The Journey Towards Industrial Machine Electrification

Meeting the Zero-Carbon Era: Our Journey to Electrify Industrial Machinery

Okamoto:As developers in the Electrification Division, we're spearheading the development of powertrains for electric-powered industrial machinery. With climate change at the forefront of global concerns, there's an increasing push toward carbon neutrality. As a company with deep roots in internal combustion engines, we recognize the crucial importance of adapting to global trends by providing cleaner power solutions, with electrification being a key initiative in this direction.

While clean energy encompasses various solutions including hydrogen and synthetic fuels, we're particularly focused on electrification. This technology is especially well-suited for compact industrial machinery, and it allows us to leverage Yanmar's extensive experience in developing applications across diverse sectors. This strategic alignment has made electrification a cornerstone of our technological development.

Our electrification journey began in earnest with the establishment of our Electrification Office in 2020. Since then, we've expanded our team and made significant strides in research and development, particularly over the past two years. We've now reached a crucial milestone where we're providing prototypes to customers for real-world testing and evaluation. Looking ahead, we're preparing for mass production rollout in coming years.

Dynamic Electrification Development Driven by Young Talent

Okamoto:Our Electrification Division brings together a unique blend of expertise, with core team members coming from various engine development departments. The team is further strengthened by specialists from Yanmar Central Research Laboratory who bring years of electrification research experience. Together, we're all expanding our knowledge of electric systems while collaborating on development projects.

What sets our team apart is its youthful energy - with an average age of around 30, we represent a fresh perspective in the industry. Unlike traditional corporate structures, our division empowers younger team members with significant decision-making authority, enabling us to move quickly and innovate rapidly. Another key advantage lies in our diverse skill set. Our team spans the entire development spectrum - from initial planning and design to control systems, testing, procurement, and after-sales service. This comprehensive expertise, distributed across both emerging talent and seasoned professionals, allows us to tackle challenges holistically and respond swiftly to any issues that arise.

Balancing Flexibility and Efficiency Through Customizable Standardized Control Systems

Kawano:We continuously develop solutions that help our customers reduce both development time and costs. Our unique approach to system control sets us apart: we strategically separate standardized elements from customer-specific customizations, allowing us to achieve both design efficiency and tailored functionality simultaneously.

This approach of standardization with built-in customization capabilities is specifically designed to keep pace with the rapidly evolving electric industry. In this sector, product lifecycles are accelerating - new products emerge quickly while older ones face rapid obsolescence. When components are discontinued, traditional approaches would require complete redesign.

Similarly, control systems designed exclusively for specific powertrain components become problematic when customers request alternative motors, often necessitating development from scratch.

Okamoto:To address these challenges, we've created a comprehensive component library that evaluates and catalogs available motors, inverters, and other market-ready components. This library enables us to quickly select and combine multiple components to meet varying customer requirements.

Our standardization approach with customization flexibility significantly reduces the time and resources typically spent on component evaluation and selection. Combined with other efficiency initiatives, we're targeting a 40% reduction in man-hours compared to traditional ground-up development.

The balance between standardization and customization is carefully considered. We standardize universal elements common across different machinery types - such as motor speed control systems. Meanwhile, we maintain flexibility for customer-specific or machine-specific functions through customization options.

From Engine to Electric: Leveraging Expertise to Deliver the Perfect "Feel"

Okamoto:One of our key strengths lies in minimizing design iterations during the initial requirements phase. In industrial machinery, the "feel" of the equipment - determined by torque response and rotational characteristics - is crucial. This operating feel varies significantly among different machinery manufacturers, and we carefully fine-tune each system to achieve optimal performance characteristics. The expertise we've developed in matching engines to specific applications translates directly to electric motors.

However, electric powertrains present unique characteristics that differ from traditional engines. For instance, motor performance curves can vary significantly based on factors like battery charge levels and operating temperatures. These nuances might not be immediately apparent to OEMs new to electrification, but our proactive approach in sharing this knowledge helps prevent costly revisions later in development.

Drawing on our years of experience in both conventional and electric powertrains, we can anticipate our customers' needs and proactively provide relevant information. This allows us to propose optimized specifications that align with customer requirements while accelerating the development process.

Partnering with OEMs: A Collaborative Development Journey

Kawano:Let me share a case study of our work with an OEM manufacturer taking their first steps into electrification.

The initial requirements alignment phase took considerable time, largely because our client was new to the electric market and hadn't yet crystallized their specifications. Given the customer's limited experience in electrification, we adopted a partnership approach, providing guidance and recommendations to help shape their requirements.

For instance, when the customer initially focused on maximizing catalog specifications, we helped them understand the various trade-offs involving battery size and costs. We presented two strategic options: Proposal A, which prioritized maximum catalog specifications, and Proposal B, which offered optimal balance between battery size, operating time, and performance.

Through continuous feedback and collaboration, we gradually refined the specifications until we reached a mutual agreement. This thorough planning phase, though time-intensive, proved invaluable - it helped us avoid major revisions during development and enabled smooth project execution.

Evolving Energy Management: Carrying Forward Our Founding Spirit

Okamoto:At the heart of our electrification strategy lies our ability to harness available electric components and adapt them precisely to our customers' needs. This approach aligns perfectly with Yanmar's founding principle of " Serving the Nation through Fuel Efficiency." This founding spirit remains equally relevant in the age of electrification. We're dedicated to developing industry-leading energy management technologies that maximize the potential of limited battery power.

While our current focus is on standardization to enable rapid market deployment, we're also looking ahead. As the market expands, we plan to enhance our system-wide management capabilities, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in energy efficiency. Our vision is to continue leading technological advancement in this field, developing solutions that not only meet today's needs but anticipate tomorrow's challenges.