Features

• The product shown in the photo is a SUS handrail. It is polished to a mirror finish bright enough to reflect a person’s face.
• Although airbrushing and polishing are usually outsourced to partner companies, this piece was carefully polished in-house by skilled sheet metal workers.
• The pipes themselves are polished pipes, while the metal fittings attached to the handrail—such as the eye plates—are finished with 2B welded surfaces.
• The mirror finish is striking, and the welds are clean and precise.

This is the hardware used to secure the handrail.

Thorough precautions are taken to prevent damage during shipping.

This is the surface of a 2B stainless steel plate. We start polishing from here, beginning with a coarse grit and gradually moving through several stages to refine the finish.

It doesn’t become mirror-like instantly.
The polishing technique and determining how finely to refine the finish require experience and know-how.

This was polished from the board shown in the photo above. It was specially prepared for this article.

Buffing compounds and polishing tools.

Features

• This is a repost due to server migration.
• New creations will be posted on the website as they are completed.
• This time, the featured item is a storage box.
• Although it may seem like a simple box, welding introduces heat that causes shrinkage—sometimes significant shrinkage—regardless of whether the material is iron, stainless steel, aluminum, or another metal.
• This effect becomes even more pronounced when reinforcing ribs are added midway along the side panels.
• In addition, when thin sheets are used, the side panels tend to warp and develop waves.
• Producing a perfectly clean, dimensionally accurate box is therefore quite challenging.

Manufactured from SS400 with a plate thickness of 2.3 mm.
Requests for stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium materials are also accommodated.

Features

• This post is being re-shared due to server migration.
• The world includes a wide range of materials such as steel, non-metals, and plastics, with new materials emerging every day.
• Even so, most industrial products tend to be made from iron, stainless steel, or aluminum.
• In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the use of corrosion-resistant materials (resistant to rust, though not completely rust-proof). Advantages include the elimination of paint finishing, reduced maintenance costs due to improved rust resistance, and longer service life. The photo below shows an aluminum (A5052) guard and handrail.

• Aluminum shrinks and warps noticeably during welding due to heat, making it challenging to achieve precise dimensions.
• Even so, aluminum fabrication is one of the specialties here, allowing it to be shaped into the products required.
• Although aluminum is widely recognized for being lightweight—about one-third the mass of steel—requests sometimes come in simply because it is lighter.
• However, using aluminum does not always result in a finished product that weighs only one-third as much.
  Because aluminum is soft, material thickness often must be increased to reach strength levels comparable to steel.
• This frequently leads to the realization that the final product is not as light as expected.
• Aluminum is also not corrosion-proof; depending on the environment, improper use can quickly lead to white rust.
• Application, structural shape, and material characteristics are all evaluated together to provide the most suitable proposal.

Features

• Work from individual customers is also accepted.
• Simple sketches, manga-style drawings, or handwritten notes are completely fine, and the design can be shaped into its final form through discussion.
• This is the drawing received from the customer.

This is a steel support post (stancion). The material is SUS304.

I acid-washed it.

Dimension tolerances will be approximately JIS B 0405v (extremely coarse grade) unless otherwise specified. We will do our best to meet your requirements if you provide instructions.
This request came in alongside the above stanchions: rings… φ8mm, SUS304, 2 pieces with an inner diameter of 300mm and 4 pieces with an inner diameter of 350mm. The intended use is… unknown. (sweat)

Features

• In the Kansai region, where takoyaki grills are almost standard household items, okonomiyaki at home may be prepared in either the Hiroshima style or the classic Osaka style.
• With roots in Shimane Prefecture—an area influenced by neighboring Hiroshima—the Hiroshima-style method is followed: the batter is spread thinly first and the cabbage is placed on top.
• Growing up, this was the only method ever seen, and it was only after entering the workforce that this was identified as the Hiroshima style, creating a memorable cultural shock.
• The company is based in Nagata Ward, Kobe, an area well known for griddle-cooked foods and host to the annual “Teppan Konamon Festival” in autumn.
• Naturally, when thinking of griddles, spatulas—or “kote”—come to mind.
• Their shape and function seemed intriguing, so a small, hand-held spatula was created as an experimental piece.

Stainless steel, 2mm plate thickness, mirror finish (buffed)

Dimensions: Spatula section: 400mm wide, 270mm long; Handle length: 470mm.

Weight: Approximately 2.3 kg. Light enough to hold with one hand. Built for durability, it should also be suitable for cooking.

Features

• An order was received from the Aftermarket Parts Division to manufacture a pilot ladder reel (hereafter referred to as the ladder reel).
• The ladder reel is equipment required on merchant vessels such as container ships, coal carriers, and vehicle carriers.
• The term “pilot” in the device name refers to the harbor pilots stationed at each port.
• To use an aviation analogy, an aircraft receives landing clearance from the control tower and then approaches the runway from the designated direction. In a similar way, the harbor pilot fulfills this control-tower function.
• Rather than issuing instructions remotely, the pilot boards the vessel directly and provides maneuvering guidance to the captain during port entry and departure.
• The device stores the ladder used by the pilot to board and disembark at sea.
• In some ports, helicopters are used for boarding, and for disembarking, the pilot may transfer to a tugboat that approaches while the vessel is still moving.
• Although not confirmed firsthand, there are reports of occasional fatal accidents in which a pilot falls overboard by mistake.
• Because this equipment is directly tied to safety, strict regulations govern its construction and use.
• With the introduction aside, the next step is to proceed with fabricating each component: the reel that winds the ladder and the platform located behind it.

