JPRS ID: 9973 JAPAN REPORT

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• Document Page Count: 40
• Document Creation Date: November 1, 2016
• Sequence Number: 23
• Content Type: REPORTS

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JPRS L/99.73
9 September 1981
- Ja an Re ort
p p
CFOUO 53/81)
Fg~$ FOR~IGN BROADCAST INFORM~4TION SERVIGE
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JPRS z/99~3
9 September 1981
- JAPAN REPORT
(FOUO 53/81)
CONTENTS ~
SCIENCE AND TECffi~1~LOGY
Office Automation Age Foreca~t
(DIAMOND'3 T.NDUSTRIA, No 8, 19$1) 1
USSIt 5eeke Lower Intereat Rate for Purchasing Steel ~
(JAPAN ECONO~MIC JOURNAL, 18 Aug 81)..0 13
_ Japan-U.S.-Sweden Coalition Set for Robot Production, Sales
(JAPAN ECON(~'MIC 30URNAL, 18 Aug 81) 14
~ Toshiba Machine Loses Soviet Deals
(JAPAN ECONO~iIC JOURNAL, 18 Aug 81) 15
Caterpillar Mitaubishi Sells 400 Bulldozers to USSR ~ '
(JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, 18 Aug 81) 16
Sumitomo Metal Wfll Provide U.S. Steel With Pipe Technology
(JAPAN ECONOMIC JQURNAL, 18 Aug 81) 17
Research on Laser Re,~istant Optical Film
(JAPADI ECONOMI:C JOURNAL, 18 Aug 81)........ 18 '
Satellite for Weather Use Is Launched
(JAPAN EC~NOMIC JOIIRNAL, 18 Aug $1) 19
Toray Makes Zirconia Ceramic H~ving High Bending Str~ngth
(JAPt~PT ECONOMIC JOURNAL, 18 Aug 81) 20
Asahi Glass Plans Using Ion Exchange Membrane Technology
- (JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, 18 Aug 81) 21
Circuit Lines of 0.5 Micron Width Etched on Wafer by New Technology
(JAPAN ECONOP~SIC JOURNAL, 18 Aug 81).e 22
- a - [III - ASIA - 111 FOUO]
CAD ACCf/''i ~*'`nC ANY V
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Douglas-Fokker Team Offers Flexible Terms for Plaae Plan
(JAPAN ECONUMIC JOURNAL, 18 Aug 81) 23
Green Cross Acquires Interest in Collaborative Research Inc.
(JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNA?., 18 Au$ 81)......,. 24
- Government Begins Emphasis on Developing Biotechaology for ?~s~{^o ~
(JAPAN ECONOMIC JO~JRNAL, 18 Aug 81) 25
Twelve Different Colors Identified by Unique Sensor .
(JAPAN ECONdMIC JOURNAL, 11 Aug ~1)........... 27
Nippon Oil Develops Fermentatian Method for Mgking Fuel Alcohol ,
(JAPAN ECONOMYC JOURI~IAL, 11 Aug 81) 28~
Structural Change of Petrochemical Industry Suggested
(Editorial; JAPAN ECONOISIC JOURNAL, 11 Aug 81) 29
Production Revolution Underway ia Factories of Small.er Enterprisr~~s
(Ratsuhiko Hirano; JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, 11 Aug 81)........:.. 31
Cable, Wire Makers Are Investing Heavily in Opt~cal Fiber Equipment .
- (JAPAN LCONO~iIC JOIIRNAL, 11 Aug 81) 33 ~
Shipbuildere Moning Toward 'Revitalization'
(JAPAN ECONO~iI~ JaITRNAL, 11 Aug 81) 34
Hitachi, GE Reach Overall Accord on Robot Production, Sales
(JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, 11 Aug 81) 35
Miti Will Ease Staad c~a Exports to Yamburg Pro~ect �
(JAPAN ECON~IIC JOURNAL, 11 Aug 81) 36
-~b-
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SCIENCE AIdD TECHNOLOGY
OFFICE AUTOMATION AGE FORECAST
Tokyo D?AMOND'S INDUSTRIA in English Vol 11, No 8, 1981 pp 8-18
LArticle: "The Coming Office Autamation Age'!/
1Text% _ .
New Fra
The 56th International Business Show fiom fast to riioderate growth. Until
was held at the Intemational Trading recently the Japanese business
Center in Harumi, Tokyo, from May community had continued prosperity
13 to 16, 1981. A total of 170 busi- through the ratio~alization and auto-
ness fums, up 19 over the previous mation of produ~tion ~ines. The
year, exhibited more than 15,000 items community is now making a bi~_stride
of products. This yeaz, the number of forward to office automation. During
pavilions was raised from four to the past few years the word "office
five. Under the theme "office automa- automation" has been increasingly
tion that creates management power popu~ar. The idea of office automation
- for the 1980s," this year's business fust emrged in the United States from
show feat~~red the display and demon- , the contention that productivity in
stration of business machines and offices was far behind that of produc-
information processing machines of tion lines. And soon it was introduced
_ both domestic and foreign manufa~c� to Japan.
turers. The show clearly indicated At business shows, emphasis on
rapidly growing interest in office exhibits has been shiftIng gradually
au.omation in recent years by Japa� from computers, copiers, facsimiles and
nese businesses. other individual products to systems
Erom May 27 to 30, the "Micro- combining these business machines.
computer Show '81" was held at Especially at this year's show, exhibits
the Tokye Distribution Center in concerning the future of office auto-
Heiwajima, Tokyo. The number of mation attracted public attention.
visitors to this show was no less than Emphasis has alse been shifting from
_ that to tke Business Show. data processing with big computers by
Although rapid bnsiness growth professionals .to the rationalization of
_ contniues in some sectors, the Japa- clerical worl~ at ordinary offices. At
nese Pconomy has been placed in , the Microcomputer Show, too, visitors
severe conditions forcing a shift were showing more inte*sst in peisonal
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computers (small computers for Nagoya in 1uly, 1980, and a similar
personal e.se) for office work and shaw room in Tokyo in Eebruary,
hobby than microcomputers to be in- 1981. Mitsubishi Electric opened
corporated into apparatus. "Mitsubishi Electric Office Automa-
~ The biggest obs~acle in Office auto- tion P1aza" in Tokyo at the end of
mation in Japan is the complicated June.
recording system using the Japanese Nippon Electric Co. (NEC), a lead�
language. Booking by Japanese re- ing communications equipment manu-
quires a far more complicated system factunr, is striving for the spread of
- than that for European languages - office automation under the name of
using less than 40 alphabetical letteYS, "C & C(computer & communication)
arabic figures and several marks. In Office System." In June, 1980, the
the conventional system in which t~ company cteated~ the "Office Systems
use both the alphabet and the Japa- pevelopinent Division" in its head
nese "katakana," work reli~s on office. Then it installed a total of
specially-trained operators. Develop- 500 personal computers and 50 ward
ment of a machine that would enable proassors in the head office and its
the use of the Japanese language factories located in the Tokyo area.
system, including "hirakana" and The company also established a wholly
Chinese characters, has been the key owned subudiary in Abiko neaz
to full�scale office automation in 'Tokyo to ~manufacturo business
Japan. The Japanssedanguage-using machines. The plant now under
machine was In the spotlight in this constnution ls expected to go into
year's Business Show. It marked the operation in 1982. It will have a model
beginning of an offia automation era room for office automation Yo operate
in Japan. the company's actual clerical work
On August 21, 1980, Hitachi, Ltd. effectively. An office automation
established the "Promotion Depart� boom is coming in Japan.
ment Office Automation Systems" in ~p~ ~o~
~.he structure of its head office. In
November, 1980, Toshiba created the According to statistics by the
Office Automation Division that com� Ministry of Intemational Trade and
prises four departments, whlle Mitsu� Ind4stry (MITI), Japan's, business
bishi Electric inaugurated an "Office ma:;hine output in 1980 totaled
; Automation Project." These firms are ~f726,111 millIon, up 22.6% ovef
Japan's leading general electric and 1979. Data of main items are as
electronic equipment manufacturers follovua: �
making computers, word processors, Copiers .......~f336,751 million
facsimiles and other busi.ness ma� Des1c-Top Calculators
chines. The production and mazket� ~ , , , , , . , . . , .~F202,279 million
ing of these products were under the Cash Registers ...~iF86,882 million
control of diffennt depaztrnents or Typewxiters .....~51,816 million
divisions in charge of them. But tl~e p~~~, ,,,..,..3F48,383 million
manufacturers carried ont the organi- TOTAL .....~726,111 million
zational changes in order to make ~�Othecs" in the table include micro-
systems combining the individual ~`~m equipment, office�use printers,
machines that will meet the needs of accounting machines, time stamps and
respective clients. time recorders.
Tosiuba opened the "Toshiba ppazt from the above�listed data,
Office Automation Show Room" in MITI provides statistics on facsimiles,
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- computers and related equipment of the first oil crisis - was~8.6%over
under the category of "electric equip- 1972, which is in sharp contrast with
ment." The production of facsimile those for the period from 1974 to
= in 1980 was valued at ~If81,018 mil- 1979. They were 10.0%, 0.1%, 31.9%,
lion, a 30.9% increase over 1979, ~,S%, 10.6% and 43% in annual order.
- and that of computers and related Business machines heavily depend on
, equipment was ~1,295,386 million, export business. In general, growth
up 15.2%. Demand for business ma- ~tes are high, although there are big
chine has been strong. Especially in variations.
1980, all products showed high pro- ~ May, the Business Machine
duction increases thanks to a rising Makers Association published a"busi-
tide of office automation and brisk ness machine vision," in which it pro-
exports. The production of tYpe� jected producti~n and exports in 1985
writers increased 33.9% in value, and 1990. According to this, pmduc-
desk�top catculators 31.2%, cash regis- tion would increase after 1980 at an
ters 30.2% an3 copien 24.7%. annual rate of 6.3% to reach ~f986,536
The Japan Business Machine Makers ~llion in 1985. After the year, the
Association in March published the growth rate would be down at 6.2%,
estimates for the 1980 production of and the production will total
six major business machines and a ~32g,650 million in 1990. The ratio
forecast for 1981 production. The six _
products are electronic desk-top calcu� of exports to total output is set at
lators, copiers, offset printers, micro- 70.5% for 1985 and 67.1% for 1990.
film equipment, western�letter type� However, these sre the projections
- writers and electronic cash registers. for the products included in MITI
According to the estimate, 1980 pro� statistics as business machines. Besides
duction totaled ~F718,751 million. Of these, there are office automation
this, domestic demand was ~f212,7?7 related products, such as word proces-
million, up 10.1~/0 over 1979. Exports sors, electr~nic translators, offce com-
- totaled ~F506,024 million, up 27.4%. puters, personal computers, business-
The I981 forecast sets domestic use facsimiles and _business-use
demand at ~f222,600 million, up 4.6% materials. If all these are included,
over 1980, and exports at ~f571,680 production in 1985 and 1990
million, up 13.0�l0. The total 1981 will be ~F3,676,500 million and
output would be aF794,280 million, ~f5,389,600 million, respectively. The
up 10.5~10. average annual growth rxtes are set
At the beginning of 1980, the at 1?.6% and 8.0%. As office automa-
association estimated 1980 growth at tion spreads further, production will
6.8% for domestic demand and 7.7~Io increase at higher rates. That, of
for exports. But the actual business course, will include various newly-
results far exceeded these figures. developed machines.
