Project Story.05 Project Story

The project to develop a lawnmower transmission assembly and test run line for TTC was first discussed around September 2020, and full-scale progress began around the beginning of 2021.
We received a direct message from TTC, our US subsidiary, that they needed a new line.
The background to this seems to be that demand for lawn mowers has been increasing year by year, and current production capacity is not enough to meet the demand.

The biggest challenge was automating the neutral adjustment process, which had long been done by hand by craftsmen.
Additionally, the line had to be stopped and the setup changed manually depending on the model being assembled, but there was a request to automate this as well.
This was expected to improve production efficiency and stabilize quality.

As expected, it was difficult to replace the fine-tuning work that had previously been done by hand with machines.
It took three months of trial and error to fully automate the process, which previously involved moving a lever on the product to check its rotation and then manually tightening the screws.

Although we had delivered about four similar lines in the past, more than 10 years had passed since the last project, and almost no one with the experience from back then remained.
Although we had previous drawings, we used them as a reference and adapted them to the customer's new requests, so we were practically starting the design from scratch.

During the project, there were times when it was difficult to procure parts due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were many times when we found ourselves unable to obtain the parts we had designed.
Each time we had to contact the entire Yanmar Group to find an alternative part or redesign the product, which was extremely difficult.

On a normal line, after the design is complete, the parts are gathered and assembled in order from largest to smallest, but this was not possible this time due to difficulties in procuring the parts.
Also, there were many times during assembly when I would realize, "Oh no, that's not right," and it was a constant process of trial and error.

Since the delivery destination was America, the line had to be divided and transported by ship, then reconnected at the destination. However, there were many parts, so it was difficult to assemble the conveyor accurately to ensure it was level and straight.
We also had an issue with the chains rusting during transportation, and during the test run, we had difficulty identifying where the problem was occurring, as the entire line, which is over 50 meters long, moves in tandem.

Controlling a massive line that is over 50m long is a truly enormous challenge.
A change in one place could affect the entire line, so we always had to know what was moving and where.
We stationed several people next to the line to monitor the work as it proceeded.

It was teamwork that enabled us to overcome so many of these difficulties.
This is because members of the design, procurement, and production teams came together, pooling their knowledge and experience, and working together to solve the problem.

Close communication with customers was also extremely important.
We held numerous conference calls from the early stages of development to thoroughly understand the purpose and details of the specification changes.

By proactively incorporating improvements made to the previous line and customer requests, we have been able to significantly improve customer satisfaction.
As a result, we have already received orders for the next line.

This project was extremely difficult, but by working together with other departments, I improved my communication skills and gained confidence that I can get my point across to overseas customers if I want to.

I felt more determined to see it through to the end.
I was really impressed when the line actually started moving.

As a designer, I was reminded of the importance of listening to the voices of those on the front lines and creating feasible designs.
I also believe that I have improved my communication skills, which allows me to express in words what cannot be expressed through drawings alone.