Research and Study on Automobile Development System and Development-Supporting Industries after the Blast of "Bubble " Economy in 1990s in Japan

1)日本汽车制造商和他们的欧美竞争对手一样，正迅速走向模块化。在这个研究项目中，我们走访了生产驾驶舱模块、前端模块和门模块等模块的供应商。我们分析了与汽车制造商合作开发模块的现状、降低成本的效果、运输合理化的效果、二线供应商的选择、与欧洲模块供应商的竞争现状等。2)过去一款新车型的开发周期为30个月。实际上，由于引入了三维cad /CAM和仿真技术等复杂的信息技术，汽车制造商已将其缩短到14或18个月。刀具制造商、车身焊接夹具制造商、原型制造商等开发配套行业的企业近年来实现了以下技术和管理创新：(1)通过三维cad /CAM实现信息统一；(2)采用高速数控机床加快加工速度，省去磨削工序，恢复全自动化夜间作业；(3)原型制作人员经常遗漏模型制作，导致模型制作人员消失；(4)在注塑模具制造商中，通过直接加工批量生产工具而遗漏原型工具；(5)通过派遣刀具制造商的客座工程师，实现客户和刀具制造商之间的信息共享。

1) Japanese automobile makers are heading rapidly toward modularization as well as their European and American competitors. During this research project, we have visited and interviewed module-suppliers which are producing Cockpit-module, Front-End-Module and Door-module etc. We have analyzed the present situation of development for modules in cooperation with car makers, cost reduction effects, transport rationalization effects, selection of second-tier suppliers, the present situation of competition with European module-suppliers and so on.2) Development lead time of a new model was thirty months period in the past. Actually automobile makers have reduced it to fourteen or eighteen months thanks to introduction of sophisticated information technology such as three-dimensional-CAD/CAM and simulation technology. Firms in development supporting industries, such as tool-makers, body welding jig makers, prototype makers and so on, have realized recently following technological and managerial innovations: (1) Unification of information through three-dimensional-CAD/CAM; (2) Speeding up of machining through high speed NC machines, omission of grinding process, instauration of fully automated operation through night; (3) Omission of model preparation which has often happened among prototype makers and disappearance of model makers as a consequence; (4) Omission of prototype tools through direct machining of mass production tools which is seen among tool makers for injection mould; (5) Sharing of information between customer and tool makers through dispatch of tool makers' guest engineers.