- The growth rates for 1981 are kept
low for worldwide business stagnation.
However, the actual growth rate of
each category of products will vary
� widely with its market conditions
and the development of new products.
According to MITI's machinery statis-
tics, the growth rate of business ma�
chine production in 1973 - the year
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Copiers units in 1970, but that in 1979 their
ratio rose ta 79;'0 of the world's
output of 889,000 units. Thus Japan
Intensifying Competition m PPC has become the principal supply center
Japan's copier production surpassed of copiers for the world market.
1 million units in 1980. Demand has ~e performance of small�sized
been strong centering on popuiar .Tapanese PPCs is advan~ing every year,
model PPCs (plain paper copiers). and they are becom'sng increasingly
According to MITI statistics, copier convenient with such new functions
output in 1980 totaled 1,123,720 as cut-sized copying and sorter. They
units (a 24.7% increase over 1979), can now take different qualities of
valued at ~f336,751 million, up 29.9%. paper. In July, 1981, Sharp marketed
- Business growth is obvious whei: com- what it claimed the world's srnallest
pared with the growth rates of 1979 - and lightest PPC, "Copy Ace SF�750."
13.2�Io in volume and 11.8% in value. 'I'he machine, weighing 32 kg, can
P ~d growth is more conspicuous in Copy papers up to B4 size (364 mm x
higher grade products. Copier exports 257 mm) and make a maximum 99
copies in a row. With microcomputer
- in 1980 totaled ~F222,~53 million, up �
31.2% over 19~9. The ratio of exports con~rol, the machine can also inter-
to producdon was 66.2%. Brisk ~P~ the continuous copying to take
exports are sustaining high levels of other copies. It is also equipped with a
production, although the export ratio function of automatic diagnosis of
is not so high among business ma- operations.
~ In the market of high-grade models,
chines. Xerox stfll has a dominant position.
_ In the breakdown of 1980 produc- But in May, 1981, Ricoh marketed a
tion, indirect static type copiers -
mainly PPCs - rose by 37.8% to high�grade model, "ST 7500," which
946~66 units,_ d'uect static type ~s capable of making 60 copies a
copiers - centering on electrofax minute and suitable for a monthly
types - were down 22.3% at 87,319 opeaation ranging from 20,000 to
units, and other models, including 120,000 copies. Thus Japanese
diazo type copiers, down 11.8% at products are steadily penetrating into
90,035 units. As a result of rises in the high�grade model market.
- performance and falls in price, PPCs The plain pa~er copier is indupen-
are replacing electrofax type copiers, sable in the office automation era.
while curbing growth of diazo type Models that can be linked with com-
products whose copy costs are low. puters and facsimiles are now being
Until only 10 years ago, Xerox of developed. At present, Ricoh is
the U.S. had been controlling the Japan's top copier maker. Fuji Xerox
world's PPC market. But the situation 8nd Canon aze competing to take
changed after Japan began manufac� che second position, followed by
turing PPCs. Japanese makers con- Konishiroku Photo Industry and
centrated th~ir efforts on the develop- Sharp. At the end of last year, Matsu-
ment of small�sized models. Soon shita Electric Industrial, Olympus
_ Japanese products swept the world Optical and Kyoto Ceramic entered
market for their reasonable prices and p~oduction of copiers. Their primary
high perfom:;ance. A survey by the P~~Po~ appears to be development of
Japan Business Machine Makers models suitable for office automation
Association shows that Japanese prod- systems. Naturally, their entry into
ucts accounted for only 7% of the the field is intensifying competition
world's PPC production of 167,000 among makers.
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h dhan
ng of a facsimile is far easier
Facsimiles than tha? of a telerype, too. The high-
speed facsimile can also help cut ex-
Continuing Growth penses for communications. Price cuts
brought about by technical advances
The facsimile market has achieved obviously contributed to the spread
big growth during the past several of the machine. '
years. &hind the rapid spread of Matsushisa Graphic Communication
facsimiles are changes in the market Systems is the top facsimile maker in
situation. The tslephone line was 1apan, follow~esi by Ricoh, NEC and
opened for general facsimile use in Toshiba. Hitachi, Sanyo Electric and
Japan in .1972. U:~til then, newspaper Canon aro also tuaning out the prod-
and few other companies werc using uct. These and other makers that
facsimiles through exclusively con- exceed 20 in number are vying fietcely
tracted lines. Then, intemational in technology and p~ice.
standards for the equipment were Manufacturers are now developing
established to enable communications two rypes of products~ One is a com-
between differens models. Following pact sized, low�priced standard model
G�I standards for low-speed models for smaller businesses. The other is a
and G�II standards for medium-speed high-grade model that would b~e
~ models, G-III standards for high�speed incorporated into office automati~n
models were established in 1979,,com- systems. In May, 19~1, Toshib~
pleting the rystem for general facsimile marketed COPIX 6000, a desk-rtop,
service, compact, multi�functional f~csimile
MITI's statistics indicate spectacu- that meets dual modes - G-II .and
lar facsimile production growth since G�III. In June, Matsushita Graphic
1977. The annual production grovi+th Communication ~ystems put en sale
in volume marked 50.7% in 1977, UF-520 IV, a high resolutio~ business
61.8% in 1978, 48.3% in 1979 and facsimile which has 16 dats in one
43.2% in 198Q. Ttse 1980 output m~~~ter, compared with t1u ordi-
totaled 100,375 units. In teans of nary 8 dots and the i2 dots of ,the
value, the similar growth rate register� }ughest resoluti~n mc~del i~r ~usiness
ed 55.7% in 1977, 43.7% in 1978, ~e new model enabled ~e re-
45.2% in 1979 and 3Q.9% in 1980. transmission af transmittied data,
The 1980 production was ~f81,018 which had been d~f~cult in the past.
million. The growth rates in value are With an appliaation of the digital
lower than the rates in quantity p~ciple, the facsimile can now be
inctease, because the unit prices are used as an input or a.~i output terminal
declining. of a computer, and is entering an eta
Facsimile exports in 1980 nearly of rapid expansion as the office auto-
doubled to ~15,101 million. But mation cor~~ept spreads.
' exports accounted for only 18.6% of On the other hand, the Nippon
the total output in value. The heary T~legraph & Telephone Public Corp.,
dependence on domestic demand is a ~ a joint project witt~ six electric
feature different from other main lines appliance makers, has develo~ed a
of office equipment. Demand for ~all facsimile, "Mini Fax" (the trans-
~ facsimiles that can transmit sentences
mittable size: 210 mm x 14~ mm),
in Japanese, including many Chinese a~d is makir~g preparations to estab-
characters, and charts is far stronger lish a facsimile transmission ~etwork
- than thai for teletypes for English
for subscribers and eventually open
and other European ?anguages. The it to ordinary households.
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Office Computers
Users Include Large Enterprise.s According to its survey of computers
A computer has gone out of the of this category, their shipments
computer room to take its place in from makers during fiscal 1979 totaled
ordinary offices. Models actually used 20,828 units (up 64.4% over fiscal
there are "office computers." Original- 1978), valued at ~f146,267 million (up
ly the computer needs to be housed 69.8%). Although the figures for
in ar. air-conditioned, clean special fiscal 1980 are not yet available, the
room for satisfactory performance azed growth rates are estimated at about
is operated by specialists. The office 30�l0. The idea of office a~tomation
computer, on the other hand, is began to be widely tallced about in
a s.mall model which is easy to handle 1979. Since then shipments of office
_ and can be operated in the ordinary computers have been continuously
room by any businessman or office increasing.
clerk as long as he or she has knowl- ; Among the 26 manufacture~s and
edge of how to use it. And such ir~~porters ptaced under the survey,
products have been developed and Mitsubishi Electric, Nippon Electric
begun to be used widely in offices. and Toshiba form the top group of
In Japan, the word `'office com� manufacturers, followed by Ricoh,
puter" was used by Mitsubishi Electric Casio Computer, Fujitsu, Sharp and
Corp., when it marketed a small Uchida. In a recent trend, an incr~as-
computer, "MELCOM 80" in January, ing number of small businesses are
1968. Soon other makers began buying low-priced models as their
maki~-~g small computers for office performances are improving rapidly.
use, and the word "office computer" In addition, big businesses an joining
was established. The o~tice computer buyers of office computers as the idea
has various limitations in performance, of office automation is spreadin~.
but its price is far lower than that of Especially conspicuous is that office
the ordinary computer. The office compuiers are being used as terminals
computer first gained popularity of a big computer to divide the work
among small- and medium-sized busi� load of the big computer. In February,
nesses. But the bigger type of the 1981, Mitsubishi Electric marketed
office computer now hag various func- "MELCOM 80 Model 48," which has
tions typical of ordinary small com- a maximum main memory capacity
= puters, and its price has been reduced of 4 mega-bytes and can connect as
thanks to technological a~vancement. many as 32 terminal devices.
Therefore, it is difficult to distin- Furthermore, the emergence of
guish an office compqter from an models with a Chinese character
ordinary computer in both structure (kanji) processing function has greatly
and performance. The Japan Electron- contributed to the spread of office
ic Industry Development Association computers. Demand for such models
has its definition for office computers was especially strong from smaller
- they aze small or very small com� businesses. The recent advancement of
nuters to be used in ordinary offices semiconductor technology has helped
and their prices for standard system raise the funcdons of printet and dis�
~ range fiom ~f3 million to ~f30 million. play, lower. memory costs and thus
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~ introduce the n~r processmg t thc lowtst price of an office computer,
function to tha office computer. Its main unit is priced at as low as
About 60% of office computers now ~F200,000. It t3rst began to be used for
in production are of the kanji system. games, and some expensive modely
In January, 1980, Hitachi, Ltd. were being used for civil engineering
, developed a new Kanji Processing and other technological purposes.
Extended Information System (K~IS) Eiowever,- computers of that type
which can be used both in large com- began spreading rapidly as makers
puters and small ones, and employed it developed general-puipose program
in the office computer L-330 of packages and their costs became *ela-
HITAC L Series. The syster*~. was also ; tively low. The program package made
adopted by L-320 that was marketed ~ computer operations easy for maldng
. in ~ept$mber last year. various types of slips, the managemerat
Makers have developed a number of of customer lists, the calculation flf
application programs for accounting wages, sales control, stock cor~trol and
offices, hospitals, gas stadons and other clerical works. It is, of co~rse,
various other business offices to possible to make programs for sp~cifc
promote sales of office computers to needs by using BASI~ rsnd othes
smaller businesses. The spreading of relatively easy computer l~a~gua'ges.
office computers will continue in the NEC and Sharp are tMr Big Tuvo of
future. personal computer makers. They are
f~llowed by Hitachi, Sord ~nmp~ter
- System and Oki Eiectric 3aidustry.
