Roads #1, 2011 by UD Trucks Corporation

#01

The Global UD Trucks Customer Magazine

2011

TRUCKING AROUND

THE TIP OF AFRICA

Dealing with the Ultimate Earthquake

A Special Space for Engine Assembly

Heat and Heavy Hauling

f youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in Tokyo from December 3 to 11, be sure and visit us at the Tokyo Motor Show! Visit our booth, EC03, in the East Hall 1 of the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center in Ariake. For more information, please talk to your local UD Trucks dealerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and hope to see you there!

Feature story

Dealing with the ultimate earthquake disaster

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UD Trucks and its partners found themselves at the center of the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami on Japan’s northeast coast.

News

What’s happening Around the world of UD Trucks.

Message from the President

Globalization and UD Trucks

ver the past decades, “globalization” has become a word that is used very often, but one that carries many meanings. Some see it as something to strive for; some fear it; for others it simply is the way things are in today’s globally interconnected world. At UD Trucks, globalization means taking advantage of the best of two worlds: nurturing and developing the traditions and strengths of UD Trucks while also utilizing the knowledge, technology and resources of the Volvo Group. It’s a big challenge, both for the corporation, and for the people who work here. But it’s also our greatest opportunity for the future—again, both for the growth of the company, and for the development of our people. This goes to more than just language, of course. Here’s a good example: Japanese are pretty good at making things—the international success of Japanese brands proves this, I feel. But sometimes a focus on getting things almost too perfect in Japan has meant a loss of cost efficiency. What I want to work toward is a blending of the best of Japanese and European traditions. The Japanese focus on craftsmanship, engineering and high quality, while at the same time making use of the Volvo Group’s global manufacturing strength, product development methods, component technologies and excellent cost-performance. We want to be able to provide our customers with highquality, highly-reliable trucks, and to give them a reasonable price. We have a lot to give, and a lot to learn, with the ultimate goal of continuing to develop and improve so that our customers likewise have a continuously-improving competitive edge. “Evolutionary rather than revolutionary”—this has always been the UD Trucks way, and that’s one thing that will not change. We’ve just started down this road, and it’s a very exciting landscape ahead of us. Because, really, globalization means the road to UD Trucks’ success, the road to Volvo’s success, and, ultimately, the road to our customers’ success.

In Action

Trucking around the tip of Africa UD customer Ngululu Bulk Carriers is succeeding despite the harsh environment and changing demands of South Africa.

History

Chasing the UD Trucks DNA A look back over the many years of the company, and its long dedication to building the best vehicles possible.

Technology

A special space for engine assembly in Ageo In a factory-within-a-factory at UD Trucks’ main production center in Japan, tomorrow’s engines are built on a sophisticated, automated line.

First person

Heat and heavy hauling Mining coal in Indonesia puts huge demands on trucks; the people who use UD Trucks here daily tell their stories.

Tradition

The cutting edge of history A young Japanese craftsman carries on the demanding work of crafting one of the world’s most superb swords—the katana.

President, UD Trucks Corporation

Publisher Daisuke Takahashi daisuke.takahashi@ udtrucks.co.jp Tel: +81-48-726-7462 Editorial Production Next Inc. roads@nextinc.com www.nextinc.com Tel: +81-3-6436-4270 Editor-in-Chief Kjell Fornander Executive Editor William Ross Art Director Koichi Asano Production Manager Haruko Miyazaki

Case Study

Diminishing damage Okamura Logistics Corporation figured out how to reduce product damage during storage and shipment—by getting everyone involved.

Contributors this issue: Jette Kristiansen Fox

Satoru Takeuchi

Roads is published three times per year by UD Trucks Corporation www.udtrucks.com

Originally from Denmark, Jette Kristiansen Fox is a freelance writer based in Cape Town covering African affairs for a range of Scandinavian magazines.

Cover photograph Torbjörn Selander

Torbjörn Selander

Jim Hand-Cukierman

Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Torbjörn Selander is a photojournalist and contributor to publications in the region, Europe and the United States.

Canadian Jim HandCukierman is a Tokyo-based photographer and writer whose work appears in magazines around the world.

Dealing with the Ulti Earthquake Disaster Knocked down, but definitely not out: UD Trucks and one of its key partners in northeast Japan rebuild after one of the world’s worst natural disasters. Text: William Ross Photos: Koji Mukaida

The main building of UD Trucks’ Sendai Office (left) was largely unharmed by the earthquake, although the adjacent building and service area were more seriously damaged. The area was not reached by the tsunami waves.

#01 | 2011

t was, in a word, terrifying. “There were 19 of us in the second floor, getting buffeted by the water as it rose up to our chests,” says Iwao Kanno. “We saw a big tank float by, then a steel-frame building crashed into us. We still don’t know where it came from.” Mr. Kanno, president of Kanno Jidosha (“motors”) was there, very close to the waterfront, when the March 11, 2011 tsunami, generated by the largest earthquake in Japanese history, washed into—and almost totally destroyed—his hometown of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. Mr. Kanno and the 19 of his 23 employees at the time who held on together for dear life were extremely lucky; nearly 20,000 people were killed as the massive waves washed across much of the northeastern coast of Japan. But Mr. Kanno, who provides sales and service for UD Trucks, as well as for passenger cars and heavy machinery, is nothing if not a survivor. Af-

ter he and his employees struggled to keep from being washed away—and all of them survived— they fought the early-spring cold with nurses’ uniforms given them by the hospital across the road (“I put one on upside down!” Mr. Kanno laughs), then waited it out until help arrived by helicopter airlifts the next day. Even further inland, at the site of UD Trucks’ Sendai Office, General Manager Yasushi Sato says that the effect of the earthquake alone completely brought their business to a halt. “The electricity went out immediately after the earthquake,” he says. The quake, which measured a massive 9 at its epicenter, and more than 7 in the Sendai area, destroyed electrical generation, transmission and transforming equipment. “We had no idea what was happening with the tsunami until we got an electrical generator going and turned on a TV. I should have gotten a car radio going earlier,” he says with a shake of his head, “but there was just so much going on.” Luckily, the

