Reason for joining and past responsibilities at THK

I was enrolled at a Japanese university, and it was while I was researching bearings that I encountered ball screws and LM Guides and discovered THK. When searching for a job, I had the opportunity to listen to a presentation about THK. I was drawn to this company because of the potential of its products and because it seemed like an environment where I could challenge myself by developing new products. I decided to apply, and I was ultimately hired.
After joining THK, I was assigned to the Test and Research Unit, where I mainly tested and evaluated newly developed ball screws. I was later moved to the Engineering and Development Department, where I’m currently in charge of developing ball screws. I work hard every day to make the customer's wishes into reality, from customizing existing ball screws to investigating the development of new products.

What kinds of products have you developed? What skills have you put to use?

I developed a new product that took a high-load ball screw used in injection molding machines and made it capable of operating at even higher speeds.
Injection molding machines are indispensable to the manufacture of plastic products. In addition to withstanding high loads, the ball screws used in these machines are also required to work at high speeds in order to improve productivity. To accomplish this, I had to select a different material and change the internal structure. When doing so, I was able to make use of the expertise I gained in the Test and Research Unit.
Because I tested and evaluated new products in that unit, I was able to physically handle products and compare them to those made by other companies. This allowed me to deepen my understanding of our products’ features and their structures. During that time, I developed the eye of an engineer. That skill became the primary driver of the ideas that were important during development. To come up with new ideas, it's not enough to just use your head. You have to actually handle products and think about how to improve what's already out there.
It is thanks to this experience that I was able to overcome the technological challenges of selecting a material and changing the internal structure, achieving a dramatic improvement in high-speed capability of over 20% when compared to existing products. I will never forget the sense of joy and accomplishment I felt when I visited a customer with our sales staff and heard their words of appreciation, or when I went to an exhibition and saw the product I developed actually being used on a machine.

From the work you’ve done until now, what was a moment when you felt a sense of accomplishment?

It was when I was able to turn the ball screw cooling unit into a product. With the high-load and high-speed requirements for injection molding machines, there has been a problem with ball screws being damaged or losing their ability to maintain high precision because of heat generation, so users had a pressing need for cooling units. With conventional cooling technology, the ball screw itself had to have special specifications for cooling, and the need for large peripheral equipment meant that the cost was high and that it was difficult to install on existing products. Making use of my past experience, I developed a cooling unit that can be retrofitted onto ball screws. I wasn't sure how to accomplish it at first, but I got inspiration from working on a project with members from other departments. The prototype was praised highly, and we were able to turn it into a product.
The evolution of THK's products is directly linked to the evolution of manufacturing technology around the world.
As an engineer, it was immensely rewarding and satisfying to be able to solve the real need for a ball screw cooling method with a product that I worked on and to make this technology a reality.

What are you looking forward to working on in the future?

I want to challenge myself by using the experience and expertise I've gained to develop new products with brand-new structures that will enable the next generation of technology.
With THK looking to expand its international development division in the future, I'd also like to serve as a bridge between both sides, sharing Japan’s development methods and successes with developers overseas and actively making use of those developers’ strengths in Japan's development activities.