41Yokogawa 100th AnniversaryYokogawa started to develop electron tube (vacuum tube) type automatic control devices that were superior to the mechanical devices manufactured by various leading companies.After great eort, Yokogawa shipped the rst product, an electron-tube-type self-balancing recorder, or electronic recorder (ER), in September 1951. Although many problems were found with the product after delivery and some people became pessimistic about the future of the company, Yokogawa was convinced it was on the right track and continued to make improvements. This rm commitment led to the development of various ER instruments for measuring frequency, temperature, ow rate, liquid level, pH, gas analysis, and sulfuric acid concentration.Yokogawa stopped manufacturing large-sized shouldered tubes (ST) in 1952 and replaced them with the latest miniature tubes (MT). Yokogawa also introduced new specications for chart paper, including 180 mm width paper and folded forms, and these were adopted by its US competitors.The development of ER instruments was signicant in three ways for Yokogawa. First, research and development by a team (cross-organizational project) was found to be advantageous. Second, Yokogawa became the rst company in the industry to use electron tubes for industrial instruments, overtaking its competitors. And third, it helped Yokogawa take a leading position in the subsequent automation era and achieve signicant growth.Tie-ups with Two US CompaniesThe focus on industrial instruments helped to meet the needs of Japanese companies that were shifting from reconstruction to modernization. However, Yokogawa did not have sucient technological knowledge and experience to respond to all these companies’ requirements, and its major competitors were expected to catch up soon. Therefore, in 1955, Yokogawa and Foxboro, then one of the four major industrial instrument manufacturers in the US, signed a technical assistance and Japan exclusive distribution agreenment. In the same year Yokogawa signed a technology and sales agreement with Bendix for aviation products such as the Ultra-Viscoson viscometer, magnetos, harnesses, and ignition devices.The tie-up with Foxboro was not ideal for Yokogawa as it did not allow us to modify any of the specications for that company’s products. Despite this disadvantage, it helped us meet our customers’ needs for a broader lineup of mechanical (pneumatic) instruments and improve our machining skills. Thanks to this tie-up, Yokogawa was also able to produce an electron-tube-type automatic recording controller (ERZ electronic recorder) that combined our ER with Foxboro’s pneumatic controlling mechanism. This recorder sold well.Rapid Economic Growth Era in JapanIn the 1950s, Yokogawa not only delivered industrial instruments to customers but also got involved in instrumentation projects at steel, chemical, and electric power companies. Japan’s economy continued to grow rapidly during three consecutive, unprecedented economic booms, and capital investment by companies continued to increase steadily. Yokogawa also expanded its business in this period. For example, in 1956, we completed development of an analogue computer for the measurement and analysis of the voltage, current, and power conditions of electricity distribution grids, and also founded Yokogawa Aviation Co., Ltd. to manufacture aviation devices. During this period, Yokogawa also rebuilt its main factory and started entering the US, Taiwan, and other overseas markets.Yokogawa developed the ECS series of electronic control systems in 1959, which fueled the company’s dramatic growth. The ECS was compact thanks to the use of transistors and diodes. All measurement values were converted into unied voltage signals of 0–10 mV for communication, ensuring compatibility with other instruments and facilitating modularization and mass-production. With the ECS for large plants and the pneumatic control system for small plants, Yokogawa received increasing numbers of instrumentation orders to automate factories and water facilities. Sales surged from 1.7 billion yen in 1955 to 7.3 billion yen in 1960. In the same year, Iwao Yamasaki became the president and steered Yokogawa through Japan’s further economic growth and open economy policy.The Foxboro headquartersECSER electron-tube-type self-balancing recorderIwao Yamasaki
元のページ ../index.html#41