Feature story

“People wanted their trucks serviced, but there was often seawater damage” Yasushi Sato 01. Iwao Kanno looks at the remains of his business—the source of the building to the left still unknown. 02. A ship washed nearly a kilometer away from the sea speaks to the size of the tsunami. 03. Yasushi Sato, General Manager of UD’s Sendai Office: “We’re very much focused on helping our customers get their work back to normal.” 04. Iwao Kanno with the mobile service truck provided by UD Trucks: “We can put it to work!”

mate

01 waves did not reach inland as far as the office. But the Sendai office did suffer the collapse of several walls in the service area, falling masonry, massive cracks in the building attached to the main office (which fortunately rode the quake out relatively unscathed), and a complete blackout. Quickly, though, Mr. Sato was able to get in touch with Keijiro Tanaka, president of UD Trucks Japan Corp. (the sales company covering the Japanese market, not to be confused with the parent, UD Trucks Corporation). “He told us that our first priority was for us to take care of our families and each other,” Mr. Sato says. “Later on, he basically told me, ‘Do what you need to do,’ and gave me the authority to spend the money we needed to make sure people were safe and to get our activities rolling again.” In fact, work at the Sendai office stopped until March 20. “Everybody was in the office— they didn’t have to be, but they were there!” Mr. Sato says. “So the next thing was to start

thinking about our customers. “We knew that they wouldn’t be able to use their trucks very quickly,” he continues. “But there were a lot of trucks that had been abandoned, or were damaged, so first we got a tow truck set up to help with that work. We knew that people would want repairs, even if not right away, so we decided to bring them to the office here, although we knew it would be really tight.” In fact, he says, they brought back more than 60 trucks for service, even though they knew repairs couldn’t be done right away. “Once we did get service going, there were cases where, for safety’s sake, we had to have serious talks with the owners,” Mr. Sato says. “People wanted their trucks serviced, but even if the engine could start up, there was often seawater damage to the electrical systems, the brakes, and so on. And all this was happening while we were trying to rebuild our own building! So it was really tough.” In Kesennuma, Mr. Kanno was in an even more difficult situation. “Many of our customers are seafood processors or other marine companies,” he says, “and they lost everything. There was no service work, and we knew they wouldn’t be buying new vehicles for a long time, if ever.” Standing in front of his destroyed business, with the first floor completely gone and seawater trickling by (the entire area sank, he says, making

it unusable for the future), he shakes his head and gives a wry smile. “We lost all our records, our computers, mobile phones, financial records, invoices—everything.” Even so, he got his first request for service from a customer about 10 days after the disaster. “There’s not much we could do for them, since we didn’t have a workshop,” he says. “So we referred them to another service center—I guess our main work is in referring customers to service centers.” But Mr. Kanno is focused on the future, now beginning work on prefab buildings which will house a service center until a permanent one can be built—but this time much further from the ocean. “I want to get back to selling and servicing all our vehicles, including UD Trucks, as soon as we can.” He received some help in this from Mr. Sato, who dispatched a brightly-painted mobile service truck for Mr. Kanno’s company to use. “It’s a little big for the narrow streets around my house,” he laughs, “but we can put it to work!” In Sendai, too, Mr. Sato and his team are now hard at work helping their customers. “We actually have more work than we did before the earthquake—there’s lots of overtime,” he says. “When we have to, we call on other people in the group, but now we’re very much focused on helping our customers get their work back to normal, too.”

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UD TRUCKS NEWS Singapore

New UD Trucks retail business opens in Singapore

ingapore is now more directly connected to UD Trucks, thanks to the establishment of a new wholly-owned Volvo Group sales office in the city-state.

Indonesia

UD Trucks takes part in Mining Indonesia 2011

eld from September 21 to 24, 2011 in the capital city of Jakarta, the Mining Indonesia 2011 is the biggest such show in the southeast Asian nation, attracting some 12,000 visitors and nearly 600 companies. From the truck world were most major European manufactur-

South Africa

UD Trucks joins in for Johannesburg Motor Show

ctober 6 to 16 were the dates for the Johannesburg Motor Show, the largest exhibition of its kind in Africa and one of the top 20 in the world—and UD Trucks was there. “It’s also an interesting and unusual show in that truck makers from Japan, China, India, Europe and the US are all present,” says Toshi Odawara, Vehicle Sales & Marketing Manager. Several of UD Trucks’ top leaders, including Senior Vice President Claes Svedberg, were on hand for an October 6 press conference to kick off the show for UD Trucks. The layout of the exhibit was based on an actual dealership. “This is a new con-