There are more than 20 makars. But
Personal Computers che top three hold rnore tl~an 8~Q3% of
the market. Ma~ny make�s are expand-
ing production facilities in ocder to fill
~P~ SP~ ~S~s the rapidly expandin~ market. New-
comers are also jr~ir:ing the buslness.
Personal computers for business use j'~1d p~rto~anc;~ oF [lie peESOnaI
began to be employed by many offices computer is speedily improving thanks
around the mi~-1980, and many to the advances in LSI (large scale
~ makers have entered this field of integration circuit). Competition with
business, which is booming today. office computers of the lowest rank
Both personal computers and office will intensify in the future. The top
computers are applied products of maker, NEC, is selling a business
nnicrocomputers, and there are no persr.;,a computer NEC system 20/25,
clear distinctions between them. The w;~ich is priced at slightly lower than
office computet merely has a str~nger ~3 million. It is equipped with a
image of a machine to be installe~ 4n communication device to receive data
an office, wh~1e the personal computer from computers or data terminals at
has the image of an instrument to be distances away. Eight dic'~erent
used by an indiWidual. Therefore, the melodies indicate the conditions of the
price of a personal computer is lower system. In April, 1981, Sharp market-
than that of an office compute*. Small ed the "Clean Computer MZ�80B,"
- computers whose unit price is below which is equipped with a high-speed
~F; million are classified as personal microprocessor of 4 MHz. It also has
computers. Actually, their standard a unique functior, t~ a~~:e programs
prices range from ~800,000 to in the standard ~assette tape for audio
~F1,300,000, which are less than half u~,
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In April, 1981, Tokyo Electric Co. necessary words and thus complete
concluded a business tie-up aaange- the sentences. [t alsa has aditing func-
ment with Tandy Corp., the top tions, such as rearrangement of
personal computer maker in the U.S. sentences or making corrections by
Under the accord, Tokyo Electric will using the display. Therefore, the word
market Tandy products in 3apan and processor is often being used' for a
begin assembling main units in Japan. Japanese language typewriter. In the
Earlier, American products were future, the role of a word processor in
imported for hobby use. But now, office automation will be expanded
Japanese-made personal computers for greatly by connecting it with other
business use are spreading, and U.S. word processors, computers or fac-
makers are joining hands with Japa- similes.
nese firms to expand their market in A survey by the Nihon Office
Japan. Management Association shows that as
Altttough there xre no govemment of the end of November, 1980, 14.3%
statistics on office computers and of the 529 firms, including those listed
personal computers, it is no doubt that on tl-e Tokyo Stock Exchange and
- their markcts are expanding rapidly. computer centers, were using Japanese
At the same time, sales competition language ~~vord processors and 7.7%
- is becoming increasingly fierce, as of them had plans to introduce the
more makecs join the market. machines. In the survey the ratio of
_ those who had at least some knowl-
- i edge of a word processor was 85.4%.
- Word Processors Although the word processnr was still
_ quite new on the market at that time,
the survey indicated that business
Stroag Demand firms had strong interest in that
In the United States and Europe, particular product.
The descriptive system of the
the word processor opened the way Japanese language is far more campli-
for office automatioa. In Japan, how� cated than :hose of English and other
ever, the development of word pro- European languages. The number of
cessors wds delayed due to difficulty ~}~ese characters for daily use alone
in handling Chinese characters. In exceeds 1,900. It is, therefore, diffi-
September, 1978, Toshiba marketed a cult to limit the number of Chinese
word pmcessor capable of processing
Japanese vwrds for the first tir.u. It characters, called kanji in Japanese.
was followed by Sharp, NEC, Fujitsu, ~d a kanji often has several ways of .
Oki Electric and others. The full- reading it. There are also homonyms.
scale marketing of word processors 'Iherefore, the input of Japanese
in Japan began during the second half Words.is very difficult. In a system,
of last year. Shipments in fiscal 1980 letters are selected by the pen-touch
totaled about 2,000 units. The figure of tablets as those of a Japanese
language typewriter. In another
for fucal 1981 is estimated to surpass
3,000 units. system, kana (Japanese alphabet) is
~'The word processor can call out used for input. The former systern is
from its memory such standardized ~e~~ but requires skills, and the time
sentences as those for contract and required to select letters is longer than
personal appointment formats, fill in u? the latter system. The former type is
more popular in clerical offices, while
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the computer and technical divisions languages~-xport dependency is
prefer the latter type. Sharp represents extremely high, and the 1980 output
the former system, while Toshiba increased sharply with brisk exports.
represents :he latter type. The fact that production growth in
Even in the kana-kanji conversion value was higher than in volume indi-
- system, there are two formulas. One is cates that production is shifting to
to take the reading kana of kanji into high-grade products. While the manual
the machine as it is read. The other is type showing steady growth, the
to put two letters of kana which electric type is malcing big increases.
suggest the kanji. In July, 1981, The most advanced typewriter is an
Toshiba announced a model of Japa� electronics�applied model.
nese language word processor, "BW- In the marketing of electronic
20," which combines the two typewriters, Olivetti of Italy took the
formulas, and also can select a tablet lead. It was soon follow~ed by makers
type. It is still too early to predict of West Germany and the United
which type will be the popular line. States. Among Japanese makers,
On the other hand, NEC marketed Brother Industries was the first to have
a Japanese language word processor of developed that type. It began export-
cluster system in May, 1981. It can ing such products last yeaz. Silver
handle up to eight work stations for Seiko announced an electronic model
input use so as to raise the cost effi- in March, 1981. Canon, which had not
ciency of the word piocessor, because made typewriters, recently entered
the Japanese language printer attached this field of business. Olivetti made a
� to the machine is expensive and of a commission contract with Tokyo Juki
high speed model. Industrial for production on the OBM
Ricoh plans to mazket two types of basis. Olivetti probably considered it
Japanese language word processors. profitable to commission the manu-
One is "RIPORT 600 Series," which facture of its products to Japanese
has a facsimile function - the first of industry which is leading the world in
the kind in the world. Thus the word electronics.
processor will incorporate many func� The electronic typewriter has edit-
tions to connect with other kind of ing function and is expected to show a
business machines in the future big market expansion b;~ playing an
models. Models for Chinese or other important part in the current office
languages that do not use the alphabet automation boom. In other words, a
will be developed in the future. new area of busi~ess has opened for
. _ . . Japan which is advanced in electronic
technology. It is quite conceivable
that even electronic equipment makers
- Typewriters will enter this ~eld in the future.
Electronic Application Widens Scope
According to MITI's production
statistics, typewriter production in
1980 totaled 2,587,975 units (up
33.9% over 1979), Jalued at ~51,816
million (up 393%). Exports rose by
48.2% to ~f48,888 million. The ratio
of exports to the total output was
94.3%. Most products are of European
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Electrotic Calculators The domestic market, in ~fact, is in
_ a saturated state, but makers are trying
Multi-functions to expand their market by marketing
new mfldels with multi�functions, such
Technological advances in semi- as melody, watch and digit-taking
canductor and display enabled great (million or billion) functions.
functional improvements of the In July, 1981, Casiu Computer, the
electronic cal~~ilatoz: reduced its sue top mak~r, marketed FT-7, a new
and lovu~ered its price during the fust calculator incorporating "hobby func-
= half of the 1970s. As a result, the tions" - telling one's fortune and
market giew rapidly, whi~e
t~ie number affinity with another person by using
of manufacturers increased and they the data of the year, month and day.
continued to expand productir,n. In In March and April, Casio marketed two
1977, how~ever, they were farced to programmable electronic calcula4ors
carry out large production cutbacks ~ pocket-size notebooks, which have
and norganize their industry. It was ~e functions of a personal computer.
once thought that growth . of the Sharp Corp., which has long been
industry had come co a halt. But ~y~g ~~r batteries of single crystal
growth is now retusning to the indus- silicon for light house and other uses,
try again. marketed an electronic calculator with !
According t~ MITI's prodLCtion a built-in solar battery in December,
statistics, th.z output fell from 1976. This product, free from the
40,426,133 units in 1976 to trouble of replacing dry cells, main-
31,835,113 units in 1977. The annual tains steady popularity. The only
fall was 21.3%. Exports were problem was that the solar battery was I
2g,170,000 units in 1977, down expensive. The price has now dropped I
19.9�!0. It appeared that both domestic considerably thanks to mass produc-
anci overseas markets were flooded ~~tion and technical advances. The '
with excessive quantities of products. "solar calculator" cost ~f24,800 each
And, many makers disappeared from when it was first marketed. The most I
_ the markets. inexpensive model now carries price
With only a yeaz of production tag of only ~F3,900. Sanyo ElecVic
adjustment, the 1978 output went ~s marketing a similar product with a
below the 1976 level in value but solar battery of amorphous silicon.
above that in volume. The output in 'The efficiency of this battery is lower
1979 increased further in volume but than that of the single crystal silicon,
was still below the 19761eve1 in value. but its production cost is likely to
The product became smaller and thin- fall faster than the single crystal one.
ner, and the price declined further. Canon, ranking third in this field of
Competltion was also intensifying b~ess, marketed a calculator with a
among makers. It was especially harsh digit-taking function last year. In
between Casio Computer and Sharp, March of this year it added a watch
two leading makers in this country. that shows the date, hour and minute
The output in 1980 totaled with Chinese characters. Casio Com-
60,356,160 units, up 31.2% over puter also marketed a model with
1979. Its value was ~F202,279 million, a display in Chinese chazacters and
' up 16.3%. Exports rose by 37.4% to a di~t�taking fu.nction. New products
I 49,650,000 units. Electronic calcu� are likely to become increasingly
lator business fully regained activity. multi�functional in the future.
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Electronic Cash Registers New Electronic Products
-
Systematization In P~r~uit of Poaeibility
Electronic cash registers began re� The davelopment of office equip-
placing the mechanical type in 1971. ment in recent years ow~es much to
In the market of inechanical cash incessant advances in ekctronic
registers, NCR Japan (subsidiary of technology. In fact, some new prod-
NCR Corp. of the U.S.) and other ucts, which appear to be quite pro-
firms with foreign capital had been mising, are be~nning to emerge.
