Mayekawa Manufacturing Holds Internal Welding Competition to Enhance Skill Transfer and Quality

Mayekawa Manufacturing, a producer of industrial refrigeration machines with over a 40% global market share, as well as various industrial machinery, plant design, and construction services, held its 36th internal 'Welding Competition' at its Moriya Factory on May 18-19 to enhance skill transfer and product quality.

The competition featured the first-ever level-mixed 'team battle.' In addition to visual and non-destructive inspections by five internal judges, the company introduced a proprietary image-recognition AI system for skill assessment, presenting a new form of technical succession that fuses traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology.

Competition Categories Three categories were conducted to evaluate individual skill and team cooperation: - T-1F: Manual welding of 3mm steel plates in a flat position. - SC-2P: Root pass TIG welding + semi-automatic welding on 8.6mm thickness 100A pipes using a positioner. - T-2P/6G Fixed: TIG welding on 6.0mm thickness 100A pipes fixed at a 45-degree angle, where the welder moves around the pipe.

Key Features and Implementation To balance production and skill development, the competition was managed practically, with participants competing alongside their regular duties. - 'ALICE' Assessment System: Applies latest generative AI technology to provide instant judgment of welding appearance and concrete improvement advice. - Lottery-based Cross-departmental Team Battles: Encourages voluntary participation and fosters communication. - Asset-building: Aggregates field know-how into 'manuals' as future educational assets. - Mutual Peer Evaluation: Participants observe and vote on others' work to foster a culture of mutual learning.

About Mayekawa's Welding Technology Welding is essential for producing industrial refrigeration machines that withstand cryogenic environments and high-pressure gas loads. In 2024, the company held an internal 'Global Welding Competition,' inviting technicians from overseas factories to promote technical standardization.

Future Outlook The company will continue to advance technical standardization across global sites, passing on the world-class 'Maekawa Quality' to the next generation. Final results are scheduled to be announced on Friday, July 10.