Design support for manufacturing industry

Promoting innovation of manufacturing
industry with “Design Automation”

Design support for
manufacturing industry

OHKAWA, Mizuha
Joined KKE in 2011.
Graduated from Graduate School of Science and Technology,
Sophia University.

A work leading to the future of manufacturing

The division I work for supports the design work of our clients in the manufacturing industry with 3D-CAD or CAE (analyzing software). I am in charge of Tacton Design Automation, based on 3D-CAD. With the auto- designing 3D-CAD, we can utilize the accumulated designing information to increase the designing speed and improve quality. From a wider perspective, it is possible to improve the efficiency of sales and marketing, designing and procurement in the whole manufacturing industry by using the auto-designing tool. In general, companies in the manufacturing industry operate their production and business administration based on PLM (Product Life-cycle Management) or ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning) system. By collaborating these systems with Tacton Design Automation, we can design our future in areas such as prompt preparation of quotation upon customers’ request, start manufacturing based on the design as soon as we accept the order, and realize mass customization enabling high-mix, low-volume production flexibly.

Fun to analyze the designing of various products

I am currently working as a product manager and technical engineer of Tacton. As a product manager, I propose both long-term and short-term action plan of the product and perform the plans, operate sales management, and exchange information on sales and marketing and technology with the developer (Swedish) in a web conference. Sometimes I make business trips to Sweden and participate in a training seminar on its new functions and development know-how. As a technical engineer, I survey the clients’ requests and write a program specified for a client by myself. Our clients’ products vary, from large machines like pressing machine, transportation equipment or elevator, to small ones like wheelchairs. The depth of understanding of 3D-CAD differs among clients and each company has its own way of designing, so it is not easy to make a satisfactory program. But at the same time, it’s fun to encounter various kinds of industrial products and analyze the design intent one by one to automate the designing.

SCHEDULE

My ordinary day

9:30 a.m.

Business trip to Nagoya, visit a client (product demonstration)
11:30 a.m.

Lunch, transit time (to Osaka)
1:00 p.m.

Visit a client (business meeting on development content)
2:00 p.m.

Transit time, texting back to e-mails while on the move
3:00 p.m.

Visit a client (product demonstration)
5:00 p.m.

Schedule finished, go home

Becoming a product manager in the first year of joining KKE

What I feel comfortable about working for KKE is the atmosphere that a project can be assigned to you if you have motivation and good reason. I was assigned as a product manager in the first year of my KKE career for the electromagnetic field analyzing software which supports the designing of electronic devices using motors and sensors. It was the new product for KKE, and we did not have any knowledge about it, so I had to study on my own and exchange technical and marketing information with developers (in Canada and Tunisia). Still, I was able to handle the job with my poor English skill at that time. The attitudes toward work I gained from the experience were; in business face your partner or project fairly, and exchange information frequently not only with your co-workers but the developers and agencies. These attitudes still work for me. My recent goal is to disseminate the value which Tacton has. In the future, I would like to improve my network and information gathering skills to develop products which would be as revolutionary in the manufacturing industry as Tacton.

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