Challenge to energy conservation and zero carbon by the Energy Conservation Meister system

Topy Industries, Ltd.

Image screen of "Visual indication"

Outline

We appointed experts who had knowledge and experience in manufacturing with strong willingness to execute energy conservation activities as "Energy Conservation Meister". We gave them authority for energy conservation promotion and promoted energy conservation activities to work on the entire business site. For the achievement of promoting the model factory of this activity as our Kanagawa factory, we received the Energy Conservation Grand Prize Energy Conservation Center Chairman Award in 2017.
Based on these results, we shifted this activity to company-wide from FY2019. Through the Energy Conservation Meister activity called "Visual Indication", we were making efforts to visualize the energy consumption and operation status of management units such as production processes. We make unnecessarily consumed power appear and then thoroughly eliminate those losses. With the information obtained from energy “visual indication”, we build a highly efficient energy conservation production line by making it smart. Furthermore, overall optimization is performed by introducing AI to create a lean system.

Description

In the past, energy conservation activities were limited to those who were in charge of energy conservation. The results were limited. In order to turn this into a farther energy conservation activity for the entire business site, we introduced the Energy Conservation Meister system with the Kanagawa factory as the model factory for this activity. An Energy Conservation Meister is an expert who has knowledge and experience in manufacturing with a strong willingness to execute energy conservation activities.
In this system, an Energy Conservation Meister was given the authority to directly instruct staff members across departments regarding energy conservation promotion. A system to secure the necessary budget for improvement was established. In concrete activities, firstly, an Energy Conservation Meister took the initiative in “visualization of electric power” to make unnecessarily consumed power appear and to identify and improve issues to be addressed by departments and persons in charge. This led the energy conservation activities to all employees participated.
In addition, we developed "visualization" into "visual indication" to create an environment that allows real-time confirmation of energy usage and equipment operation status. As a result, contracted power can be reduced by lowering peak power and leveling power consumption. The concept of visual indication is "anytime, anyone, and easy". It automatically analyzes the data collected every second and realizes visual indication such as production volume, power consumption, and cycle time. It is now possible to reveal the energy losses. As a result, site operators can easily check information and respond to production according to the situation. Energy conservation activities have become more active, enabling energy conservation to be promoted systematically and sustainably throughout the manufacturing plant. This is a great achievement.
The quantitative result of these energy conservation activities is that the unit consumption of energy at the Kanagawa factory in FY2016 was reduced by about 17% compared to FY2012. Contracted power also reduced by 27.5%.

Based on the results of the Kanagawa factory's energy conservations, we launched the Energy Conservation Meister system company-wide in fiscal 2019 and shifted to an energy conservation promotion system in which all employees participate. Under this system, decision-making on energy conservation activities can be expedited. The budget, management, education required for the introduction of energy conservation technologies and equipment can be executed based on the judgment of Energy Conservation Meister. In addition, an energy conservation general manager is assigned at the head office. Each Meister shares company-wide information at the “Energy Conservation Meister Meeting” held in a timely manner, which horizontally develops successful cases to raise the level of the entire company. Further, an optimal production plan is drafted based on the production plan and the estimated electric power consumption. It is examined that the AI is used to appropriately control the electric energy.
The Energy Conservation Meister System is a revolutionary system that not only plays a leading role in energy conservation but also constantly examines energy conservation technologies in that era and spreads them. Achieving a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through innovations in this system called the Energy Conservation Meister System.

1st phase)
We continue to promote energy visual indication by deploying the Energy Conservation Meister system. Through thorough energy conservation activities with the participation of all employees, we aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Initiatives : Energy “visual indication” to company-wide deployment
Goal: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating energy loss.
Issues: “Visual indication" the energy use results of individual processes, which had been unclear until now, and use them for production planning and site decisions. We cut the peak of energy consumption and reduce energy losses in the entire factory

2nd phase)
Analyzes and evaluates the information obtained by “visual indication” energy and implements individual optimization for each line. Furthermore, by adopting new energy conservation technologies, we will improve and reform to highly efficient manufacturing processes and build energy-saving production lines.

Initiatives: We make factory FA and smart. The production line is individually optimized by introducing AI.
Goal: Significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by improving efficiency.
Issues: Development of AI to optimize production line

3rd phase)
By using AI such as deep learning based on the results obtained up to the second phase, we aim to minimize human judgment and create a lean system by thoroughly improving the efficiency of the entire factory and saving labor.

Initiatives: Achieve overall optimization at the factory or factory level.
Goal: Minimizing greenhouse gas emissions through global optimization
Issues: Development of AI to optimize the entire factory