~ dominating Tokyo Ele~tric and other One such praduct is an electronic _
Japanese makers. However, Tokyo translator. In November, 1979, Sharp
Electric and NCR Japan began market- marketed an English-Japanese, Japa-
ing electronic cash registers at about nese-English electronic translator,
the same time. They were followed by IQ 3000. It is, of course, made by
Sharp, Casio Computer, OMRON an application of technology in
Tateishi Electronics, Sanyo Electric, electronic calculators. Japanese words
- Matsushita Communication Industrial appear in Romanized form in the
and o2her electronic equipment manu- display. Later Sharp marketed
facturers; and the market structure modules for German, French, Spanish
~ changed drastically. Export business and other languages. It is for beginners
has also become active. At present, and far from practical use. If the
Tokyo Electric, top maker, and NCR cnemory capacity is expanded, it can
Japan, 2nd, hold a combined domestic b~ more useful. In the meantime,
market shaze of 80%. Canon_ and Casio Cornputer also
According to MITI's production ~ marketed similar products, and still
statistics, the output of cash registets other makers announced the manufac-
in 1980 was 1,143,178 units, up ture of test models.
30.2% over 1979. It was valued at In June, Sharp marketed IQ 5000,
- ~f86,882 million, up 12.2%. Exports in an ekctronic translator that can
that year rose by 37.9% to 860,000 produce voice by using voice synthe-
units. The growth of domestic demand sization techniques, wh?ch have shor.m
was about 10�!0. Thus exports pushed a remarkable progress during the past
up production. The average price is few years and have been applied to
declining every year. Exports are practical use in various fields.
expected to increase for years to In March, 1978, Nippon Electric
- come, since mar.y users overseas are Co. (NEC) marketed a voice input
still using mechanical type products. device for specified speakers, DP�100.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of This unit recognized a registered
department stores, supennarket chains voice pattem and gives instructions
- and other big retailers are systematiz� made by the speaker of that pattern to
ing the managemenC~ of sales that a computer. This is the first device in
involves cash registers. To meet their the world that ca$ recognize continu-
demands. some major cash register ous sounds. In March, 1980, NEC also
makers have established subsidiaries to marketed a voice input device that
specialize in software. would respond to unspecified voice
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pattems, although the number of
words it could recognize was only 16.
Since vowl sounds are clear in Japa-
nese, its voice recognition is rolatively
easy compared with other languages.
Toshiba announced a test model of
the Japanese langua~e word processor '
with a voica input unit. Users of office
equipment have great expectations for
development of a high performance
voice input device, because data input
is one of the most troublesome parts
of data processing in the current
system.
As office automation advances,
demand for an elevation in the
performance of office equipment is
becoming increasingly strong from
among its users. In this field, too, the
Japanese office equipment industry
' will continue to show striking
advances, since Japan holds a domi-
. nant position in electronic technology .
for non-military use.
COPYRIGRT: Diam~oad Lead Co., Ltd. 1981
CSO: 4120/310
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SCIENC~ AND TECHNOLOGY
,
~ USSR SEEKS LOWER INTEREST RATE FOR PURCHASING STEEL
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 968, 18 Aug 81 p 3
/~ext%
'fie Soviet Union has re- to lasing all steet exports to the
jected its earlier agrameM o~ Soviet Union, not only for this
Cinancing terms set for secur- year 6ut also for aext year, the
ing 300,00~ tons e! stetl piates Japanese steeknakers are now
trnm five big Japanese steel- going to ask the International
makers. acrnrding to steel ia- 'l~ade ~ I~dustry Ministry and
dustry informaMs hae. the Ministry of Finance to at-
'I1~e Russians in the mid~e of low them to "export at 7.25 per
July had agreed to accept such cent."
steel at a financing term ot 7.75 A mission of Japanese steel-
per cent per anman over ~five makers and traders in the mid-
years. dle of July visited Moscow and
However, the informants said reached an agreement with the
that the Russians lately~ had Russians on the following
made known through trader terms for export of steel plates:
Mitsui & Co. that they wished to -Three himdred tho~sand
~ drop this a~eement and in- tons et steel plates will be ex-
te+nded to forego the steel deal ported during the period from
unless the interest rate in October to July, next yeaz with
financing was lowered to 7.25 supplier's credit offered on a
per cent. private basis.
The Russians were said to -The deferred payment in-
have come around to taking a terest rate will be set at 7.75
strong buyer's position since all per cent per annum over a
- Eurapean steelmakers, which period of five years as in the
have been carrying out big pra earlier agreed case of the
duction curtailments owing to Japanese exporting large dia-
the recession, have begun of- meter steel pipes.
fering financing terms of .7.25 With this understanding, all
, per cent or less per anniun for that had remained, until the
their exports. Ru4sians' scrapping of this
Since refusing to match their financing term, was the ques-
- sales conditioas with those of tion of boiling down prices by
the Europeans may lead them the early part of August. .
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/312
- 13
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SCIENCE AND TE~EINOLOGY
JAPAN-U.S.-SWEDEN COALITION SET FOR ROBOT PRODUCTION, SALES
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in Eaglish Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81 p 7
_ /Text/ p far-reaching coalition prises to work together in the ~ lggg, the Connecticut com-
among influential enterprises rapidly g,rowing rotwt b~iness, ~y ~~lud~d an agreement
of Japan, the U.S. and Sweden as exemplified in an eazlier tie- Wi~ ~W~aki to provide its
will be realized around October up arrangement between t~~ological lmow-how. At
in the field of high efficiency in- Japan's Hitachi, I.td. and ~.~nt, ~wever, the tie-up
dustrial robots. America's General EleCtric Co. h~ ~anged into an equal tech-
Kawasaki Heavy. Industries, cJEJ August 11 issue, Page 7) ~~ogy exchange contract, now
Ltd., Japan's leading rnaker oi Other specific factors under- ~~at the Japanese firm has at-
heavy machinery as well as in- lying the planned tie-up among ~ined a remarkabie tech- I
dustrial robots. and Unimation, the trio are: nological improvement of
Inc., America's top robot -ASEA, while sta~ng robot producing 700 units a year.
builder, will team up with sales drive in the U.S., has be- go~ ~mpanies now sell
Sweden's ASEA (Allmanna gun to face strong rivalry frnm their robots in Europe as well
Svenska Elektriska AB) in the Japan-built robots in its home ~~e U.S.
sector of "intelligent" robots markets i~ Europe. When the trio works together,
- equipped with human eyesight -Unimation is strongly~seek- ~heir combined production of
function. ing an even claser link with t~gn gra~e robots will come to '
'll~e international ~ouping Kawasaki HI, which represes~ts some 2,000 units a year - about
will go beyond, in importance~ robot makers in Japan, a 3p per cent of the world
the existing technological tie-up "rnbot kingdom" ~where 70 per markets.
between Kawasaki HI and cent of the world's industrial Adjustrnent of production
Unimation, aiming at attaining robots are now used. . models among the three com-
even more broader cooperat~on ASEA, with 40,000 workers panies in accordance with their
as to technology, production under its payrnll, is a leading respectively strong branches
and marketing. European heavy machinery will prove greatly effective in
- Kawasaki HI has basically maker. Late last year, the cutting production costs, lead-
agreed on Unimation's company .completed a robot- ing ~o more expansion of their
proposal that ASEA join their producing factory ~in Detroit. combined market share.
group. Its robot production capacity All of the trio will aiso be able
- UnimatiQn President Joseph th~ stands at 500 units a year. to mutually use their individual
F. Engelberger is expected to 'lt~e company has sold a total of sales networks.
visit Japan in Octobec to confer 1,000 robots to 20 countries of Kawasaki and Unimation are
with Kawasaki executives on the world. now jointly developing an even
details of the proposed coalition Unimation, the world's top- more sophisticated, intelligent
with the Swedish company. rate rnbot maker, produces 800 robot for simultaneoas market=
Behind their move is the ris- units a year for delivery chiefly ing in Japan and the U.S. in a ~
ing zeal of worldwide enter� to General Motors Corp. and few years. ASEA is expected to
other automakers. join this project. .
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/312
� 14 ~
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
TOSHIBA MACHINE LOSES SOVIET DFALS
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81 p 7
LText%
Toshiba Machine Co. has Also under the new Soviet
been underbid by European plan, inquiries amounting to
competitocs in all of its ma- around ~ 25 billion had been re-
chine tool export deals with the ceived by Toshiba Machine
Soviet Union under the latter's since late last year.
llth five-year plan beginning However, the situation has ~
this year. turned unfavorable for the
'I1ie persistent climb of the Japanese company. It has suf-
yen's exchange rates against fered crushing defeats in the
the German mark and other Soviet deals, losing horizontal
European currencies is to boring machine contracts to
blame for the failure of Toshiba West German and Italian com-
Machine to win Russian orders. petitors and roll grinding ma-
'Ihe Tokyo-based company chine contracts to West Ger-
surmotuited the first oi! crisis man rivals.
in 1973-74 by emphasizing ex- A Toshiba Nlachine official
ports to the Soviet Union,' said, "We could not enter into
Romania and other Communist full talks with the Russians to
Bloc countries. explain the capabilities and
Toshiba Machine, along with specifications of our products
another Japanese machine tool in almost all of the proposed
builder, Mitsui Seiki Kogyo Co., deals. Our approaches came
is highly dependent on exports out unsuccessful in the very ini-
to Soviet Russia. Its exports to tial stage of quoting prices.
the country under the lOth five- 'It~ere were wide gaps between
year plan ran to some 18 bil- our price quotations and those
lion. of European makers."
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/312
15
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SCIENCE A1V~ TECI~TOLOGY
CATERPILIAR MITSUBISHI SELLS 400 BULLDOZERS TO USSR
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81 p 7
/Text/
- ~ Csterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. Japan-built bulldozers and lifts and truck cranes.
announced last week that the other construction machines As for Caterpillar ~Iitsubishi,
company had concluded a con- are due to be exported to Soviet the company so far has ex-
tract with the Soviet Union to R~sia in exchange for Siberian ported 1,900 bulldozers, in-
supply 400 bulldozers and lumber under the basic agree- cludng 1,700 delivered under
related equipment, worth some ment signed between the two the first and second KS
~ 7 billion, for delive~y+ to countries in March, this year Projects. The newly-contracted
Siberia by February,1982. on the basis of the third Soviet- 400 will ~be in addition to them.
Trader Mitsubishi Corp. Japan joint Far East Forestry These construction
acted as the intermediary Resources Development machinery export deals with
negotiator in the export deal. ~'oject, called the KS Project. the Soviet Union coincide with
The value of Japanese con- the Japanese Government's
Each of the tractors with struction machinecy set in the policy of easing economic sanc-
powershift transmission, basic accord amounts to ~230 tions against the country from
weighing 17.5 tons, is of the billion in all, in which Cater- aroimd last spring.
medium-sized D6D trace type pillar Mitsubishi's 400 bull- Construction machinery
having 142 horsepower. T'he dozers have recently been irn builders, now suffering from .
machines will be equipped with cluded. Other desired Russian sluggish domestic demand, are
a straight blade and ripper for items include 1,100 more bull- anxious to wIn Russian orders
excavation work on frozen dozers, 2,000 lucnber transport following Catecpillar Mitsu-
ground. , machines, and 50U to 1,000 fork- bishi's successful deal.
