Monozukuri: Celebrate the Artistry in Manufacturing

Successful manufacturers make high-performing, efficient, and cost-effective products. Adopting a Monozukuri mentality may be the differentiator in cornering the manufacturing market.

In a highly competitive industry, successful manufacturers stand out, offering superior products and services that differentiate them from other players in the field. A commitment to high quality also builds customer loyalty and helps establish a company as an industry leader.

It may even help boost the bottom line. Savvy consumers do their research and are often willing to pay more for products from a trusted brand and products with unique features and unparalleled performance.

Consider this: Many people opt for a smartphone with a higher price tag versus saving a few dollars and getting a basic one. Why? Because the added functionality, convenient features, and overall performance are well worth it.

In industrial manufacturing, Japanese companies have set a high bar and are renowned for producing high-quality, cutting-edge products. One reason is that they recognize and internalize the importance of going the extra mile to gain a competitive advantage. In other words, they embrace the Monozukuri philosophy.

Japanese for the “art of making things,” Monozukuri encompasses the complex balance of technical skill, innovative spirit, and unwavering commitment needed to achieve excellence in manufacturing — the human element in an industrial world.

We embrace this philosophy, too, which is why all our machines are crafted with intention and incorporate value-added elements to give you a step ahead of competitors. Case in point: We hand scrape every critical mating surface in our machines, which is a unique process. And we’ll keep doing it because our commitment to quality is as reliable as our machines.

Why go to all that trouble? Because there’s no substitute when it comes to maintaining high levels of CNC machining accuracy and sustaining a long, stable, and productive life for your machine. And, as for the lifetime cost of ownership, highly productive machines yield the lowest cost per part.

Other reasons we hand scrape:

• Accuracy: Scraping is done to align components within millionths of an inch, allowing for consistently held, tight tolerances.
• Flatness: Eight to 10 evenly distributed contact points per square inch are typical for mounting surfaces to provide maximum force transfer.
• Oil Pockets: On box guideway machines, it is important to retain lubrication to minimize stick-slip. Hand scraping creates oil pockets, which hold oil on the surface and allow for smooth axis motion.
• Appearance: The finishing touch of scraping is aesthetic. Once accuracy, flatness, and oil pockets are handled, parts are “design scraped” to achieve an attractive textured finish.

It’s just one example, but hand scraping exemplifies the Monozukuri principles in action and underscores our investment in your success.

The craftsmen at Okuma are carefully trained and tap into their experienced, intuitive sense of how to fine-tune the unique characteristics of each individual machine. They are proud artists dedicated to their craft, consistently delivering expert precision and flawless execution. They are the difference between good and great, between sustainability and short-term solutions.

Perfect for all shops, it’s a great time to own an Okuma.