2025.11.14
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New challenges create new value and transform the world's manufacturing sites
Hirozawa Masaki
CBN & PCD Cutting tools Development Sect., Drill, CBN & PCD Products Development Dept., Research & Development Div.
CBN & PCD Cutting tools Development Sect., Drill, CBN & PCD Products Development Dept., Research & Development Div.
Meeting the needs of manufacturing sites with technology
Cemented carbide tools used for cutting metal are indispensable for machining products in a wide range of industries, including automobiles, aircraft, and machine components. CBN tools are one subcategory of these tools. I am responsible for their development, as well as for providing support to facilitate sales.
Consisting mainly of cubic boron nitride—a diamond-like hard material—CBN tools are made by adding ceramic and metal components and sintering them under ultra-high temperatures and pressures. CBN’s crystalline structure*, similar to that of diamond, makes it extremely hard and heat-resistant. This makes it ideal for machining hard metals that are otherwise difficult to machine, as well as for high-precision finishing. These tools are therefore critical at manufacturing sites.
Tool performance connects directly to productivity and product quality. That's why I go beyond development. I make sure to visit customer sites with sales representatives to hear what problems the customers face, taking advantage of my perspective as a developer to tackle technical issues.
Meeting the needs of manufacturing sites with technology—that is at the heart of what I do.
*Crystalline structure: A structure in which atoms and molecules in a solid are regularly arranged in three-dimensional space.
Consisting mainly of cubic boron nitride—a diamond-like hard material—CBN tools are made by adding ceramic and metal components and sintering them under ultra-high temperatures and pressures. CBN’s crystalline structure*, similar to that of diamond, makes it extremely hard and heat-resistant. This makes it ideal for machining hard metals that are otherwise difficult to machine, as well as for high-precision finishing. These tools are therefore critical at manufacturing sites.
Tool performance connects directly to productivity and product quality. That's why I go beyond development. I make sure to visit customer sites with sales representatives to hear what problems the customers face, taking advantage of my perspective as a developer to tackle technical issues.
Meeting the needs of manufacturing sites with technology—that is at the heart of what I do.
*Crystalline structure: A structure in which atoms and molecules in a solid are regularly arranged in three-dimensional space.
CBN tools
Using the cutting edge to grind the subject metal
Unprecedented new challenges lead to breakthroughs
I realized this about two and a half years ago.
There was a customer who wanted to improve tool life and reduce the time their production lines were stopped. Proposals up until that point had not led to improvements, and while the customer had consulted with other companies, they saw no change in the situation they faced. It was at this time that a sales representative asked me if I thought I could find a breakthrough by working from my developer's point of view.
I thought that with other companies also offering high-quality products, theoretical proposals were not enough to convince the customer to choose us. With this in mind, I compared the current tool damage, the machining conditions, and information on machined parts with the wear and damage mechanisms of CBN tools, which I had obtained through numerous cutting tests, as well as the characteristics of coatings and shapes. Based on this information, I proposed a tool that combined materials, a coating, and a cutting edge shape different from those of conventional tools.
As a result, the product had a long tool life that greatly exceeded those of other companies. The customer decided to adopt it as a result. Delighted, the customer told us, “Reducing how often tools are replaced has improved our work efficiency and also reduced our tool costs.” In addition to contributing to our company's sales, I also helped with the customer's manufacturing, which gave me a great sense of accomplishment.
This experience made me realize the value of taking on new challenges. Flexible thinking and new challenges that go beyond existing frameworks can be the power to overcome issues facing manufacturing sites. This realization is consistent with Our Values on which we as a company place importance—Challenge and Change.
There was a customer who wanted to improve tool life and reduce the time their production lines were stopped. Proposals up until that point had not led to improvements, and while the customer had consulted with other companies, they saw no change in the situation they faced. It was at this time that a sales representative asked me if I thought I could find a breakthrough by working from my developer's point of view.
I thought that with other companies also offering high-quality products, theoretical proposals were not enough to convince the customer to choose us. With this in mind, I compared the current tool damage, the machining conditions, and information on machined parts with the wear and damage mechanisms of CBN tools, which I had obtained through numerous cutting tests, as well as the characteristics of coatings and shapes. Based on this information, I proposed a tool that combined materials, a coating, and a cutting edge shape different from those of conventional tools.
As a result, the product had a long tool life that greatly exceeded those of other companies. The customer decided to adopt it as a result. Delighted, the customer told us, “Reducing how often tools are replaced has improved our work efficiency and also reduced our tool costs.” In addition to contributing to our company's sales, I also helped with the customer's manufacturing, which gave me a great sense of accomplishment.
This experience made me realize the value of taking on new challenges. Flexible thinking and new challenges that go beyond existing frameworks can be the power to overcome issues facing manufacturing sites. This realization is consistent with Our Values on which we as a company place importance—Challenge and Change.
Believing that the advancement of tools comes from open dialogue and new challenges
I believe that my mission is to further improve the quality of CBN tools by achieving two goals—extending the lifespan of CBN tools and expanding the range of their application. While CBN tools are used to machine hard metals, they can become severely damaged. Many customers urgently wish to reduce the frequency with which they need to be replaced.
Visiting customer sites, I realized that recent years have seen a strong demand for improving machining efficiency. Therefore, in addition to a long tool life, a CBN tool with greater applicability to a wide range of cutting fields would mean significant improvements in production efficiency and less wasteful energy consumption. This would lead to more effective use of resources.
In other words, our technology helps make manufacturing sites more efficient and saves labor. It also contributes to the realization of a more sustainable society. That is why I will continue to take on the challenge of creating new value, expanding my horizons to other fields of technology without being bound by existing values or technologies.
Dialogue with colleagues at the workplace is what makes new challenges like this possible. Workplaces allow for interactions with colleagues offering different areas of expertise. New perspectives and ideas are born by bringing to the table the realizations learned at customer sites and the knowledge obtained through daily cutting tests.
I will continue to cherish this environment, as opinions can be freely exchanged regardless of one’s position or seniority. My belief is that tools that can help manufacturing sites around the world are created through open dialogue and experience gained through new challenges.
Visiting customer sites, I realized that recent years have seen a strong demand for improving machining efficiency. Therefore, in addition to a long tool life, a CBN tool with greater applicability to a wide range of cutting fields would mean significant improvements in production efficiency and less wasteful energy consumption. This would lead to more effective use of resources.
In other words, our technology helps make manufacturing sites more efficient and saves labor. It also contributes to the realization of a more sustainable society. That is why I will continue to take on the challenge of creating new value, expanding my horizons to other fields of technology without being bound by existing values or technologies.
Dialogue with colleagues at the workplace is what makes new challenges like this possible. Workplaces allow for interactions with colleagues offering different areas of expertise. New perspectives and ideas are born by bringing to the table the realizations learned at customer sites and the knowledge obtained through daily cutting tests.
I will continue to cherish this environment, as opinions can be freely exchanged regardless of one’s position or seniority. My belief is that tools that can help manufacturing sites around the world are created through open dialogue and experience gained through new challenges.
Hirozawa says, “It’s fun precisely because there’s no right answer.” Combining the knowledge he gained from cutting tests with his own experience, Hirozawa works to find optimal solutions. Questioning conventional wisdom and continuing to move forward without fear of challenges will transform manufacturing sites around the world.
