Find out why and how presidents of MOBIO exhibitors started "INNOVATION and CHALLENGE" through the special interview. The latest "Meet the President" article is
Mr. Kawabata of FINETECH INC.
- Metal heat treatment processing
In addition to the business of hardening press dies, the company took on the challenge of heat-treating aircraft parts, which had previously only been possible for large companies. FINETCH's high-precision processing and advanced process control are backed by its strong "Dream to the sky..." philosophy. Now, with its advanced heat treatment technology and high-performance facilities as SME, which is rare in the Kansai region, Japan, FINTECH has established its position as a company processing bright and shiny parts with less distortion.
The market for utilizing their high-precision techniques has further expanded, and the company continued to take on the challenge of entering new fields such as semiconductors.
●Accumulated expertise in optimal heat treatment of dies
Heat treatment is used to provide hardness and strength to metal parts. For dies, which must withstand hundreds of thousands of presses, a vacuum heat treatment process is applied to prevent surface changes due to oxidation as the hard material is heated to 1,000°C or higher.
Since its inception, FINETECH has focused on dies and has built a track record as a specialist in vacuum heat treatment processing. Kawabata proudly says, "Most dies are made to order. The expertise we have cultivated over the past 40 years to provide the best heat treatment for each die is our technological strength. You can't learn these things from a textbook. They can only be learned from onsite experience."
The company records these valuable achievements in procedure manuals and shares the techniques that each craftsman has devised in an effort to accumulate and pass on the expertise.
●Entering the aircraft field, which is said to be difficult. Heat-treatment processing takes to the skies!
Kawabata has taken over the business from his father and is eager to take on new challenges, making use of comany's past expertise. Aircraft parts are directly related to the safety of airplanes and, in turn, to human life, so the temperature and time of heat treatment must meet strict standards, as well as the precision and management of the equipment.
Kawabata said, "When I heard that there were no heat treatment facilities in this difficult field, I thought this would be a good opportunity for us." Then, using subsidies, the company installed state-of-the-art equipment, fulfilled various regulations, and received certification from two aircraft parts manufacturers.
Kawabata says, "The new equipment is not just for aircraft parts, but can also be used for the heat treatment we have been doing. In addition, the new equipment has led to the development of our business, as we are now receiving work that we did not have before, such as the heat treatment of semiconductor parts, which requires advanced technology."
Kawabata's attitude of preserving his base as a specialist in heat treatment processing while using his skills to pioneer new paths is filled with the wisdom to carry on and evolve the business.
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Interviewed on May 13, 2024