COP'~RIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/312
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ~
SUI~T~IO MET.AL WILL PROVID~ U.S. STEEL WITH PIPE TECHNOLOGY
Tokyo JAPAN ECON~iIC JQURNAL in English Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81, p 6
LText/ ~
Sumitomo Metal Industries, patch its technicians and
Ltd. has concluded a contract engineers to its ~imerican
with United States Steel Corp., partner shortly and begin an
the America's largest steel- investigation.
maker, to provide technical aid -Sumitomo will check
for a seamless pipe mill, the ~whether improvement should
leading Japanese steel firm an- be made on facilities and
nounced last week. production of the two plants
Under the contract, Sumi- and submit a report to U.S.
tomo Metal will help the U.S. Steel.
firm improve the quality of its _U.S. Steel will send its
seamless pipes produced at its staffers to Sumitomo for train-
two plants - one in Ohio and ing in Japan.
the other in Pennsylvania and ~ for the schedule of sending
upgrade the technology for engineers, the two companies
operating the two plants. will negotiate on the matter in
The Japanese company so far the near future. ~
has given technical assistance The American company
of various kinds to the U.S.
steelmaker, such as for pcoduc- ~ught the Japanese assistance
- ing large-diameter pipe. The largely because the pipe
latest seamless pipe contract m~ng machinery at its two
constitutes the fifth agi~eement plants are outdated, causing a
between the two companies. lack of uniformity in quality.
Sumitomo and U.S. Steel 4Peration of the two plants thus
have yet to boil down detailed have �become inefficient, ac-
points concerning the technical cording to Sumitomo. ,
help. But they agreed that: Sumitomo Metal is rated high
-Sumitomo Metal will dis- in seamless pipe technology. -
CCIPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/312
17
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH ON LASER RESISTANT OPTICAL FILM
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81 p 13
/Text/
11~e Government�affiliated costs. ment of such filming with the
Research Development Corpo- a?ccording to the corporation, lens ~r reflector surface.
ration of Japan recently an- laser beams, now widely used Tne academica.lly-devised ~
nounced two new projects: 1) for industrial processing, com- a.r~swer to the p:oblem consists
Development of a method to munication and medical pur- in building a multiple-layer
produce optical film resistant poses, in the case of industrial structure of 20 to 40 alternate
to the destructive power of pcoduct or material processing, piles of high-refraction mate-
strong continued laser beam require many kinds of filmir.g rials like titanium oxide and
bombardment, and 2) Develop or plating to the surface of che zirconium oxide and low-re-
ment of a method obtaining lens and reflector of the pro- fraction materials like silicon
energy by gasifying plastic- cessing machine. Inclu%~ed in oxide. 11~e method also in-
containing industrial waste s~h kinds are a"bear.i reflec- volves a"high-frequeacy ion
matter deep in a hot sand pile. tion prev~ting" typ~ to let the plating" process to heat cach
According to the corporation 'beam penetrate its object well such material into thin filming
in Tokyo, the two methods, al- by minimizing the, undesitable with a high-frequency electric
ready developed in their basic reflections, a beam reflec- ~ power coil and a special film
ideas respectively by Prof. tion-boosting type to increase polishing pracess to remove all
Yoichi Murayama of Toyo the reflections to assist the pre- defects on the s~face of such
University in Tokyo and Prof. venting type, and multiple- filming.
Taizo Kunii of the Engineering layer polarizing plating to The scholarly solution to the
FacWty, University of Tokyo, separate the beam into various also difficult plastic-involving
will be polished up into really componenEs. waste burning question is to
applicable processes by two While such filming and plat- mix such waste matter with
domestic companies it has ing have been developed, every heated sand in a funnel-shaped
named to ~dertake the jobs as attempt to increase the output inversely conical furnace.
usual with all its projects of the of the laser beams has come to Pastics in such wastes, includ-
kind. The two companies are demand a new kind of such ing milk and other beverage-
Showa Optical Co. and Tsuki- filming strong and durable vending containers, will be
shima Kikai Co., both of Tokyo. enou~ against the destruMive heated into gas at the bottom of
Showa Optical is to develop force of such beam bombard- the f~nace when the hot sands
the first of inethods for the ments, especially when long are circulated by air blowing
corporation in three years at a continued. But the conventional through a lower side hole. The
- total cost of ~f 120 million, while vacuum deposition method of gas to be thus derived will have
Tsukishima Kikai the second in producing such filming has at least 2,000 kilocalories of .
two years for a total cost of been limited in ensuring such energy per cubic meter, high
~ 250 million. The goverm- strength of ~lming, and also in enough to be used as an indus-
mental corporation will pay the guaranteeing the good attach- trial fuel.
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/3].2
18
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SATELLITE FOR WEA1'~R USE IS LAUNCHID
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 Na 268, 18 Aug 81 p 13
/Text/
The National Space Develop-
ment Agency su~zeeded last
'h~esday in placing a 292-kilm-
gram meteorological sa'te16i2e
into a drift orbit.
The satellite, chrisRened
Himawari (Sunflower) II, w~ll
- be gradually moved to a per-
manent geostationary 4rbit
over IVew Guinea at a p~int 140
East Longitude over a space of
a month.
It wiU replace the present
Himawari satellite and start
sending pictures of cloud
� formations around Japan from
late December.
_ NSDA launched a three-stage
N-2 rocket early Tuesday
morning at its space center on
Tanegashima Island, Kago-
shima Pref. The rocket placed
the sateUite, measuring 2.15
meters in diameter and 3.45
meters in length, into its sched-
uled orbit. This is the first time
that Japan has launched -a
geostationary meteorological
satellite (GMSr for practical
~e on its own. The present
Himawari satellite was sent up
with the help of U.S.
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/312
19
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TORAY MAKES ZIRCON7A CERAMIC HAVING HIGH BENDING STRENGTH
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81 p 13
fText/ . '
A new engineering ceramic, tures zirconia itself may with-
havzng the world's highest bend- stand, but its sinter cannot, in
ing strength of all such modern contrast to other kinds of new
industrial ceramics at coom ceramic like silicon nitride or
temperature, t~as been commer- silcon carbide.
cially developed by Toray How to bake the new
_ Industries, Inc. of Tokyo. The product's materials, a
ceramic is a sort of sinter of ~W~red form~ of the salt
zirconia (Zirconium oxide) with remaining after smelting zir-
a 3 per cent yittria (yittrium ro~~.rontaining ore, and
oxide) addition. yittria under a high pressure is
According to the first-rated said to be the same as pro-
Japanese synthetic Gber maker ducing any other engineering
with many chemical sidelines, ceramic, the company ex-
its new" engineering ceramic plained.
� , ~
- fine ceramic or new
ceramic in Japan s technolo- But the new product, as so
gical terminology-could be far tested, proved to have
_ widely applied to tools, ma- m~~~ s~'~8~ to with-
chine parts and cutting edg~, standing between 150 and 170
. requiring such high bending ~ograms of weight per square
strength or toughness, includ- millimeter, compared with 130,
in wire-drawing dices. hitherto the worlcl's highest for .
The Government's Mechanic a silicon nitride ec;uivalenG
, al Engineering Laboratory, In toughness cas expressed by
cooperating to find such uses, is "Young's modul~s" it has
already trying out the new s~passed all sorts of fine
product in making sur~cal and ceramics so far known to have
cooking knives. The new been developed. Such modern
~ product is believed w~fit for use ceramic have had the common
under extremely high tempera- drawback of brittleness.
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/312 ~
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ASAHI GIASS PLANS USING ION EXCHANGE MEI~RANE TECHNOLOGY
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81 p 12
LText%
Asahi Glass' Co. is con-' 35 per cent.
sidering replacing the asbestos The Asahi know-how
diaphragm with the ion eliminates consumption of
change membrane technique steam, as required by the dia-
for ca~tic soda production at phragm process cabout 2.7-3.0
its Kita-Kyushu . plant by the tons per to~ of 35 per cenf
- spring of 1982. The top soda sodal. The diaphragm tech-
maker here will become the nique requires larger amount
second after Kanegafuchi of power ~2.700-2,800 kilowatt
Chemical Industry Co. to carry hours).
out the change. The soda industry replaced
The Asahi plan calls for about two-thirds of its mercury
replacing one half of Kita- celis with the diaphragm tech-
Kyushu facilities, whose ni9ues by fiscal 1975, as or-
munthly capacity is rated at dered by the Government. But
1,370 tons. The existing electro- the industry found that the dia-
lytic cells will remain intact, phragm technique requires
with the distance between more electric power than
electrodes being narrowed. mercu:y cell route ~which the
No official operational data Government will in effect ban).
have been announced. $ut the It seemed that the ion ex-
company's experimental ~ change membrane developers,
_ replacement is believed t~ have including Asahi Glass,. will
reduced electric power con- intensify their licensing race
sumption to less than 2,500 kila ~t only for replacement of
watt hours per tan of ca,~~stic mercury cells but the dia-
soda. The soda concentrati~m is phragm technology.
CCJPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
~50: 4120/312
21
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CIRCUIT LINES OF 0.5 MICRON WIDTH ETCHED ON WAFER BY NEW TECf�INOLOGY
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81 p 13
/Text/
A new ultra-microscopic gpM ~y,pe with some 600,000 The new method is a decided
semiconductor circuit printing electronic elements similarly departure from the past optical
method of ionization and printed. or electron beam method. It is
chemical reaction type for While the First Generation tentatively known as the Elec-
etching circuit lines of no more circuits require a precision trocyclotron Resonance (ECR)
than 0.5 microns in width on a printing (etching) process pr~~ to do every such ex-
few miliin,ieter-square silirnn going dowzi to 2 or 3 mircons ut tremely complex and dense
chip has been experimentally circuit line width, the Second etching job at a stroke by the
developed by a laboratory of Generation needs a more impact of ionization of
Nippon Telegraph and Tele- ~p~sticated prceess reaching chemical substances and the
phone Public Corp. (NfT). down to 0.5 microns in that chemical reaction in the
According to NfT's Musa- width. resulting plasma.
shino Electrical Communica- But NTT's laboratory, NT'T's new achievement,
tion Laboratory, thE most eng8g~ in developing such W~n refined, means comple-
denssly _ integrated _version. of technology since 1975 together tion ot Japan's technology of
integrated circuit seiniconduc- with Nippon Electric Co. basically etching the next
tors so far commercialized, (NEC), Hitachi, Ltd., and generation VLSI circuitry
that is, the First Generation of F'ujitsu Limited, already has ~ong Wi~. a new high-precision
very large-scale integrated cir- finished developing the Second electron beam exposure photu-
cuits (VLSI), is the 64-kilobit ~eration circuit printing mask producing and an X�ray
- RP?M (random access memory) ~.~~g byr Mazch, this yeac, exposure circuit transprinting
type of VLSI circuits, with about ~d has since been studying method (from the original
150,000 electronic elements how to print Third Generation, pattern to wafer) jointly
printed on such a tiny chip. or a 1 mega-bit RAM type, developed with the cooperating
The Second Generation, capable of packing no less than rompapies on the basis of such
- already developed at labora- 2.4 million elements on such a exposure devices developed
tory level, is the 256-kilobit midget chip. together with Hitachi and ~
Nippon Kogaku K.K.