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Over a period of just six months, the sales, service and parts business of two former distributors were brought in-house and set up in a new 50,000-square-foot center. Business is picking up in Singapore, despite the strong yen, with UD a very popular brand here, one of the top two Japanese makers (which in turn are very popular). The applications for trucks in Singapore focus on its role as an international trade hub. Trucks largely are used in logistics and general cargo transport, with a focus

on medium-duty, rather than heavy-duty, trucks.

ers, two Japanese makers and several from China. UD Trucks was there as well, hosting a special press conference along with importer United Tractor in the UD booth on the 21st to highlight the launch of the new CWB6B truck. “The UD Trucks CWB6B is the first product for Indonesia,” said Joachim Rosenberg, President and Director of UD Trucks Asia, “designed specifically for the Indonesia market, and one which has been in preparation for three years.” Also speaking to the select group of 32 journalists was Jacques Michel, the Manag-

ing Director of UD Trucks Indonesia, as well as top managers from the company. UD Trucks displayed two units of the CWB6B, as well as the GH13 engine. A lunch for some 100 of UD Truck’s Indonesian customers followed the event.

cept that we are using globally—in fact for only the second time,” Mr. Odawara says. “The idea of using a dealership concept is to show that at UD Trucks, we’re not only about the vehicle, but also provide a range of services. This is what visitors can clearly see when they enter our exhibition.” Several of the most popular truck models for Africa were on display. The new GH7 engine, developed specifically for mediumduty vehicles, was given center stage in the booth—a strong display of UD’s ability to provide greater power output but also increased fuel efficiency. An ESCOT transmission was also on display, giving visitors a first chance to see this highly innovative new development. UD Trucks, of course, is no stranger to South Africa, with a history spanning five decades. The company has built a proud track record of quality, passion, professionalism and ultimate dependability, said Johan Richards, CEO of UD Trucks Southern Africa.

“UD Trucks’ commitment commences at the start of negotiations and carries on throughout the lifespan of a truck, assisting customers to get the most value from their investment. By matching customer business insight with the global expertise inherent in the company, UD Trucks is continuously aiming to provide you with one complete solution.”

News

Merchandise

Online doors open for UD Trucks merchandise shop

t will be a lot easier to get your hands on the expanding array of UD Trucksbranded items, thanks to a new website— http://www. udtrucksmerchandise.com —to open in late October 2011. An easy-to-use interface—including full English-language contents— will make finding, ordering and receiving promotional items easy and enjoyable. All UD Trucks-related marketing companies, importers and distributors can order directly from the web shop (individual

customer sales will not be taken at the current time). The web shop also allows for smaller purchase volumes than previously, with shipment the next business day (if items are in stock). “The lineup of UD Trucks Merchandise is quickly expanding,” says Kan Kawai, Manager, Brand & Promotion Office. “We now have a scale model of the latest Condor, with more following next year.” The Brand & Promotion Office, in charge of UD Trucks Merchandise, is also calling on its partners

Dubai, UAE

UD Trucks opens strategic Regional Distribution Center for parts and services in Dubai

n a strategically important step forward, UD Trucks has teamed up with the Volvo Group Middle East (VGME) to expand its parts distribution and after-sales operations across the region. Under the agreement signed in the port city of Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, just southwest of Dubai, VGME, a subsidiary of Volvo Parts Corporation (the world’s leading providers of commercial transport solutions), will provide facilities for a Regional Parts Distribution Center, a Regional Competence Development Center and a Regional UD Trucks Middle East office, all located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone. UD Trucks’ new base will serve seven countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan and Lebanon. It is designed to provide the best product and service solutions to the markets, and to reinforce UD Trucks’ supply lines across the

http://www.udtrucksmerchandise.com The new easy access site for UD Trucks merchandise

worldwide to let them know about interesting and successful products in their local markets

which might also do well globally through the web shop.

Middle East. “Our strengthened presence in the Middle East will deliver measurable benefits to customers, including improved orderto-delivery lead times, improved parts availability and better back-order recovery,” says Claes Svedberg, Senior Vice President, UD The tape-cutting officially opening the new Dubai Regional Distribution Center Trucks. “All of this “We target 90 percent of parts availability translates into enhanced customer support. from the Regional Parts Distribution Center At UD Trucks, we believe that getting closer in order to shorten delivery lead time to our to the customer will allow us to be even partners from 1-2 months to 5-8 days,” says more professional, passionate and dependGen Yoshida, General Manager, Product able as a service provider.” Management for UD Trucks. “Moreover, The partnership allows UD Trucks to keep our partners will be able to enjoy commua regular stock of some 6,800 service parts nication as well as training facilities in the and an inventory valued at AED 8 million in local language, local time, local calendar, the Middle East, drastically reducing supply and local ways of working. This is part of lead time and delivering quick repairs for our strategy to reach out to our clients in a customers. The new Regional Competence manner that suits them best.” Development Center will also provide aftersales training for downstream stakeholders.

