the screw. There were people from various related companies huddled together, all desperately inspecting the equipment (Suzuki)."

In 1988, Suzuki Morio and Kakegawa Shuji, who had just joined the company, went to the Tsurumi Shipyard of Nippon Steel Corporation for the annual inspection of the Antarctic research vessel Shirase 5002, to check the shaft horsepower meter adopted for this ship.

The Antarctic research vessel refers to a ship with high icebreaking capability, and in the case of Shirase 5002, it was capable of continuous navigation through sea ice with a thickness of 1.5m at a speed of 3 knots. To crush ice with an incredible power of 30,000 horsepower, it was required that the shaft horsepower meter measure torque and horsepower with high precision.
"I was in charge of inspecting Suzuki and the MP-966f electromagnetic detector, and I performed cleaning and calibration (phase adjustment)," Kakegawa says.

After a thorough inspection, a test voyage was conducted, and the two boarded Shirase 5002. Suzuki recalls,
"I think we went as far as Izu. I still vividly remember being treated to curry rice."

35 years have passed since then, and the two were on board Shirase 5002. To reunite with that shaft horsepower meter. The shaft horsepower meter continued to operate without major issues, making 25 round trips between Shirase 5002 and the Showa Station in Antarctica, covering 540,000 miles (about 21 times around the Earth). The vessel was decommissioned in 2008 and renamed "SHIRASE5002" under the management of the WNI Weather Culture Creation Center. Since 2010, it has been docked at Funabashi Port in Chiba Prefecture.

Under the guidance of Mr. Shigeo Saegusa, who serves as the secretary-general of the center, we descend to the bottom of the ship.

The interview date was in September and it was a relatively cool day, but even so, the inside of the ship was humid. "Not here," "That's right," Suzuki and Kakegawa exchanged glances. They arrived at the dimly lit engine room, but although the shaft was there, the crucial horsepower meter could not be found.
"Here it is!"

Suzuki shouted. However, unfortunately, while the inspected shaft was found, the MP-966f electromagnetic detector had been removed. It seems that the Shirase 5002 was once decided to be scrapped after decommissioning, and the equipment was removed, so it must have been lost at that time.
"It's a strange thing, isn't it? Even though it was over 30 years ago, I can tell that 'this place is different,'" said Kakegawa.

The two were covered in sweat, but their faces were filled with the fresh smiles they had when they joined the company.

Fujitecom Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, is a manufacturer that mainly produces and sells equipment for inspecting water pipes.

In 2018, the company launched the GPS-equipped digital 4-point real-time correlation leak detector Quattro Core LC-5000. It incorporates the world's first features (at the time of launch, as mentioned later) and is a leak detector that significantly speeds up maintenance and inspection work for water supply. It is exported to over 50 countries and is a global strategic product that supports seven languages. In fact, the company is deeply involved in the development and manufacturing of this product. We spoke at the company's Niiza training sensor.
"About 40 years ago, correlation leak detectors were being pioneered by overseas manufacturers. However, they were large and difficult to use on-site. That’s when we consulted Ono Sokki, and that was the beginning."

Kenichi Suzuki, an executive at the company, states this. The correlation-based leak detection device captures the sound of leaks propagating through the pipeline with two sensors, calculating the leak point based on the time difference.

Upon receiving the consultation, our company readily agreed. We developed the first model, LC-1000, incorporating a digital correlation circuit based on the portable FFT analyzer CF-300 that was being sold at the time, and launched it in 1982. This achieved a significant reduction in size.

The key points of the new LC-5000 are "the four-channelization of the sensors" and "support for digital wireless." The former allows for the increase of sensors from two to four, enabling simultaneous correlation processing for up to six paths. The latter was necessary due to the amendment of the Radio Law requiring support for digital wireless. Our sales representative at Fujitecom, Koji Aihara, says,
"At that time, I was surprised to receive a mountain of requests from the development lead, Mr. Saijo. I think this model took the longest to develop in history."
"Implementing digital wireless was challenging," says Kazuhira Saijo from Fujitecom.
"Digital wireless transmits data on a single frequency band, so it cannot send data simultaneously from multiple sensors. That was a struggle."

The LC-5000, thanks to its efforts, became the world's first product to achieve simultaneous correlation processing of 6 paths through 4 channels at the time of its release (patents obtained in Canada and Australia). Ono Sokki's technology also supports the world's water infrastructure.