【Interview】From the forefront of new product development
(Ask the Technology Development Department).
We have been promoting various technological innovations mainly in the automobile industry,
and actively working on new businesses with the technologies and knowledge that we have cultivated over many years.
We combine our experience and new technologies and continue challenges to connect better world to future generations,
such as using renewable energy, contributing to carbon neutrality, and utilizing new materials.
Maruyasu development department roundtable
Q.1What auto parts are you developing?
Currently, in the automotive division, we are focusing on developing products for electric vehicles and reducing the weight of products by using resin and aluminum and thinning. In addition, in order to reduce environmental impact, we are trying to improve recyclability by making tube products with single-layered instead of multi-layered, and we are trying to develop products with plant-derived materials.
We are challenging issues such as cost reduction, performance improvement, and environmental load reduction with the cooperation of material manufacturers and our suppliers.
Q.2Do you have any projects in non-automotive field?
We are developing solar thermal system and thermal generation systems.
Solar thermal system (ReTerra) is a hot water supply system that boils water with solar heat. Our thermal management technology, which is one of our core technologies, is used in this new product.
This new product utilizes renewable energy and contributes to carbon neutrality.
We are repeating tests for the start of mass production in the near future.
The thermal generation system is still in the research and development stage, but we aim to recover waste heat from the plant and generate power with small-scale equipment.
We are working in collaboration with universities and other companies.
Q.3What do you value most in the development of new products?
For the automobile products, development team usually comprises 2-3 members.
On the other hand, it is about 15 members for the solar thermal system so we have difficulties in forming everyone’s opinions.
Therefore, we consciously increase communication and share goals with others.
In addition, since the cooperation of many people is necessary for development of new products, we are proceeding with exchanges of opinions with other departments on a daily basis.
Furthermore, we collect information not only in specific fields but also in a wide range of fields, and actively incorporate the opinions from young members.
Q.4What is the development of new products looking toward the future?
In the automobile industry, it is always required because the shift to EVs is rapidly progressing in response to the trend of “decarbonization”, The ideas and approaches to new materials born in that process have the potential to be widely applied not only in the limited field of the automobile industry, but also in the construction industry or the medical field.
We will continue to actively challenge new businesses while always considering “What is needed in today’s society?”, “What products will please customers?”, and “What can we do in response to those?”.
Products for EV
Upper cover for EV
Brake tube for EV
* In addition, we are developing a product for EV aiming for mass production starting in 2024.
It achieved 60% weight reduction compared to conventional products by using new recyclable materials.
Activities to reduce weight
Aluminum cooling pipe for HV
Resin pipe in the cooling
system for HV
Solar Thermal System
Solar thermal system produces hot water with “solar heat”, which is one of the renewable energies. It consists of a heat collector that collects solar heat and a heat storage unit that stores hot water. The heat collection status can be checked with a remote control. While the energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaic power generation is about 10-20%, solar thermal system is about 50%.
In other words, solar thermal system can use solar energy more efficiently. It can not only reduce cost to boil water and but also contributes to carbon neutrality by being introduced to home.
In addition, it is also attracting attention from the perspective of disaster resilience because it is highly durable and hot water stored in the heat storage unit can be used in the event of a disaster.
We are proceeding with development with the concept of “use of renewable energy without imposing a burden”.
As of the beginning of 2022, it has been installed as a monitor in two apartments.
We plan to continue to expand it in the future.
Programmable Hydroponic Cultivation Kit
This device incorporates a small microcomputer. It enables continuous observation of the growth of plants by taking photographs with frequency set in advance. It also controls devices such as LEDs, fans, and pumps, monitoring temperature and humidity.
In addition, it can be controlled with Scratch（visual type of programming language）used for programming education in elementary school. It can be used as an educational tool having IoT elements as well, and a display + mini vegetable garden in homes and various stores.
Currently, we are conducting monitor evaluations at restaurants, elementary schools, etc., and we are also considering future business development.
Blood Circulating Cancer Cell (CTC) Detector
Our fluid control technology cultivated in development for automotive parts is also attracting attention in the medical field.
We developed a system that filters and extracts cancer cells from the hundreds of millions of cells circulating in the blood. Since the filtered cells are extremely delicate, we have also developed an automatic transfer device to a slide glass.
It enabled to analyze DNA and so on. Since 2020, it has been used for research at Nagoya University.
In the future, if this technology is used in clinical trials at many medical institutions and university hospitals, and if its effectiveness is recognized by academic societies, we believe that it will lead to a major contribution to society.