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Trucking Around the Tip of Africa It is one of the mythical places on Earth, where, if you are lucky, you might spot a giraffe or a kudu—the antelope that is a symbol of the area—nibbling on a tree against a blue, mountainous horizon. This is also where UD trucks are extremely popular, having gained a reputation as reliable workhorses that can handle the tough conditions. Text: Jette Kristiansen Fox Photos: Torbjörn Selander

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In Action

his is Limpopo in the northeastern corner of South Africa, an area that shares its borders with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It is not far from the two-million-hectare Kruger National Park, home of Africa’s Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos. In stark contrast to the beautiful landscape is the gritty reality of the provinces’ main economic sector, mining. Limpopo has no less than 136 operating mines, producing nine percent of the country’s total income from minerals. Apart from limited deposits of gold and diamonds and some larger coal deposits, the majority of mines focus on ferrochrome and platinum. This is the land of dusty dirt-tracks, heavy loads and an extremely harsh climate, with temperatures around the

freezing point at night, and peaks around 30°C in winter—in summer, it can reach an unforgiving 45°C. In the heart of this mining district lies the headquarters of Ngululu Bulk Carriers (NBC). Trucks with the company’s distinctive kudu logo are almost ubiquitous on roads in the province, ferrying ferrochrome between mines and smelting plants, as well as transporting their loads further afield to the port of Durban or neighboring countries. Fleet & Technical Director Flip Myburg supervises the company’s major fleet of 260 vehicles. NBC is also UD Trucks Southern Africa’s biggest customer in the extra-heavy market sector, with 142 UD Trucks Quons. Recently, the decreasing value of ferrochrome inspired NBC to broaden the company’s focus and add the transport

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“UD trucks have proved themselves reliable in these very harsh conditions” Flip Myburg

agricultural products such as corn to its business activities. Although seasonal, diversifying helps to stabilize an industry, which is otherwise dependent on the volatility of the stock market prices in Johannesburg, London and New York. NBC is run according to a market-leader strategy. The philosophy of maintaining high standards is reflected throughout all aspects of the company, from driver salaries and client satisfaction to the cleanliness of the trucks. “We never send the trucks out on the road dirty,” says Chief Operations Officer Louis Tolmay. “Of course, our priority is client satisfaction, but I also want our people to feel pride in working here and wearing the company logo,” Mr. Myburg says. “I want to motivate our guys.

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The way I see it, our drivers are also managers when they are out on the road, or dealing with clients when they load or unload. The driver is the face of our company.” The same high standards apply to the company’s choice of trucks. “We have had very good experience with our UD Trucks,” Mr. Myburg says. “We have been using them for eight years, and are currently on our fourth generation of UD trucks. They have proved themselves to be extremely reliable in these very harsh conditions. This means that they have saved us money on both maintenance as well as on downtime.” “We operate in a very harsh environment with very heavy loads in mountainous terrain under dusty conditions, which

Louis Tolmay

In Action

01 01. One of NBC’s UD Trucks rounds a bend in the vast, magnificent landscape of Limpopo. 02. The tough conditions of working in the region aren’t limited to summer heat that can rise to 45°C. 03. A technician from UD Trucks dealer Exa Motors performs some of his company’s regular maintenance of NBC trucks. 04. “We never send our trucks out dirty,” says Chief Operations Officer Louis Tolmay, as a truck gets a thorough cleaning.

03 could cost you if your service standards are not superior,” Mr. Tolmay adds. “In this climate, we have seen that UD trucks have the superior quality of any of the European trucks.” He also points out that some other truck brands in the South African market have been less reliable to work with, because the license to sell them has changed hands. Subsequently, spare parts and warranty issues have been problematic, whereas UD Trucks has proven themselves a very stable partner. Ngululu Bulk Carriers buy their trucks from UD Trucks Southern Africa with a trade-back guarantee when the trucks reach the limit of their warranty period, which is equal to the company replacement policy. As soon as their vehicles have

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In Action

01. Flip Myburg (left) with UD Trucks National Fleet Sales Manager Stefan Bronkhurst and one of the company’s fleet of 260 vehicles, including many UD Trucks. 02. Rhinos, one of Africa’s Big Five wild animals, at home in the area.

About the area: Limpopo is South Africa’s northernmost province. Mining, agriculture and tourism are the biggest contributors to the area’s economy. About Ngululu Bulk Carriers (NBC): Established in the early 1980s, NBC is a road-based logistics company. The company’s operations are based in Steelpoort, and are centered on the bulk carriage of mineral and agricultural products.

clocked 500,000 kilometers or reach the age of three years, they will be exchanged for new models. Mr. Myburg notes that the tailor-made maintenance agreement between UD Trucks and NBC is a huge benefit. Part of the agreement is the arrangement in which external, authorized maintenance technicians are responsible for all maintenance onsite. This gives NBC the flexibility to plan ahead in terms of maintenance, and thereby limit downtime. At the same time, NBC is guaranteed that all maintenance will be of the required standard. All of NBC’s UD Trucks are serviced every 25,000 kilometers, with a lube/health service in between. They clock an average of 16,000-18,000 kilometers per month. Marius Jacobs who is the manager of Exa Motors, the UD Trucks dealership responsible for this area, is part of this maintenance team. He is enthusiastic about the relationship. “I have worked on many brands as a diesel mechanic, but to me, the UD Truck is definitely the best and the easiest to maintain,” he says. “It is one of the best on the road today in terms of dependability.” His colleague Willem Slieker agrees. “What I enjoy about UD Trucks is that their vehicles are very rigid. They are the toughest on the road and can take the hammering.”

NAMIBIA

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Meet Flip Myburg To those in the business, one person in particular personifies Ngululu Bulk Carriers: Fleet and Technical Director Flip Myburg. People refer to “Flip’s trucks,” as if they were his babies. And Myburg is the kind of person who probably would in fact refer to his trucks and staff as family.

