Industrial Engineering

Technology Overview

Industrial engineering (IE) enables us to improve productivity (and generate profits) by optimizing the production process from the perspective of 4M1I (Man, Machine, Material, Method, Information).

IE uses scientific methods (IE methods) to analyze processes, work methods, and work times in detail, quantifying value and waste, clarifying problems, and finding better ways to do things. There are two aspects: method engineering (ME) and work measurement (WM).
Method engineering involves investigating and analyzing how work is done and determining the best way (the most efficient way with the least amount of effort). It is applied to improving waste in manufacturing methods, such as designing work methods for new products, improving existing work methods, changing layouts, and starting up new factories.
Work measurement sets standard times for standard work and uses them to improve waste in work execution and movement rates. By reflecting standard times in production plans, personnel plans, and cost management, production numbers can be increased, and costs can be reduced, leading to increased profits.
The basic steps of improvement through IE are "selection of target, current situation analysis, consideration of improvement proposals, and implementation of improvement." After implementing improvements, the effects are verified, and if the target is not achieved, the current situation analysis step is repeated.
The main IE methods include selecting a target (PQ analysis), measuring task time (time study), looking at the time ratio of tasks (operation analysis), understanding the work status of people and machines (joint task analysis), understanding the process flow (process analysis), understanding waste in transportation (transportation analysis), and understanding the balance and waste of line work (line balance analysis). We select the appropriate method depending on the characteristics and issues of the process and conduct our investigation and analysis.

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IE Overview and methods
Scene of production

Nikon employs production methods suited to each product and process, such as high-volume products like cameras, custom-made products with low production volumes, and exposure equipment. We apply IE to the production methods of each product to improve productivity. For products with high production volumes like interchangeable lenses, we strive to optimize the product's QCD by designing the layout with consideration for the flow of people and goods, and optimizing the line balance with consideration for the workload of each task.
IE methods are applied not only to the production processes and operations in the manufacturing department but also to indirect work outside the manufacturing department.

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