A World of Precision
to 1/1000mm

“I like this sound. This sound of manufacturing brings back memories,” muses Katayama as she enters the factory, with a sense of nostalgia for where she grew up, a town that was home to many small factories. As she walks toward the source of the sound, she finds shiny metal cubes neatly arranged at precise intervals.
President Chikuma Mitsu explains, “We machine these metal cubes into parts for the ALLUX 2. Some of the components are machined to 1/100 – 1/1000mm precision. Prosthetic legs wearers can perceive even the slightest contact between the parts. That is why manufacturing prosthetics requires extremely high precision at every stage.” Explaining each step of the process, he describes the incredibly minute scale on which they work.

Eliminating
Human Error:
An Unending Challenge

Walking through the factory, two phrases repeatedly jump out at the visitor: “Quality” and “Timely Delivery.” Monthly goals and pledges are posted in the center of the first floor, reinforcing the importance. President Mitsu explains the factory’s uncompromising commitment to quality and delivery and the challenges they face. “Even though we are using the latest equipment, there are still many processes that require hands-on craftsmanship. We are human beings, so it is impossible to never ever make a mistake. But we pledge always to strive to reduce human error to zero.”

Watching the employees at work, one meticulously hands the part to another, and to make sure that no human error occurs, the part is checked with great care.
“I am impressed by their teamwork. There is a careful division of labor and they hand their work on to the next stage as if they were passing on a precious baton. As I also work in a team, I can strongly relate to it. Knowing that my prosthetic legs are made in such an excellent environment of trust makes me even more comfortable wearing them.” After seeing the actual process of making the prosthetic legs she wears and the sense of responsibility and teamwork of the workers involved, Katayama says she has even more positive feelings about her ALLUX 2 now.

During the assembly process, Katayama noticed the metallic clicking sounds and the marks made by felt pens. Tatsumi explains, “To tighten the bolts and screws, we use a torque wrench, which makes those clicks when a certain amount of force is applied. Only certified personnel are allowed to work on assembly, and there can’t be any difference among them in the amount of force applied. And when we pass on the assembly work within the team, we must never miss any steps, so we always use a pen to show which task was just completed.” His words showed his dedication to zero human error and his sense of responsibility to users.
Looking back at her conversation with Tatsumi, Katayama says, “Seeing the actual assembly process for myself and learning about its structure and mechanism, I not only understand the feeling of using ALLUX 2, but have a cognitive grasp of it as well. This experience has been really valuable for me to develop an ongoing and successful relationship with it.”