BOTSWANA

ZIMBABWE

Limpopo

MOZAMBIQUE

Johannesburg SWAZILAND

SOUTH AFRICA

LESOTHO

Cape Town

Myburg started working as an apprentice diesel fitter in 1975, qualified in 1978 and has since spent the last 25 years with the same company, working his way up from the shop floor. “Diesel runs in my veins,” he explains. But it is not only mechanics that motivates him. He thrives on the challenge of interacting with people from body shop to boardroom in the course of a day. “I like to work with people,” he says. “In my job, you have to be able to talk anyone, from drivers to managing directors in blue chip companies.” As in many close families, lighthearted banter is part of the dynamic. “I recently told my people that I thought we needed a bit of color in the company,” he says. “To tease me, some of the mechanics went straight out and sprayed part of one of the trade-in trucks pink,” he says with a laugh.

History LD1: The first truck Powered by the ND1 engine (see next page), the LD1 had a 3.5-ton payload. It was tested on a 3,500-kilometer run across rough rural roads.

1939

It may be the newest brand name in the Japanese truck manufacturing industry, but that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that UD Trucks hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been around for a very long time.

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“W

e published a history at the time we became UD Trucks Corporation,” says President Satoru Takeuchi. “The idea wasn’t to wallow in the past, or to get overly nostalgic. Instead, we felt that, if you look over the remarkable history of the company, you get a sense of its spirit, of the DNA that we feel still is very much part of not only our products, but the way we do business. That heritage, that DNA, has helped us take on the challenges that inevitably come along, such as the recent earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region. It’s not just our past, but our future, too.” The move to the UD Trucks name, in fact, draws on that long history. The company goes all the way back to 1935, and the founding of Nihon Diesel Industries, Ltd. Trucks weren’t part of the original offering; the company produced 2-cycle diesel engines under license from Krupp Junkers of Germany,

as well as automobiles and aircraft parts. By 1938, however, Nihon Diesel Industries produced its own 2-cycle diesel engine, the ND1. This in turn was used in the company’s first truck, the 3.5-ton payload LD1. The company continued to develop trucks through the war years, as well as bulldozers—a key product until production ceased in 1947. Things really took off after the war. Renamed Minsei Sangyo Co., Ltd. in 1946, changing to Minsei Diesel Industries, Ltd. in 1950, the company had released its first bus in 1947— complete with hand-shaped hoods and other sections unique to each vehicle—followed by Japan’s first rear-engine monocoque bus, known as the “Condor.” More hints of things to come…. It was in 1955 that the product that would come to be the symbol for the company was released: the UD engine. Today “UD” has the symbolic meaning of “Ultimate Dependability;” at that time, it stood for the more functional “uniflow scav-

1938

1947

1955

1958

ND1: The first diesel engine

First bus

UD engine

6TW truck

The company’s first self-developed

Buses have long been part of the

Built to meet the demand for more

The first truck in Japan with a

engine was a 2-cycle engine with

company lineup; the first model

engine power, this two-stroke

10-ton-plus payload, the 6TW was

opposed pistons, direct injection,

featured a hand-shaped hood and

engine was known as the Uni-flow

and no cylinder head or intake and

other parts.

scavenging Diesel engine—the

has since become one of the most

source of the UD name—because

famous trucks in the history of

of the one-way flow of air through

Japanese commercial vehicles.

exhaust valves.

the engine.

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History

enging diesel engine.” The technology is rather simple: inside the engine cylinder, fuel and air enter from the bottom and push exhaust gases from the last ignition out of a port at the top of the cylinder; the fuel then ignites, pushing down the cylinder and the cycle repeats. The airflow is in one direction, hence “uniflow,” while scavenging is the process of pushing out exhaust gases while pulling in fresh new fuel and air. The engine was one of the milestones for the company, as it was used in such important vehicles as the 10-ton 6TW truck released in 1958—one of the most important trucks in Japanese motor history—and both truck and engine were exported to the US and other markets. More importantly, the UD mark stuck as the company’s symbol. This was true even after 1960, when the company name was changed to Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd., following the car maker’s investment in the company. Following the 6TW were a series of trucks and engines, always getting bigger and more powerful. In the 1970s, the

1975

1990

company began to produce light-duty trucks for Nissan Motor; from the 1980s, the lineup included trucks of all categories as well as buses. In 1975, the first incarnation of the Condor arrived, UD Trucks’ first model for the medium-duty truck market. Things began to get more modern in the heavy-duty segment with the Big Thumb in 1990. Today the Condor comes in light-, medium- and heavy-duty versions, while the big end of the company lineup is represented by the Quon. It truly is Japan’s premium truck; when it was launched, it was already in compliance with new exhaust regulations in Japan—the strictest in the world at the time—a full year ahead of enforcement. Now with the UD mark not just a symbol mark but the actual name of the company, UD Trucks can both look back and draw on the vast experiences it has gained since 1935 in creating superior products, and in helping to put its customers and partners on the road to success.

1998

2004

Condor truck

Big Thumb truck

GE13 engine

Quon truck

UD’s successful first entry into the

The company’s move into the mod-

The straight-6 GE13 diesel engine

Japan’s premier heavy-duty truck

medium-duty truck market, the

ern heavy-duty market responded to

responded to the growing demand

meets today’s stringent exhaust

Condor remains a mainstay of the

trends through a concept of being

for environmentally friendly models

regulations as well as the fuel

UD Trucks lineup.

people- and socially-friendly.

by providing low emissions and high

economy demanded by customers.

mileage.

