Production Technology

Production technology is the "The unsung hero"
The more passionate you are about learning, the more You'll find it fascinating.

Seat Assembly Production Engineering Section, Production Engineering Dept.
Joined the company in 2001
K.Y. (Chief)

I had a gut feeling that "this would be a job that women could continue for a long time."

When I was a high school student, I encountered 3D CAD at an open campus and intuitively thought, "If I get this job, I will be able to continue working for a long time, even as a woman. I joined Tachi-S because of the company's track record of employees taking childcare leave and the fact that it was one of the first to introduce 3D CAD at the time.
Simply put, the job of production engineering is "to create equipment for the mass production of sheets.
This job has many muddy parts that lead from development to mass production, such as setting up a plant and installing equipment to make car seat.

Today, we can use 3D CAD to create a realistic image on a computer screen, but in the absence of such tools, it was common practice to lay out 2D drawings, look at them, and develop an image in one's mind to determine the selection and combination of machines.
However, there is inevitably a discrepancy between imagination and reality, and a great deal depends on the skills of the person in charge, which can lead to problems such as difficulty in using the equipment after it is installed in the factory.
In order to reduce such modification work, our job is to study the equipment in 3D prior to its installation.

Innovative idea from a new employee to change internal processes

I joined the company 22 years ago.
At that time, it was the start-up period for 3D CAD in production engineering, and many employees were still considering the introduction of equipment on a paper basis, so I thought hard about how to get people in other departments to use 3D CAD.
I still remember the time, about six months after I joined the company, when my boss instructed me to compile 3D tool data into a list and distribute it to multiple locations on paper.
I thought, "It would be more convenient to publish them in data format so that they could be viewed and updated freely, instead of distributing them on paper," so I set up a web server and published them on the intranet.
At a time when paper distribution was the norm, publishing in data format was revolutionary, and was greatly appreciated by other employees.
Since then, the number of data has further increased and is still being used by many employees.
I think Tachi-S is unique in that even new employees are encouraged to do things that they themselves think would be more convenient. I think this is a characteristic of Tachi-S, an environment where even new employees are encouraged to do what they think is more convenient.

Acquire "portable skills" that can be used in any industry.

Before Spread of COVID-19 infection, I could not do CAD work from home, so it was very difficult to balance family and work. My older son is now in high school, but I think it was the understanding of the members of my department that ultimately allowed me to keep my job for as long as I did, and I think this is another unique characteristic of Tachi-S.
Now, thanks to the company's internal regulations and systems, and thanks to flexible work options such as telecommuting, satellite work, and paid time off, even people like me with my own circumstances are able to expand the scope of my work.

Production engineering may give the impression of a humble behind-the-scenes position, but it is the main player behind the scenes, if you will, in putting in the equipment to produce the sheets. The work ranges from process design to equipment installation, and the skills acquired here are not only applicable to the automotive industry, but to any industry. I really like the environment where I can work with a diverse group of members to create things.

How to spend the holidays　

Currently, I assist with IT courses for children as a volunteer instructor for a public benefit foundation about twice a month.
I feel that participation in the outside community, where many working people and students gather, is very stimulating.

Message to applicants for employment

If you accumulate skills, you can negotiate with people inside and outside the company, design processes by yourself, and even have the opportunity to be posted overseas.
I hope you will open up opportunities for yourself and show what you "can do" and what you "want to do".

Daily work schedule

09:00	Arrive at work	Check e-mail and schedule
10:00	Desk work	Answering inquiries about assigned tasks, checking and coordinating team members' work, etc.
11:00	Meeting	Each member shares the progress of their work. Develop a new analysis plan from the results of the discussion
12:00	Lunch break
13:00	Preparation of documents	Checking the trends in the world, prepare a proposal for each project.
14:00	Meeting	Regular weekly or bi-weekly meetings for each issue. Checking the progress of the project, organizing issues, and discussing solutions
15:00	Model creation	Create data for simulation
16:00	Model creation
17:00	Documentation	Compile simulation results into a report
18:00	Leave the office	Review the day's work and organize the next day's work before returning home
19:00		(Overtime work is approximately 15 hours per month)