Nga Awa Purua, the world’s largest geothermal power station, uses power generation equipment provided by Fuji Electric (New Zealand)

Power generation equipment manufactured in Kawasaki Factory (steam turbine)

During “From-To Activities,” two employees are paired off with one serving as “teacher” and the other as “student,” and then the former attempts to teach his or her skills to the latter one-on-one. It’s the responsibility of these “teachers” (senior employees) to teach their skills to their “students” (junior employees). 。

“The types and levels of skills required for each product differ, such as cutting, welding, and assembly. First, we made a list of all of these and then sat down and thought about who should teach whom. Supervisors then designed training programs based on workplace conditions and the skill level of each person. There’s also another benefit to doing this, as senior employees end up deepening their knowledge when they have to teach a junior employee something, leading to growth for senior and junior employees alike.”

Training results are summarized together with direct manager comments in monthly reports, and each workplace provides an overall report on progress and results at the start of the following fiscal year. Now, everyone is aware of skill levels in workplaces. They also hold a Skills Competition each half-term. All of these efforts have created a workplace culture of friendly competition where coworkers compete with one another to show off their skills.

Manufacturing a steam turbine

Blade installation works like this. First, a blade is inserted into a groove on the rotor. A bonding material called a “piece” is brought into contact with the blade and rotor to be fixed, and then it is crushed by striking it with hammer and chisel. Finally, the worker strongly strikes the base of the blade to set it firmly in place, so that the blade does not loosen even during high speed rotation.

There are around 100 blades around the entire rotor, and installing a single blade can take 20 or more hammer swings. The area of the chisel being struck has a diameter of only several centimeters and the hammer weighs over two kilograms. Missing the target can cause serious injury and could also damage the product. The work requires utmost concentration.

Once a worker reaches the last 20 blades, he or she needs to then begin thinking about final finishing as he or she continues hammering. Although the number of blades is calculated in the design to just fit, the amount of strength used when hammering varies by person. The blades themselves even expand and shrink due to heat and humidity. Workers therefore need to keep the finished form in mind as they finely adjust their hammering. “If it’s a bit of a tight fit when hammering that last blade, you know you’ve got it right,” explains Mr. Iwata.

It is impossible to tell the quality of the work just by looking at the product. The final finish of the work is influenced by the worker’s feel. This is why it is so hard to transfer skills from one employee to another.

“I try my best to explain things in words or in writing, but there are still some things you just can’t explain that way. We also tried automating processes using machines, but we ended up giving up on that due to how hard it is to finely adjust your power and angle when hammering. The only way to teach someone else is to work in pairs and get on the same page together in terms of the “feel” of work,” explains Mr. Iwata.

Getting ready for a powerful swing of the hammer at the chisel, with a hammer in his dominant hand and a chisel in the other

Akinori Iwata (L) and Ryosuke Akama (R) from the Manufacturing Division, Thermal Power Manufacturing Section

Shota Sugimura (in his ninth year at Fuji Electric) and Tokuya Nishioka (in his fourth year) are responsible for lathing a wide range of parts, from thermal/geothermal steam turbines and generators, to parts related to hydroelectric and nuclear power generation. Although much of this work is automated using numerically controlled machines called NC lathes, both men use old-fashioned general-purpose lathes in addition to the newer NC lathes.

When lathing a workpiece using a general-purpose lathe, a lathe turning tool called a “bite” is pressed against a rotating part. The lathing condition is finely adjusted by manually operating a handle. These machines are used to lathe a wide range of parts, from bolts and nuts only several tens of millimeters small, to core parts at large as 500 millimeters. Workers carefully set up (prepare) each job—from selecting tools to determining cutting conditions—and make use of their own experience, knowledge, and skill in finishing parts.

Steam turbines are constantly exposed to extremely hot (roughly 600°) steam when generating thermal power. Some turbines have been in use for more than 40 years, and there has been increasing demand for after-sales service and other repair work as power generation equipment provided by Fuji Electric ages. This necessarily means that Mr. Sugimura and Mr. Nishioka, who operate general-purpose lathes, often get called on for emergency support work.

「“Although most parts can be lathed using an NC lathe, there are still some situations calling for a general-purpose lathe. Maintenance is one example. Parts that have worn over long-term use can be welded back into shape. However, it can be more efficient and accurate for an experienced worker to follow the instructions in diagrams and use a general-purpose lathe—which can turn on a dime—instead of using a large NC lathe to finish the welded portion.”

NC lathes are used for the majority of lathe work in Kawasaki Factory. However, Mr. Sugimura is adamant that the analog nature of general-purpose lathes condenses all the basics for this kind of work.

“We handle over 100 parts a year. The type of bite and the speed at which you turn the handle differs depending on a wide range of factors including the size, shape, and material. If the bites you have on hand can’t be used to lathe according to your conditions, you have to make your own. Although general-purpose lathes don’t necessarily require a “master’s touch,” using one to accurately lathe a part requires you to know the basics of cutting. You can also use the experience and knowledge you’ve gained using general-purpose lathes when setting lathing conditions on an NC lathe.”

When asked about how he provides instruction, Mr. Sugimura explains, “I don’t get too detailed.” However, Mr. Nishioka adds that Mr. Sugimura is sure to explain the importance of “setup” as one step in the work process.

A general-purpose lathe where parts are lathed by operating a handle

An NC lathe that automatically lathes parts using numerical control

Learning how to operate a general-purpose lathe from a senior employee