The UD mark Born with the launch of the UD engine,

Nissan Diesel with Volvo, the company

the name originally stood for “Uni-flow

name was officially changed to UD Trucks

scavenging Diesel engine,” later changed

in 2010, with the launch of the new version

to the company value of “Ultimate

of the UD logo market released soon after.

Dependability.” With the partnership of

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A special space for engine assembly in

Ageo I

t’s something of a factory within a factory: a neat, clean, quiet space within a bigger, noisier (but still clean, even if older) main building. The new engine assembly line at the Ageo factory, UD Trucks’ main production facility in Japan, is a highly automated production space set up as something of a separate space within the factory. The airtight, firewall-protected area takes up 5,162m2 of the factory; it produces the GH engine used in both the Quon and Condor, with a capacity of 40,000 engines annually. It also includes cylinder head and piston subassembly lines, along with an engine test area and paint booth. Engines at every stage in the assembly process move quietly around the perimeter of the room, as both human workers and robots set in well-labeled sections move in to attach the many different components that make up the

powerplants for UD Trucks. It is almost clinical: white, bright, clean, quiet. It also, says those involved in creating it, not only a major improvement in the engine-building technology of the factory, but also a blending of the best of Volvo Group technology and some of the traditional strengths of UD Trucks and Japan. “The new line was developed to be much more automated than what we had previously,” says Takamitsu Sakamaki, General Manager, Manufacturing Quality Assurance Department. “This is because it is based on Volvo’s most advanced system, one that has been deployed throughout the world—it’s fully 40-percent automated. However, there are a number of ways in which Japanese and UD Trucks influences have been felt. The global production lines are very efficient because they produce a single engine model. Here, though, we have

mixed production, and assemble both large and mid-size engines. So for us, the major direction in the plant was to create something that could make use of the Volvo system, but also handle the assembly of a variety of engines.” Parts picking, he says, is the major issue— more and different part, of course, are needed when you’re building more than one kind of engine. “What we did was add UD Trucks’ picking system know-how to Volvo’s global production system, to create a wholly new system,” Mr. Sakamaki says. “Another unique feature of the line is that engines under construction are carried by Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV), which can lift the engine up and down or rotate them automatically, which greatly reduces fatigue for the workers. We were able to improve the system so that production could continue even as the engines are being moved, so we can

Takamitsu Sakamaki

Takashi Hashimoto

Takahide Matsuyama

General Manger Manufacturing Quality Assurance Department

General Manager PT Operations

Manager PT Operations

“Combining a global system with UD Trucks know-how had its difficulties, but what we gained was such a major factor.”

To build the very finest diesel truck engines possible, you need a workplace that’s out of the ordinary. A new assembly area in UD Trucks’ main factory in Japan provides just such a space.

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“Creating a flexible production system meant inspecting what we were doing every day, and we want to continue to hear new ideas for the future.”

“Volvo’s environmental standards are at an very high level. There’s a lot for us to do to reach that stage!”

Technology

01. On the automated line, workers move into the final stages of assembly. 02. Robotic lifts move automatically along the production line, easing the work for employees and improving efficiency. 03. Poised for assembly: parts bins stand, filled and ready for the next engines on the line.

produce even more units during a given length of time.” To assemble advanced, high-quality engines, a super-clean production environment is essential. Here, too, UD Trucks drew on concepts proven globally, says General Manager Takashi Hashimoto. “Our approach has been a total overview of the work environment, including factors such as temperature, humidity, and noise,” he says. “For example, we control air pressure within the assembly area to make it more difficult for outside to enter when a window or door is opened. This also helps to keep out dust and dirt, and creates a more sanitary environment in which the engines are assembled. The tools used to attach bolts and other parts are no longer pneumatic, but are instead electric, which are much quieter. This has greatly improved the working environment and reduced fatigue. Electric tools also provide much higher accuracy.” That attention to cleanliness even extended to the earth below the site. “It wasn’t just the surface that we were concerned with, but we were looking for harmful materials deep down in the ground,” says manager Takahide Matsuyama. “The engines are built with consideration for the environment, so we felt that the production environment should be thoroughly clean as well. We were also concerned with energy conservation, so we use the heat generated by engine testing for space heating in winter, and are working on a number of ways to ensure that energy is not wasted.” “Our vision for quality as well as reduced environmental impact is something that is an

02 integral part of the factory,” Mr. Matsuyama says. “It’s something that perhaps our customers cannot directly see, but it’s part of the philosophy and hopefully part of the appeal of our next-generation engines.” But, while automation has been greatly increased, and robots work alongside humans to build the stream of GH engines, Masaji Mizumura adds that there is a Japanese approach to quality that hasn’t been forgotten. “We had always felt at UD Trucks that it was human hands that were the greatest guaran-

03 tee of reliability,” he says. “We were worried entrusting everything to robots could mean damage in areas such as within cylinders, where it would be hard to find. So we always have human eyes there at the important places in assembly. We took the increased automation efficiency provided by the Volvo Group, and added the human-based quality management of UD. The result was both higher efficiency and quality that we have ever had!”

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Heat and heavy hauling In a hot, humid setting in Indonesia, UD Trucks are put to the test not only because of the tough work involved in working a coal mine, but because of a climate where hard rains and slick conditions alternate with hot dry spells and choking dust. The trucks more than meet the challenge, say the men who use them every day on this demanding job.

