Icom radio Factory Tour 2010 by VA7OJ

-•-• --•- - •• • • • • - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• Icom Factory Tour Wakayama, Japan – November 5, 2010 Adam Farson VA7OJ03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 1 2010

APDXC and Icom -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•! Attendees at the Asia-Pacific DX Convention (APDXC 2010), held in Osaka, were invited to tour the Icom manufacturing plant in Wakayama, about 100 km SW of Osaka. The tour took place on Friday, November 5, 2010.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 2 2010

Icom and APDXC 2010 -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•! Icom are the official sponsor of APDXC. Mr. Tokuzo Inoue, JA3FA, Founder and Chairman of Icom Inc., was the patron of APDXC 2010. In exalted company: Shigeru Ueda JO3BAV, the author, Mr. Inoue and Johnny Siu VR7XMC03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 3 2010

A few facts -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•! Icom is a rare example of an electronics manufacturer that has not shifted production to lower cost countries, but kept its production base 100% in Japan. All Icom radios are built in Japan.! Main product lines are: land-mobile, amateur, marine (VHF & HF radios, radar), aeronautical (VHF) and wireless LAN.! The Wakayama Icom plant has an advanced production system to produce small volume/multi-model radio-communication products.! 330 highly-trained production employees turn out 130,000 units/month in a highly- automated manufacturing facility.! The factory has eight automated production lines. A line can be switched from one product to another in as little as 5 to 12 minutes.! Icom’s R&D organization employs 270 engineers.! We were given free access to the assembly line area and allowed to take all the photographs we wanted. 03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 4 2010

The Icom production facilities -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• We visited the Kinokawa factory.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 5 2010

Product showcase -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•! Small product showcase in factory lobby. 03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 6 2010

Introductory talk -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•! The factory manager gave a short introductory presentation on Icom’s manufacturing capability and philosophy. The interpreter is to his left.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 7 2010

Automated componenthandling - • - • - - • - - •• • • • • - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•! All components, from grain-of-sand-sized SMT diodes to small integrated circuits, are delivered on Mylar tape spool cartridges.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 8 2010

Typical main radio board -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• Once populated, the board will be separated from its surround and mounted on a chassis by robot machines.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 9 2010

Overall view of production floor - • - • - - • - - •• • • • • - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• ! The technician is loading a tape cartridge into a board-stuffing machine.The steam-jets in the ceilingmaintain the correct humiditylevel for ESD suppression.The automated PCB stuffingmachines pick parts off thetape, then place the parts onthe circuit board which haspreviously been wiped withsolder paste. 03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 10 2010

Automated component handlingsystems -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•! Component tape reels are being loaded for Line 2.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 11 2010

A view of Lines 1 and 2 -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•On left: Inspection machine,then a row of SMT board-stuffing machines 03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 12 2010

Rack of completed boards -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• The boards produced by the PCB-stuffing machines are loaded into racks that are delivered by robot carts to the correct position on the assembly lines.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 13 2010

Real-time status displays -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• Line status display. Johnny VR2XMC at the line status board. The displays show start & run times, error counts, product model, line manager ID etc.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 14 2010

Board-stuffing machine in action -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 15 2010

Control computer for board line -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• Panic button!03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 16 2010

X-ray board inspection machine – scans for soldering/assembly defects in multi- layer PCB’s. -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•The machine is totallyenclosed in a leadencabinet. 03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 17 2010

Mounted PCB inspectionmachine- • - • - - • - - •• • • • • - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• Inside detail showing board in test03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 18 2010

Detail of anti-ESD steam jets -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 19 2010

Automated HT assembly -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• HT PCB prior to insertion in auto- assembly machine. Surrounds will be cut off. HT PCB fed into the machine for radio assembly.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 20 2010

“Come ride with us, Robbie.” -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 21 2010

Anti-ESD vacuum cleanerand completed PCBs awaiting their chassis -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 22 2010

Final assembly area -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 23 2010

Final test/inspection area -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 24 2010

IC-718 front panelsawaiting mounting on radios -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 25 2010

Chassis assembly robots:loading and operating -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 26 2010

A busy corner of the finalassembly/test area -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 27 2010

Final alignment of HTchassis - • - • - - • - - •• • • • • - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 28 2010

Final alignment bench -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 29 2010

IC-9100 chassispartially assembled -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 30 2010

IC-9100 chassis, rear view -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 31 2010

IC-9100 chassis, front view -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 32 2010

IC-9100 chassis:sub-assemblies added -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 33 2010

IC-9100 front-panel mouldings -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 34 2010

Chassis fan installation -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 35 2010

An RF test position -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 36 2010

Packaging area: individual radios arepacked in their cartons -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 37 2010

“Ship it, guys!” -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 38 2010

The package conveyor -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• Xcvr Battery case03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 39 2010

Carton-sealing robot: sealed cartonsare loaded onto a mobile robot, which takes themto the stockroom -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -• Swiss NEMA (1948)03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 40 2010

The stockroom(warehouse area) -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 41 2010

Related activities -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•! At the end of the tour, we were taken to Icom’s corporate HQ in downtown Osaka for a meeting with engineers and managers in the Amateur Products Division.! We were shown an exhibition of Icom products in the lobby, and then taken to a conference room where we viewed a presentation on Icom’s new RS-BA1 remote-control software suite. We also had an opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with Icom engineering staff.! Our day concluded with a superb welcoming party and buffet at International House, Osaka-Uehonmachi, hosted by Mr. Inoue.! The following Sunday, Johnny Siu VR2XMC and I attended an IC-9100 Dealer Preview at Icom’s Nipponbashi office in central Osaka.03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 42 2010

Icom HQ, Osaka -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 43 2010

Lobby exhibit of Icomproducts -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 44 2010

Part of Icom “mini-museum”also in HQ lobby -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 45 2010

In the conference room -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 46 2010

RS-BA1 slide showing remote controlvia Internet -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 47 2010

Johnny Siu VR2XMC operatingthe IC-9100 at the Osaka Dealer Preview -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 48 2010

“It’s my turn!” -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 49 2010

RS-1BA Remote Control Suitedemo at the Osaka Dealer Preview -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 50 2010

Thanks for watching!Future presentation: “Japan” -•-• --•- - •• • ••• - • - - • •• - • ••• • -•03-Feb-2011 NSARC - ICOM Factory Tour, November 51 2010

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Icom radio Factory Tour 2010 by VA7OJ

by David Hamradio on Feb 11, 2011

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Icom radio Factory Tour 2010 by VA7OJ — Presentation Transcript