To pay respect and honor to the full life and extraordinary achievements of Dr Seiuemon Inaba - founder of Fanuc, I thought it was worth noting here on PM that he passed away this past week. He was a pioneer and visionary, and achieved remarkable success and his legacy will continue far into the future.
Here is part of his obituary that appears in Nikkei Asia on October 7, 2020:
TOKYO -- Seiuemon Inaba, the charismatic founder of Fanuc, who turned a fledgling startup into a global manufacturer of industrial robots, died on Friday from natural causes. He was 95.
Inaba graduated from the University of Tokyo with an engineering degree and joined Fuji Tsushinki Manufacturing (currently Fujitsu) in 1946. As an engineer, he led the development of the first numerical control device, used in machine tools, by a Japanese company.
The NC device has made possible the precise maneuvering of cutting tools and enabled advanced metal processing, contributing to the modernization of Japanese manufacturing. The company's machining center, Robodrill, is used to make metal casings for Apple's iPhones.
In 1972, Fujitsu Fanuc was founded as a spinoff of Fujitsu, with Inaba as managing director. He became president in 1975.
With its main base in the village of Oshino, Yamanashi Prefecture, Fanuc was instilled with Inaba's unique management style, which colored everything from research and development to production. He offered high salaries to graduates of top colleges willing to work day and night and housed them in dorms built at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Some called the practice "bizarre" but Inaba shrugged off the criticism.
Inaba pursued original product development while streamlining of production. Fanuc grew globally, thanks to its industrial robot business, but it also streamlined the manufacturing industry and contributed to its automation.
Under his leadership, the company developed an extensive network of maintenance and repair services overseas, which helped Japanese automakers and machinery manufacturers make inroads into foreign markets. By setting up joint ventures with General Motors and other foreign manufacturers, Fanuc aggressively cultivated overseas clients. It currently claims 50% of the market for computer numerical control (CNC) devices and holds a hefty share of the robot market.
Famously loath to incurring debt, Inaba let the company accumulate cash on hand, a stance often derided by investors. Boasting his own "strict" and "obsessive" management style, he paid attention to price changes as small as a penny. That spirit still lives on at the company. Fanuc's operating profit margin stood at 17.4% in the year ended March this year, a respectable level for manufacturers.
Inaba stepped down as president in 1995 and left his director post in 2000.
Here is a link to the full article.
Fanuc founder Inaba, king of industrial robots, dead at 95 -
Nikkei Asia
Here is part of his obituary that appears in Nikkei Asia on October 7, 2020:
TOKYO -- Seiuemon Inaba, the charismatic founder of Fanuc, who turned a fledgling startup into a global manufacturer of industrial robots, died on Friday from natural causes. He was 95.
Inaba graduated from the University of Tokyo with an engineering degree and joined Fuji Tsushinki Manufacturing (currently Fujitsu) in 1946. As an engineer, he led the development of the first numerical control device, used in machine tools, by a Japanese company.
The NC device has made possible the precise maneuvering of cutting tools and enabled advanced metal processing, contributing to the modernization of Japanese manufacturing. The company's machining center, Robodrill, is used to make metal casings for Apple's iPhones.
In 1972, Fujitsu Fanuc was founded as a spinoff of Fujitsu, with Inaba as managing director. He became president in 1975.
With its main base in the village of Oshino, Yamanashi Prefecture, Fanuc was instilled with Inaba's unique management style, which colored everything from research and development to production. He offered high salaries to graduates of top colleges willing to work day and night and housed them in dorms built at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Some called the practice "bizarre" but Inaba shrugged off the criticism.
Inaba pursued original product development while streamlining of production. Fanuc grew globally, thanks to its industrial robot business, but it also streamlined the manufacturing industry and contributed to its automation.
Under his leadership, the company developed an extensive network of maintenance and repair services overseas, which helped Japanese automakers and machinery manufacturers make inroads into foreign markets. By setting up joint ventures with General Motors and other foreign manufacturers, Fanuc aggressively cultivated overseas clients. It currently claims 50% of the market for computer numerical control (CNC) devices and holds a hefty share of the robot market.
Famously loath to incurring debt, Inaba let the company accumulate cash on hand, a stance often derided by investors. Boasting his own "strict" and "obsessive" management style, he paid attention to price changes as small as a penny. That spirit still lives on at the company. Fanuc's operating profit margin stood at 17.4% in the year ended March this year, a respectable level for manufacturers.
Inaba stepped down as president in 1995 and left his director post in 2000.
Here is a link to the full article.
Fanuc founder Inaba, king of industrial robots, dead at 95 -
Nikkei Asia