The Customer PT. Kalimantan Lestari Raharja UD Trucks customer since 2008 Location: Balikpapan, East Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia Line of business: Medium-size hauling firm, serving an open-pit coal mine Trucks: Around 140 UD trucks UD Trucksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; challenge: As PT. Kalimantan Lestari Raharja continues to expand, UD Trucks must work closely with them to provide optimal support for a bigger fleet working in this tough environment.

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First person

Abdul Kastar, Plant Manager “We have around 35 UD trucks at this mine. We face various challenges throughout the year: sand during the dry season, mud during the rainy season. UD Trucks’ service is really helpful to me, especially when they provide advice when I face difficulties. And I can easily find spare parts even at local service centers, because UD Trucks is quite common here. I salute UD Trucks’ performance. Their trucks and their service help us handle any difficulties we face, something that has been demonstrated many times.”

Wahyuddin, Driver “I have been driving UD Trucks for four years. I work in hauling. The challenge in hauling here is that when it rains, the road becomes very slippery, and trucks often slide on the roads. But during the dry season, the dust is quite thick. I feel that my UD truck’s engine is not noisy, the transmission doesn’t give us trouble, and it has a wide cabin. This is very helpful during the rainy season. When it rains, I can rest comfortably inside the cabin, and even take a nap. In the other trucks I have used, we can only sit inside. I want to thank UD Trucks for helping me to do my job—which in turn is what allows me to support my family. Thank you!”

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Japanese craftsmanship and the word “quality” are inextricably linked. Yet for award-winning swordsmith Hitoshi Kawasaki, quality takes on a historic significance. Text & photos: Jim Hand-Cukierman

“I

only let my best work out into the world,” Mr. Kawasaki says. “A hundred years from now, I don’t want one or two sub-par swords to define me.” When he graduated from Tokyo’s Meiji University in 1991 with a degree in economics and politics, he could hardly have imagined that he would end up toiling in a modest workshop in rural Saitama Prefecture. But as he hammers the blade of what will become a katana, the Japanese sword, he’s clearly in his element. “During my student days,” Mr. Kawasaki, 43, recalls, “I studied iaido (a martial art involving swords). But it was when I went to the National Museum and saw an extraordinarily beautiful sword, a national treasure, that I thought, ‘Someday, I want to make a sword like this.’” Soon after joining the legions of corporate recruits, Kawasaki realized his destiny lay elsewhere. So he set about turning that museum epiphany into an occupation. “I started looking for a katanakaji (swordsmith) to learn from,” he says. “By chance, a friend in Nagano told me about a katana exhibition there. And that’s where I met my mentor, Kozaemon Yukihira Miyairi.” Rejected at first, it took several trips to Nagano and numerous letters to get his foot in the door as an uchideshi (live-in pupil). And then there were the terms: no salary, little time off,

and a host of domestic responsibilities including cleaning, doing laundry and helping out with Miyairi’s infant child. The other end of the bargain was the chance to observe a master swordsmith plying his trade. “A Japanese apprenticeship is not like school,” Mr. Kawasaki says; he also uses the artisan name Akihira. “Your mentor won’t spoonfeed you. He’ll expose his work completely, and it’s up to you to absorb the knowledge.” At night, Mr. Kawasaki would try to emulate Miyairi’s techniques by studying the scraps left in the workshop. It was in this way that he learned to craft fine katana of the sort once prized by lords and high-ranking warriors. “To cut well, you need hard material,” he explains, holding up a gleaming blade in the style of the Nanboku-cho period (1336-1392). “If you add soft material, it creates a more complex metal that’s less likely to break.” To achieve this fusion, hard and soft steel are repeatedly heated and folded together. A katanakaji must also consider style, balance, and the composition of the hamon, or ripple pattern, on the blade. And it’s not a one-man process; other artisans handle tasks like polishing. Japanese law stipulates that each smith can make only 24 katana a year, but for Mr. Kawasaki this is plenty. “To keep a high standard, I

“I only let my best work out into the world.” Hitoshi Kawasaki

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can only make 10 per year. I spend about two months making steel. Sometimes I sharpen for 20 consecutive hours.” That dedication does bear fruit: His creations sell for around ¥2.5 million (about US$32,000) and have garnered recognition from the government. Compared to other traditional trades, Mr. Kawasaki says there are still quite a few aspiring swordsmiths. Yet he warns that few have what it takes to carry on this centuries-old tradition. “You need the eyes to discern quality. And to develop them, a long apprenticeship is essential.” Only then, it seems, can a swordsmith begin to carve his place in history.

Tradition

01 01. Hitoshi Kawasaki pumps the bellows of his forge, ready for work on his next katana. 02. The work of crafting the Japanese sword involves both hammer and eye. 03. The result of techniques developed over the centuries, and the skill of the craftsman: a gleaming new katana blade. The simple setting for Mr. Kawasakiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative work.

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POINT

Diminishing Damage

D Trucks, as one of the best known and trusted names in the Japanese truck industry, has thousands of domestic customers representing all areas of business. One of its more interesting customers is not directly a customer, in fact: Okamura Logistics Corporation is the shipping arm of renowned office furniture manufacturer Okamura Corporation, but the company does not own any of its own trucks. It operates its own logistics centers, where it stores but also ships, delivers and installs Okamura furniture. The hundreds of trucking firms it employs naturally include many UD Trucks users; together, Okamura Logistics Corp. and UD Trucks create training programs of the drivers of these firms in a number of areas, with UD Trucks providing services such as safe driving and fuel economy courses, always working closely with Okamura’s goals for the programs. One of the most important programs recently carried out by Okamura Logistics Corp. has been a project to reduce product damage during transport. Knowing exactly where damage occurs is a difficult task, of course, but product damage can reduce customer confidence, and ruin the Okamura Group’s hard-won reputation for high product quality. The ultimate goal is zero complaints from customers; to move closer toward this goal, Okamura Logistics Corp. came up with four key points.