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/312
22
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AOUGLAS-FOKKER TFAM OFFERS FLEXZBLE T~t~IS FOR PIANE PIAN
Tok.yo JAPAN ECONOMIC J~~'JRNAL i~. En~lish Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81 p 7
1Text/ McDonnell Uouglas Corp. of partici~ation in the project with the U.S.-Dutch team,
the U.S. and F'okker B.V. o( the when they visited the head because the total estimated
Netherland3 have siarted i~- otfices oE Mitsubishi Heavy cost of the pcoject is yet to be
viting Japanese aircratt Industries, Ltd., Kawasalu determined.
makers to participate, on an Hea:y Industries, L,id. and FLp Another important con-
- equal basis, in a tieup to Heaw in~dustria, Ltd., and sideration has logically held up
develop a jet civii aircraR of ai,so the Civil Transport their immediate respunse. The
- the 150-seater ass, in pevelopment Corp. Japanese trio, in their ca-
whatever area of tht project The chairmen also visited the pacities as members of their
the Japanese want. ;4linistry of International Trade association, CTDC, strongly
The McDonnell Dovglas- ~ industry ar~d briefed an otfi- backed up by MITI, had been
Fokker tearn extended the on their campanies' joint talking with Bceing Co. and
invitation through the chair- venture ar~d invitatioa some West European aircraft
men of the two compania, The McDonnell Dauglas-Fak- makers since 1980 on Japan's
_ James S. McDonnell ker team welcomed any Japa- own plan to develop a similar
and F. Swarttouw to nese aircraft maicer to jain the series of jet transports.
three Japanese air- venture as a Eull partner frocn To complicate the matter
craft companies and the outset ~ the project in any turther, a Boeing spokesman
an associatior, of area, irMluding desigr~ produc- recently said his company will
Japanese aircraft tion and sales. open of~cial talks with such
ar,d engine makers 'Ihe two chairmen, however, Japanese companies on its own
for new aircraft de- tentatively auQgested what ttuy Bi�7 jet transport development
velopment be~~e~red to be the best choice project, which is said to have
- The noted Amer- thc Japaneae - under- alread~� unofficially been made
icarrDutch team ao- takin~ development and known to Japan with more rigid
nounced last May ~~~;on of the wings and of participating conditions.
their 1tDF100 development pro- aboat one-fourth of all the But Bceing is believed to
ject The target date for starting ~~~ality, inc luding cost, have started a competitive
regular fights is set for 1886. ~e p~j~~, move in the face of the
- 'lt~e two chairmen, while in Japanese companies ap- McDonnell Douglas-Fokker
Japan earlier this month, in- proached are postporring their team's wooing of the Japanese
dicated their companies' ~swecs pen~ng cl~er tallrs participation in its venture.
willingness to accept Japanese
COPYRIGii~: 1981, *_he Nihon K~izai Shimbun, Iac.
CSO: 4120/312
23
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GREEN CROSS ACQUIRES INTEREST IN COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH INC.
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 268, 18 Aug 81 p 3
LText% .
Green Cross Corp. last tion of viruses, and to be a
- week decided to acquire a potential "wonder drug."
minority interest in Colla- Although the Japanese
borative Research Inc. of company's shareholding in
Boston. The acquisition will CRI is small, its equity
make the Osaka phar- participation in CRI is
- maceUticals maker the ~rst believed to help advance
_ Japanese investor in any their collaboration both in
U.S. genetic engineering technology development and
venture busi~ness. exchange of information.
~ Green Crdas will acquire Many of the U.S. venture
14,000 shares of CRI stock, business in the field of
worth Sl million. This will be genetic engineering, which .
a part of new shares the U.S. aze estimated to n~unber
company is issuing. The some 50, . recently are
remaining ~5 million-worth reported actively searching
shares are to be purchased for major investors fmm
- by Dow Chemical Co., ac- Japan and other parts of the
cording to Green GYass. world. Another U.S. genetic
Green Cross's equity holding engineering rnmpany, Enzo
in the U.S. firm will be 1.1 Biochem of New York, has
Fer cent. already set up a joint
CRI and Green Cross have venture this month in Tokyo
� been closely cooperatiug in with a Japanese trader in
the development of inter� order to conduct joint tech-
feron since last spcing when nological developmer~4 with
the two firms signed an Japanese researchers, and
agreement under which CRI to look for investors here.
provides Green GYoss with All of the leading U.S.
pcoduction knowhow for the genetic en~neering firms,
gamma type of interferon. including Genentech Inc.,
Green Cross has thus Genex Inc. and Cetus Corp.,
become the first Japanese reportedly have been talking
supplier. which can produce with various Japanese in-
all the three types of inter- terests on possible coopera-
feron - alpha, beta and tion on biotechnological re-
gamma a protein be- search and capital tie-ups, in
lieved to block multiplica- the past months.
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/312
~ 24
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GOVERNME~]T BEGINS II~HASIS ON DEVELOPING BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR FARMING
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 968, 18 Aug 81 p 3
/Text/
~ Bot? the Japanese Govern- electronic counterparts, could ,
axat and the ruling Liberal- determine the future of every
Demacratic Party have re- advanced nation.
ceotly started paying sharp According to the Ministry,
attention to devdoping Ja- the United States, spear-
pan's maiern . biotechnology heading the world's bio-
for agriculture in the belief that technical studies, has recently
- such studies wil~ be of immense been reported to be pursuing
importance to Japan from the intensive studies to apply bio-
standpoint of guaranteeing its technology to the botanical and
own food supplies over a long crop farming areas. Gne
period. example is a study to create a
The Ministry of Agriculture, new breed of rice to grow with-
Forestry and Fisheries and out fertilization even in deserts
the governmental party have by transfening a gene of some
disclosed they are seriously coo- aerial nitrogen self-fixing
sidering developing the agricul- plant of the pulse family (I~
tural phase of biotechnological guminous plants like beans,
research in Japan. They share peas, and lentils) into the gene
the current international of rice. (A similar "no-
opinion that modern biolo~cal fertilizer" crop plant study is in
- science and technology, in- pro~ess for years at Japan's
cluding genetic engineering, National Institute of Genetics
now in its most promising in Mishima, southwest of
facet, could revolutionize Tokyo.) The Americans, from
farming in the interest of their own standpoint of national
human survival. security in food supplies, are
There has been an obviously ~llecting all new eli~ble
strong prompting factor. It is species of crnp plants frnm
Japan's clear lag behind ~tin America and Asia to
America and some advanced create a sort of "botanical gene
West European nations in ~nk." Numerous American
developing biotechnology, and industrial interests, including
the need for Japan's combined b~8 international oil conglo-
_ national and private effort to merates, have joined such
catch up in this new age research along with plant
breeders.
wherein the new types of Japan's own basic stu~!?^s
science and engineering, along ~ve been in pro~ress for years
with space development and _
- � 25
r.nn nt~r.~~~ ~ ~ nw-r r~
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at the NL+nistry's Agricultural industry in Japan that would
Engineering Research Station eventually be capable of ex-
in Tsukuba, northeast of Tokyo. porting its knowledge and
Starting in Japan's next ~scal products as a new type of ex-
_ year 1982 (from April), the port industry.
Ministry plans to develop such The Farty also logically sees
studies for early applicability. the necessity of combining or at
The initial main theme will least coordinating both govern-
be "cell fusion" to develop a mental and private studies in
new kind of crop plant com- Japan to get the earliest
bining advantages of two or possible results. Private
more species of plant by fusing exertions of the kind are
their cells, a sort of gene already on going amoag
engineering. Looking for seeci~ Japan's food, fertiIizer.
or seed sprouts of some good, chemical, and farming equi~
fusable species of crop pl~nt, ment industries, as indicated
includiAg cold temperaturt by their recent creation of a
defying rice breeds or highly biotechnological joint associa-
proteinous soybean b~~eeds will tion named the "New Species
be among the prerequisites. Preservation and Development
The Ministry will name the Research Association." All
promotion of such studies as such studies will naturally be
one of the top priorities in its expensive, but they are con-
fiscal 1982 budgetary estimate. sidered worth a~eat amount
The Liberal-Democrats, for of investments, like Japan's
their part, plan to set up next past successful joint govern-
month a special research panel ment-industry program to
in their bid tv help build a new develop very large-scale in-
agricultural biotechnoloBical tegration (VLSI) types of semi-
conductor.
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
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26
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TWELVE DIFFERENT COi,ORS IDENTIFI'i:D BY UNIQUE SENSOR
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in Eaglish Vol 19 No 967, 11 Aug 81 p 13
/Text/
A tiny electronic color sen- cessor, which is behind them.
sor capable of identifying up The processing system tells the
to 12 different colors has colors of the target object by
been jointly developed by the judging , From the ratio of the
Nagoya Municipal Industrial three original colors to the
Research Institute and a r~ whole rolor composition sen-
search team of Nagoya Univer- S~,
- sity. The whole device could be ~
According to the non-pro~t miniaturized, further possibly
iiutitute of the industrial city of to only 3 millimeter square,
Nagoya, central Japan, the but the size of the substrate
color sensor it has developed has so far received little r~ ~
with the city's national search attentioa The filters
~ university engineering faculty purchased from the market
team, led by Prof. Minoru could be simply mass-produced
~ Ueda, is an &millimeter-square thra~gh photcetching.
silicon semiconductor substrate Signal processing system im-
topped by three photodiodes provements could make the sen-
and three color filters. sor just as color-sensitive as
The three pi~otodiodes are human eyes. All sorts of indus-
"integrated" or combined into trial application of the sensor
a set of circuitry, and each are envisioned, including
diode is covered with one of sorting of industrial products
,three color filters - red, blue, by color, checking of painting
and green (like the basic three results and quality differenta-
colors of color television). tion of fruits and vegetables,
The photodiodes, receiving store front point-of-sales slip
all colors through the color sorting by color and through
filters, transmit them to an conversion of colors into eleo-
electronic signal processing tronic sounds and helping the
_ system, ir.cluding a micropTo- blind or color blind do indus-
trial product sorting jobs.
CCtPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/309
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NIPFON OIL DEVELOPS FERMENTATION METHOD FOR MAKING FUEL ALCOHO~L
- Tokyo JAPAN ECONOI~C JOURNAL in Eaglish Vol 19 No 967, 11 Aug 81 p 13
/Text/ A continuo~s fuel .alcohol= yeast holder-booster, it is
producing fermentation possible to continue to obtain
process, featuring stabiliaation fuel alcohol ror any other fer-
- of yeast in a sponge-sryle mentation product without a
nestling agent, has been ex- b~'eak and with far less loss of
. perimentally developed by Ni~ yeast than the conventional
pon Oil Co. and its group. meth�d' Wwch means much
According to sources clase to less need for replenishing yeast
the to~level Japanese oil-refin- supplies.
The Nippon Oil group, includ-
ing company of Tokyo, the con- ing Nippdn Petrochemicals Co.,
ventional fermentation process is believed to have made the
of making such alcohol or other most. of the latter's highly-
fermentation products is the so- advanced high molecular
called batch system. It is not a- ~~i~ technology. In at-
very efficient round-after- tempting commercial dev~lop~
round method of putting raw m~t of the new method, Nip~
material and yeast in a fer- pon Oil has decided to seek the
mentation tub, taking out the ~ ration of K owa Hakko
resulting fermented product ~ Y
_ and reoeatina the process. Kogyo Co. of Tokyo, Japan's .
1~1uch yeast is lost in each top-rated fermentation food
round and must be replenished. and chemical maker, and a
Although details of ths new fellow member of the New Fuel
process are still secret, sources Development Technology Re-
believed a special synthetic search Association. The Nippon
_ resin has been developed and ~ Broup has developed the
reIIned into a spongy, elastic, new process as part of joint
_ chemical-resistant and yeast- studies by the association
active agent to hold the yeast in members. Kyowa Hakko
the tub to keep it stabilized Kogyo, although developing an
without mixing with the equivalent process of its own,
product, a trnuble inevitable has so highly evaluated the
with the conveational method. Nippon Oil group s achieve-
By using the innovational ment that it plans to cooperate
. in commercializing the new
process.
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihoa Keizai Shimbua, Inc.
CSO: 4120/309
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STRUCTURAL CHANGE OF PETROCHEMICAL INDUS~RY SUGGESTED
Tokyo JAPANI ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 967, 11 Aug 81 p 12
lEditorial/
jext/
Expcr~s at the Induslrial Structure Couo- There is no consensus about increasing the
cil's Chemical Industry Committee have availability in North America of ethane,
started attempts to lind both short- and long- which is extracted from natural gas. Even
term policies for the Japanese petrochemical so, it seems inevitable that external factors
industry to [ollow in iight of the changing en- will increase that cause Japan to curtail its
vironment, such as rising prices [or raw ethylene production.
materials, slowing demand and~ rising im- It is naturally considered that Japan
= ports. Tfie committee, led by Dr. Hiromi Ari- should ihvest its capital in counUies with
sawa, has been urged to come up with proper jower-cost raw materials for importing inex-
prescriptions to demonstrate how Japanese pensive petrochemical raw materials. 11~e
industries and Government should cope with structure of Japan's industry at home should
Changing condilions at home and abroad in shitt to production ofc goods with higher
the 1980s. valu~added. The industry itself sees that this
- The deteriorated petrochemical industry's cannot be helped.
performance and gloomy outlook stem trom ~e urgent problem is to predi~t as ac-
the fact that domestic naphtha is more ex- curately as possible the [rictions that such a
pensive than the raw materials which U.S. new strategy will cause and to develop clear
and Canadian industries use. As a result, measures [or adjustment, as made neces-
U.S. and Canadian products, especially ethy- sary by the structural changes. A tinal report
lene derivatives, have i~vaded the markets submitted by the Ministry of International
Japanese ~NOducers had maintained at home Zyade & Industry and industry representa-
and overseas. 'ltie raw material cost gap is a tives to the ISC's Chemical Ind~try Com-
deep-rooted problem that also retlects the
cost di[ferences in crude oil refining and dif- mittee clearly shows what Japan s(hould do to
ferent strategies chemical companies can Wrestle in the 198os, including raw material
take in Japan and North America. problems.
The basic problem is the ethylene price: The points that deserve special attention
Y 175 a kilogram in Japan, Y 110 in the U.S. are first the necessity to have the petro-
and Y 75 in Canada. If the lhree countries are chemical indastry maintain its managerial
allowed to continue to compete freely, capability - a prerequisite tor the envisaged
_ etliylene derivatives from the~ U.S. and industrial adjustment. For that, the rnaphtha
- Canada will capture Japanese shares of the price sh~rwld be set at lhe international level.
m~rkets in third counlries and inerease their Seconcily, the taxes imposed on domestic
shares in Japan. Thal will cat~se Japan to naphtha will have to be reduced from a
reduce produclion of ethylene, caustic soda strategical viewpoint o.� the 9;~austry's need
and chlorine, for example. lo shiil to products with higher value-added.
29
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Finally, the industry is urged to diversify the
petrochemical raw materials by utilizing
residual oil and synthelic gas. That will allow .
the industry to obtain raw materials which
can compete with [eedstocks available over-
seas.
It is clear enough that both the petra
chemical and oil refining industries will have
to find ways tor peaceftil coexistence and
m~rt,ual prosperity. It is particulazly im-
portant to find measwes which will help oil
~rompanies, especially thase with no connec-
tion to ioreign Crms, and petrochemical
companiss rnpe with their strucl~al reces-
sion and sUuctural improvement.
CO~PYRIGRT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/309
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
f,
~
PRODIICTION REVOLtI'~ION UNDIItWAY IN FACTORIES OF SMALLER ENTERPRISES
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 967, 11 Aug 81 p 11
/Article by Ratsuhiko Hirano/
1;~ext/ ~
A veritable production suppliers on their own, offer- ran up to ~ 1,950 million in
revolution is now rapidly going ing, at highly competitive fiscal 1980, although its payrolls
on among small and medium prices, a wide variety of have remained at around 80 for
size corporations. Such cor- products on comparatively the recent several years.
porations are now actively in- limited production scale. ~~ma Seiki Seisakusho K.K.
stalling in their plants indus- Maximum use of of Wakayama Prefecture, a
trial robots, machining centers mecha-tronics is a major sur- manufacturer of : knitting �
cMCs), numerically-controlled vival strategy of small and machines, on the other hand, '
t NC) lathes and other com- medium size corporations in has installed 30 NC machine
pound machine tools, usually the new decade of the 1980s.. tools including 10 MCs. By this
referred to as "mecha-tronics," This brush ~re trend for un- move, the company hopes to
a Japanese English. word com- manned factories is bound to catch up and overtake the pace-
- bining mechanics and elec- spread to every corner of S~ting West Ge,rman firm in
tronics. The word primarily Japan in a very short while, ~e field of fully-automated
_ covers the industrial field working a dramatic change in (~tting machines. Shima Seiki
= which merges machinery tech- the nation's industrial struc- ~isakusho now~ controls soine
. nologies with those of elec- t~e, 70 per ceat of the domestic
tronics. The word has a slightly Niito Seikei K.K. of Ibaraki market for automated knitting
different shade in meaning to prefecture, a maker of cassette machines.
electromechar?ics used in
Western countries. (See "Japa- cases for VTRs, for example, ~ough a minuscule com-
nese language today" column has greatly improved its labor pany having only 25 employees,
on this page.~ productivity recently by suc� Kobe Seisakusho K.K. of
cessfully combining micra Tokyo, a znaker of hydroelec-
'Blue-collar shurtage~' computer-controlled plastic ex- tric parts, is now engrossed in �
Small and medium size cor- truding machines with indus- ~~mechatronizing" its plant
porations are even more posi- trial robots. The company has with use of four NC machine
tive than their big business introduced some 50 plastic ex- tools and three indastrial
counterparts in creating un- truding machines each pric a robots. The company plans to
manned production facilities in ~'~~d million, equippe make a completely unmanned
their hope of coping with the each one of them.with an indus- p~ant out of the present produc-
~ ~erious blue~collar shoctages trial robot and is now operating tion facilities in the nest 3
and bolstering their competi- them virtually around the years.
clock. Thanks to this bold ~;njima Seisakusho of Sanjo
tiveness. By so doing, many ~
want to outgrow the stage of move, the company s sales City~; .`i;~ata Prefecture, a
being mere subcontractors and have been growing at an annual secondary sub-contractor of
~ turn themselves into primary rate of nearly 100 per cent and auto-making Honda Motor Co.,
- 31
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has purchased six welding machines, but they believe that easier for small and medium
robots each priced at around they have simply to do so in siae corporations to take full
~ l0 million and has more or order to survive the fierce com- ad~�antage of inecha-tronic
less automated the welding petition expected for the rest of equipment. By using this com- �
processes for automobile seat the 1980s. pany's services, small arid
frames. 'Itie company says that Demands for mecha-tronic medium size firms can install
by this step, its labor produc- equipment naturally have been in their own plants expensive
tivity has quadrupled and that increasing sharply, thanks to industrial robots, each priced ~
the quality of its products has fevered enthusiasm being about of ~ 10 million, for a
become greatly stabilized and Shovvn by small and medium monthly payment of some
improved. size corporations. Prod~tion of ~ 100,000. Any small and
Competitiveness such leading mecha-tronic medium size corporation can
equipment as NC lathes. MCs afford to pay such an amount if
Use of inecha-tronics by and industrial robots has been it reduces its payroll by a
- small and medium size rnr- gcowing at an average annual single worker. This fact is cer-
porations is rapidly spreading ~o~ rate of some 50 per tainly one reason industrial
in a wide range of industrial cent. Some 60 per cent of all the robots aze now so popular
fields, notably machinery, elec- demands for NC machine tools among small and medium size
tro-electric machinery and ~d industrial robots come corporations.
automobiles. from small and medium size Accordin6 to a survey by the
According to a survey by the corporations. Small Enterprise Finance
Small Enterprise Agency, more ~ Corp., investments for labor-
than 45 per cent of small and Robot-leasing venture saving and eEficiency-im-
medium size plants throughout ~e primary reason small proving equipments have come
Japan ltotaling some 700,000) and medium size corporations, to account for 27.9 per cent of
are suf~ering from perennial With limited financial 5~~~ and medium size cor-
shortages of labor. This per- resources, have been enabled porations' equipment invest-
centage is far higher than the to buy expensive ment pcogi~ams for the current
20 per cent of big uusin~, mecha-tronic equipment is fiscal year. '11~is percentage
This fact is the primary reason that the cost performance of outstrips that for equipment-re-
small and medium size cor- such machinery has improved P~acement investment for the
porations are now so en- drastically in the recent first time in history. The same
thusiastic about mecha-tronics. survey also reveals that small
Small and medium size cor- several years. The perform- ~d medium size corporations'
porations also hope to cut down ance of a weiding robot or a ~~pment investments in, the
on their production costs, im- l~~ting robot, for example, ~~t ~ of the c~arent fiscal
prove the quality of their ~mpares favorably with even . ear record an 11.7 r cent in-
the best o[ skilled workers and y ~
products and increase their its price tag is just about 2 ~rease over. the preceding
competitiveness by taking full years' pay of a skilled worker. semi-annual period thinks to
advantage of inecha-tronic Establishment in April, 1980 the stesdy recovery of the
machinery and equipment. of a robot~leasing venture. Ja- economy. The "mecha-tronics
It is not easy for small and fever" is bound to get added
medium size corporations to Pan Robot Leasing Co., a joint momentum from all these
buy expensive mecha-tronic ~enture of 34 firms, including ~g~.es.
robot makers, also made it
C(7PYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihoa Reizai Shimbun, Iac.