The left side is the air motor that drives the device; the right side is the metal fixture that secures the motor.

This is a Japanese-made air motor. While it can be powered by electricity or oil, air offers the best safety and ease of handling. Its drawbacks are efficiency and noise.

Combine the base and drum.

The filter and lubricator are essential when using an air motor.
The filter removes debris from the air and adds oil to it. Without this, the air motor will break easily.
The photo is upside down because this unit is designed for ceiling mounting, so the ceiling side was facing down during fabrication.

Features

• I built a device to verify the integrity of a certain electronic component.
• The electric motor was supplied by another party, and its detailed specifications were unknown, so I proceeded with the design and construction while uncertain if it would operate without issues.
• First is the stand that will mount the test device.

Since this test is conducted underwater, the frame is the only part made of steel; the rest is primarily aluminum and stainless steel.
A large oil-free bearing is inserted where the electrical component being tested rotates.

This is the lower section of the rotational test apparatus with the sprocket and chain assembled.

The upper part that transmits the rotation of the electric motor.

Assemble while adjusting the fit between each part to ensure smooth rotation.

After that, we installed the provided items at the customer’s site and performed operational verification.
Although some minor adjustments were needed, we were relieved to deliver it without issues.
Prototype moving equipment always makes us quite nervous during inspections.

Features

• Ships carry a wide variety of machinery, from large to small.
• Merchant ships primarily transport goods like grain and oil, not people like passenger ships, so most of the hull consists of cargo holds.
• Crew members also enter these cargo holds, so if a crew member collapses in a large cargo hold, they must be quickly hoisted up to the deck.
• The device used to hoist them up along with the stretcher is called a stretcher davit. It is also used for other miscellaneous tasks besides transporting people.

Before assembly.

Air motor and various components.

Using the factory compressor to drive the air motor while winding the wire rope completes the process.

Features

• The company primarily handles thin-plate fabrication, although thick-plate projects are occasionally taken on as well.
• Thick plates require large bevels and significant leg lengths (weld bead thickness), which makes multi-pass welding necessary.
• Multiple layers of weld are built up—typically 6 mm to 9 mm per layer—repeating the cycle of welding, cooling, removing slag (impurities), and continuing the process.

Before slag removal.

This is where four or more layers have been applied.

Apologies for the brief explanation, but the welding work has been completed.
All types of sheet metal are handled here, from thin plates to thick plates.

Features

• The rainy season has finally begun in the Kansai region.
• Even though it started later than expected, the end is projected to follow the usual schedule.
• While it is a relief that the rainy period will be short, there is still concern that heavy rainfall could lead to disasters.
• This update is from the website manager.
• Limit valves are being assembled in a humid factory environment.
• Although electrical limit switches are commonly used, this model is designed for pneumatic equipment.
• When the shaft, which functions as a lever, is pressed by a kick plate, the air supply is cut off and the device stops.
• This type of mechanism has been used for many years in marine applications
• The left side is the main body case and rear cover, while the right side is the front cover with an air-sealing valve.

Install the front cover with the valve and insert the spring that determines the switching weight.

Install the rear cover.

Pressing the protruding shaft closes the internal valve.

Install the plug and other components to complete the assembly.

Features

• This shore power reel was delivered approximately two years ago.
• It is a winch designed to deploy and retrieve the heavy cable that connects a ship to shore power while a ferry is docked, allowing the vessel to draw electricity from land instead of relying on its onboard generators.
• In other words, it functions as a large-scale power cable system for ships—similar to plugging a household appliance into an outlet, but on a much larger scale.

• This is the slip ring assembly, rated at AC 200V, 200A, 3-phase.
  Each ring has two carbon brushes for electrical contact, capable of carrying up to 200A.
  In this instance, one of the two brushes lost contact for some reason, causing current to flow through only one brush. As a result,…

It got burned out… (sob)
As it is, it’ll interfere with the electrical connection and continuing to use it will likely worsen the burn damage, so I’ll just polish the ring to death.

The burn damage indentation couldn’t be completely removed, but this is the best I could do under the circumstances. So, I’ve asked the customer to monitor it as is for now.
However, depending on how things progress, we may have to consider replacing the ring itself with a new one… It’s incredibly expensive though…

All three rings have been polished and restored; they appear to be functioning properly now.
Electricity is invisible, so handling and maintenance must be performed with extreme caution—failure to do so can be fatal.

Features

• The company primarily handles iron fabrication, but also processes a considerable number of stainless steel and aluminum orders.
• This project features an aluminum ladder designed for installation at a plant.
• The ladder was originally supplied as a set with aluminum handrails, but the handrails were shipped before photos could be taken, leaving no images available for the website.
• The reason for specifying aluminum is unclear.
• Using aluminum to reduce transport weight is common and practical, yet this ladder appears to be intended as a permanent installation.

This is the ladder mounting hardware section. It’s permanent, right?

Features

• When welding large-diameter pipes, a positioner is sometimes used.
• It allows the workpiece to be rotated to any desired welding position.
• The device on the left is the positioner, and it is holding a large shrimp pipe made of SB material for pressure vessels.
• The pipe carries SB markings.
• Since pipe stock is not available, all pipes are rolled from plates.
• This is the exterior view, and the next image shows the internal condition of the manufactured shrimp pipe.
• The shop manufactures not only iron pipes but also aluminum and stainless-steel pipes.