Everyone shares the target

-60% 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

The burden that damage places on the company was expressed in very clear, easy-to-understand numeric figures that everyone from driver up through the logistics and manufacturing operations could understand. People were able to clearly see what one incident could cost—not only in the repayment to the customer, but also in the extra transport, labor, packaging and all other costs. Starting in 2006, a project was established to reduce the losses due to accidents in shipping and transport work at the distribution center by half over a three-year period. Key to achieving this was involving the people who actually handle the product—to use their eyes to see not only their own actions, but also to make it clear that they were not receiving damaged product as well. This upstream action helped not only drivers and workers in the distribution center, but kept moving up within the company and even through the Okamura Group. In the end, the target was more than met, with a full 60-percent reduction in damage after three years.

Since Okamura Logistics Corp. does not have its own trucking arm, the communication with its suppliers is essential. Everyone throughout the production and supply chain was involved in creating the plan, including suggestions from the drivers. All the key issues were passed through everyone involved, which not only raised awareness, it made people, particularly the drivers, feel more part of the team. Too often in the past, they noted, reporting would just disappear up the chain; often, too, documents were too formal, where a memo or even just verbal reporting would make for better communications.

POINT

A comprehensive plan across the partnership must be created

Product planning Driver

Okamura Logistics Corporation Founded: June 1, 1989 Headquarters: Yokohama, Japan Business activities: Freight handling and transport, warehousing, storage of furniture and building materials, cargo handling and assembly, construction, interior design and construction Employees: 395

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Production

Warehouse/shipping

Driver

Management

To respond to the need for improved transportation, ongoing inspections are held at each work stage.

Driver

Awareness: reporting from work location Feedback of solution

Case Study

POINT

Everyone’s skills can improve

For new products, Okamura Logistics Corp. built on existing paper manuals and other documents outlining handling procedures with the creation of explanatory DVDs. These showed the proper ways of holding, manipulating and moving items, in simple visual actions. The DVDs succeeded because people often find it difficult to set aside time to read manuals, while the videos are very real, immediate and easy to understand. It was also found that the safe driving sections of the video also helped to further the company’s goals for eco-driving—so with one new development, product quality, driving safety, environmental action and customer satisfaction were all advanced.

The company realized soon on that even if heroic efforts were made by drivers, it would be very difficult to identify all the causes of product damage; in the same way, it is very difficult to build a perfect production and shipping program that always has perfect product waiting for the truckers. If a constant, careful production management system is in place, though, the transport firm can take charge of delivery with much greater peace of mind. And if a solid reporting system from the driver’s side is in place, then problems that exist when they take charge, or which occur during transport, can be clearly identified and addressed. Not only that, but the drivers feel closer to Okamura and its products, and are therefore more willing to take the advice and direction of the company when making their deliveries. And both they and the shipping staff within Okamura Logistics Corp. are more aware of their role in helping to build customer satisfaction.

POINT

Everyone shares in the improvement work

Taking action What was made clear is that office furniture is often shipped without a great deal of cardboard or other packaging. That means extra care must be taken at all times, or a scratch or cut can occur. Something as small as part of a handle can cause serious damage if it comes in contact with a painted surface, for example, with the vibrations of road delivery. And the product often must be very carefully secured, as a misplaced rope or belt could also shift and rub a delicate painted surface. In the case of office furniture, some items are wrapped in cardboard, but most are shipped in a “naked” condition. Because of this, if attention is lost for even a second, there is always the possibility of tiny cuts or scratches. The products are very delicate, so, for example, if a locker handle sticks out just a little and comes in contact with a flat surface, the vibrations during transport can easily result in damage. To avoid rubbing or deformation of the product surface, lashing belts or ropes cannot be used to directly fasten the product. Because of this, the person doing the loading of the product is very important, with the main point being cushioning between the products. One action taken—and directly in response to a driver suggestion—was to improve cushioning by eliminating traditional cotton blankets, which have the danger of introducing moisture and dirt to the product, for reusable (and recyclable), super-strong urethane foam. Okamura Logistics Corp. also holds Customer Satisfaction Strengthening Months twice annually. This not only gives drivers a chance to learn and practice new inspection, loading and transport techniques, it also gives Okamura Logistics Corp. a chance to assess the skills of the drivers, and to provide improvement. This means not only review in the formal setting of the seminars, but with distribution center employees traveling with the drivers to actual customer locations. So everyone wins: customers receiving their goods in better condition, so satisfaction is higher; the condition of the product throughout Okamura is better monitored and roles are clearly defined; and drivers have not only advanced tools but also understand transport’s critical role in ensuring customer satisfaction. And that, they say, is why they are more than ever committed to Okamura Logistics Corp.

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Every Part Counts When you use UD Genuine Parts you can expect quality, complete life cycle value and improved productivityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all guaranteed. UD Genuine Parts are designed to work in harmony with the rest of your truck. This is why we say, every part counts.

1-1, Ageo-shi, Saitama 362-8523, Japan www.udtrucks.com