CSO: 4120/309
32
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CABLE, WIRE MAKERS ARE INVESTING HEc~�VILY IN OPTICAL FIBER EQUIPMENT
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOrIIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 967, 11 Aug 81 p 9
/Text/
Japanese cable and wire are swiftly pursuing the "Big preceding year. Furukawa and
companies are heavily in- 3." Oki Electric Wire Co. and Fujikura are estimated to
vesting in building optical 6ber p~~n Cable Co. are going to double such sales to ~ 2.4
- production facilities. They are move into the promising billion and ~2 billion, respec-
racing to seek larger shares market. ti~�ely, this year.
while the fiber optic system Sumitomo has just completed The present leading position
industry is still young. a fiber-optic communication of the Big 3 owes largely to the
Sumitomo Electric Ind~u- system with 7,800 kilometers of joint R&D project with NTT.
tries, Ltd., Furukawa Electric optical fibers for shipment to However, as NTT is moving in
Co. and Fujikura Cable Works, ,~gentina by teaming up with the direction of "opening its
Lid. are now running ahead of vippon Electric Co. ~NEC), a doors" to all companies, dis-
others on the strength of tech- leading communications equip- carding its conventional policy
niques that they have ac- ment maker. This will be of favoring ":~TT family" com-
cumulated through a joint re- Japan's first full-scale fiber panies, because of mounting
search and development optic communication system criticisms both within and
project with the governmental export. without Japan, chances are
Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Furukawa will shortly install strong that the followers will
Public Corp. tNTT). NTT will a new line and boost its mon- catch up with the three fore-
be by far the largest customer thl o tical fiber runners.
, of optical fibers. Y P production
'It~e three leaders alread capacity to 4,000 kilometers, Cable and ~vire companies
Y are very enthusiastic about
have started operation of new the largest in Japan. Fujikura
plans to build a new mass- production of optical fibers
production lines capable of production line at its Sakura w'hich will constitute the core of
producing 2,000 kilometers of Works in Cfiiba Pref. the fiber optic industry. The
optical fibers a month. bIinistry of International Trade
Industrymen expect that. & Industry estimates that the
Hitachi Cable, Ltd., Showa Sumitomo's sales of ~ber optic
Electric Wire & Cable Co. and related products in the current fiber optic industry will become
Dainichi-Nippon Cables, Ltd. 1981 term will rise to ~ 5 billion a~ 100 billion-a-year business
from ~ 3 billion in the in 198~.
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO~ 4120/309
. 33
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?
SCIENCE AND T~'CHI~TOLOGY
SHIPBUILDERS MOVING TOWARD 'REVITALIZATION'
- Tokyo JAPAN ECON0~4IC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 967, 11 Aug 81 p 7
/Text / Seven top Japanese shipbuild- ployment will be cleared away .
ers and three middle raters, by the end o[ this August when
which account for almost all the a 320,OOadeadweight-ton tank-
industry's bottom construction. er, the tast ship respresnting
have recently started a new such expediencies, is com-
long-range business redevelop~ pleted.
ment drive. The ind~try has This tiscal year could
already pulled out of its past be a"new Year of revival" for
pcotracted b~iness recession. the industty in the light of the
According to observers, the ten companies' new highly
industry will completely wipe CO~~itive research prnjects .
out all vestiges of its 1974-78 for energy-saving ~ merchant-
ordeal, a serious demand S�me new iniwvations
decline foUowing the 19'73 inter- minimize water resistance to
national oil crisis, before the Propulsion aad maximize
end of fisca11981. ~~1~tion of engine exhausts
for on-board electric powec
Both international and generation. The industry will
domestic jobs have rebounded develop new business tines
briskly since early 1979, In- byr making the most of their oi! ~
dicating that the industry has rig and undersea exploration
apparently regained its 1974 module building technology.
level of business, when it still ~e Shipbuilders' Association
had been prosperous with quite of Japan will also pcovide over-
a large backlog of orders. Dur- ~operation by creating
_ ing fiscal 1980, the industry ~arious study committees to
booked 9.29 million gross tons ~pgrade the industry's produc-
of new orders. tion efficiency, including '
'I7~e ind~stry's past practice robotization of production lines,
of accepting all jobs, even at a and to create higher value-
loss, in order to prevent ~em- added kinds of vessels.
Order Backlogs at Najor Shipbuiiders at the End ot ~Iarch, 1981 ~
( In blllion yee: yr�fayr chanqe in perenMes~s ~n per cenf)
Shlpbuiltl~r Value CWT
Mitsubisni Hesvy Induttri~s ]97.5 (+60.!) 1.SSO,OOp (+77.81 ~
IShikawa~ima�HAfima Hedvy Intlu3t~iey 791.6 (+]!.S) Z.970.000 (+~0.2)
Hifacht5hipbuiltlinqbEnpineerinq............ 220.1 (+Y6.Z) Y,OS0.000(+ 1.7)
Mifsui EnO~n~eriny 65hipbufldfnp 217.81+ S.OI 1.~0,000 t.~)
Kawasakt Heavy Indusfrles 406.t (+1~.1) 2.090.000 (+~9.6)
NiPpon Kokan K.K 157.5 7.91 1,J70,000 0.7)
Sumifomo Hesvy lndustriq 10.7.0I+B7.3) 7]0,000 (+64.4)
fotal . i,SIS.9 (+90.61 1~,390,000 l+41.1)
Sas~bo Heavy Industries P.1 f+~7.9) 6l0.000 (+11.~)
NamursShipbu~idln9 71.~(+17.1) 970.000(-4.5)
SanoYasu OockYard . at.~ (+14.d) q0.000 ( 0)
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc. ,
CSO: 4120/309
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY . ~
HITACHI, GE REACH OVERALL ACCORD ON ROBOT PRODUCTION, SALES
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 967, 11 Aug 81 p 7
1Text%
General Electric Co. of the an original equipment manu- He said the U.S. company hopes
_ U.S. announced early last week facturer basis until its own to receive 50afi00 robots from
that the company had signed a robot production goes on Hitachi over the next three to
comprehensive business tie-up stream. four years for sale in the U.S.
with Hitachi, Ltd. on the mano- GE indicated intention to under its own brand
facture and sales of industrial branch out into the robot field A high-ranking Hitachi offi-
robots, according to Tatsuo in the spring of this year. Since cial said that the tie-up was
Morikawa, Nihon Keizai then, the company had been signed in Tokyo oa July 20. It
correspondent in New York. negotiating with Hitachi on the concerned three models (for .
Moriicawa quoted GE of~- production-marketing link. painting and welding) now
cials as saying that behind the 'The GE-Hitachi tie is the first being produced and sold by Hi-
tie-up arrangement was the un- case of Japanese robot ex- tachi in Japan and does n~t
expecte*~?y rapid expansion of pertise being introduced involve develo d a or rton~ce
global robot mazlcets. Tt~e swift abroad on a full-fledged basis. being PQ
Simultaneousl with GE's developed in the future, he
change in the robot sector was y said.
said to have led GE to seek Hi- announcemenk Hitachi I'e- ~e official said that GE was
tachi's expertise and products. vealed in Tokyo that the com-
n would increase robot out to build up its robot division
The agreement, effective Pa Y and could be expected to
over the next seven years, ca1Ls production at its Narashino ~come a strong rival of Hitachi
for Hitachi to provide GE with factory, Chiba Prefecture to 60 in the future.
its technology and know-how on to 10o units a month from the ~ f~. ~tachi, he declared
production of high efficiency p~'esent 30 to 50. that the company would con-
industrial robots. . A Hitachi spokesman ex- tinue to exert utmost efforts to
The U.S. company also will plained that production would develop new products in-
receive Hitachi-built robots on ~ be boosted for conforming with ~~~rating its most advanced
the new arranaement with GE. t~~ologies.
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/309
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MITI WILL EASE STAND ON E1~OR~TS TO YAMBURG PROJECT
Tokyo JAPAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL in English Vol 19 No 967, 11 Aug 81 p 3 �
LText%
The Ministry of International because, aiter the Ottawa Russians wish to secure about
Trade & Industry has decided sc:mmit, the U.S. has permitted ~ billion worth l~600 billion)
on taking a flexible stand an American maker to export of e ui ment from Ja nese
toward the issue of Japanese fieavy machinery to it and the q p ~
trade~ and makers su 1 in traders and makers.
PP Y B West German (;overnment alsw
materials and machinery for has declde.ti io permit actemion Komatsu's present negotia-
the Soviet Union's Yamburg of government credits to it. tions with the Russians on ~
natural gas-pipeline project. The Yamburg project erN selling pipe-laying equipment
In line with this policy, bIITI visages taying down a gas appears to come under the
is said to be intending to apply pipeline running a total of scope of the S3 billion
the export insurance system to about 4 400 kilometers frorn the framework. The Russians are
sale of pipe-layers by Komatsu, Yamburg aatural gas field in ~eBarded to be intending to
Ltd. in the event the latter suc- Western Siberia to the Czecho- order about 400 pipe-layers,
cessfully concludes its present slovakian border. valued at slightly over 5100
negotiations with the Russians. It will b~ used tor trans- million.
Up to now, the Ministry had portan~ ~0- bsll~oo cutxc meters As for the U.S. Commerce
been taking a negative stance of gas yearly t7oo,00o barrels Department's sanctions
toward the Yamburg project as daily tn terms af oili w West recently of Caterpillar Tractor ~
a part of Japan's economic European nationa, such as Wes~ Co.'s export of heavy
- sanctions against the Soviet Germany, France and Italy, machinery to the USSR, it also
Union. over a perlod of 2o years. involved pip~layers.
However, MITI has come For reatizing the project, the The West German Govern-
azound now to allowing a~ ~~518~ hope to buy abcwt t15 ment's credit to the Soviet
plication of the export in- billion woeth of large aiametsr Union also was for the Yam-
surance system in what would steel pipes, coa:zpressora, burg pipeline projec~ The
be tantamount to easing sao- tractors ~n~ pipr-layers fr:~ Russians will get credit
ctiorLS against the Soviet Union the Western nationa. Of this amounting to about 5 billion
amounto it is b~lie~~ed that ihe DM. Originatly, a credit of 10 ~
billion DM had been planned. ,
COPYRIGHT: 1981, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.
CSO: 4120/309 E~
~ 36 ~
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