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Research paper : Spinning process using robot technology (H. Arai)−157−Synthesiology - English edition Vol.5 No.3 (2012) as we became more like craftsmen. 5.3 Fusion of sales and research activities5.3.1 Spinning demonstrations at exhibitionsIn this research, the emphasis was placed on spinning demonstrations of the machine at external exhibitions, and we have participated in 11 exhibitions so far. Exhibitions are effective as a medium for advertising the results of our research, and they are also used as places to gain feedback from potential users. At large exhibitions where many specialist manufacturers participate, such as the Japan International Machine Tool Fair, we were able to obtain opinions and questions by presenting the metal spinning process to a wide range of professionals from craftsmen at small to medium-size companies to managers at large corporations. Including some extremely critical opinions, we obtained findings that were far more useful than comments at academic societies on issues that we had to tackle toward achieving practical use. The majority of the companies that requested trial runs were those that had witnessed the metal spinning demonstrations at exhibitions. On the other hand, few specialists visited and not much could be gained from the nonspecialized exhibitions that were held for the promotion of industry-academia cooperation.5.3.2 Sales activities on the webWhile trial runs and exhibitions were part of the sales activities, we also conducted sales and public relations activities on the web. When we started the research, we used a search engine to search for companies in metal-spinning-related fields to learn about the metal spinning business, regional distribution, examples of spun products, and so forth. We found 115 companies in Japan and 189 companies overseas, and we were convinced that this industry was sufficiently large to be the recipient of the developed technology. An online link called “Metal Spinning Links” was created.[21] When we notified the companies of the link, we also sent an outline of our research at AIST. In addition, a list of contacts for the companies was created and invitations were sent to nearby companies when an exhibition was held. When companies showed interest at the exhibitions, we followed it up by sending printed materials, a CD containing a movie of our metal spinning technology, and sometimes sample products. When a Google search is carried out for the term “metal spinning” (in Japanese), our research site appears at the top, and the second item is the above link (about 29,000 hits as of January 2012). We received many contacts from companies that requested links and technological consultations, and made inquiries for trials through this page. Such sales activities may be considered as a type of bricolage in the sense that the results were obtained by combining the limited resources at hand. In fact, since cooperating with Daitoh Spinning, which has a wide sales channel in the metal spinning industry, such amateur sales activities have been decreasing.6 Discussion and future developmentThe value of this research, which is composed of basic existing technologies, is that we were able to find a niche among the specialties that was overlooked. I consider that a breakthrough in noncircular forming occurred when we jumped into the area that no one had entered because of the difference in the way of thinking between robotics and metal forming. Robot researchers did not have high interest in manufacturing and failed to seek applications there, while metal forming researchers shied away from the application of novel control technology since their lack of knowledge of mechatronics was a barrier. Therefore, we fitted well in an area that had been overlooked by both sides.Originally, bricolage appeared in the literature as a way of thinking that was in opposition to modern science and technology.[8] However, bricolage played an important role in our research activity. Bricolage starts from existing and limited resources, but by recomposing the meaning of each resource, infinite combinations are generated and new values are created.[14] In the development of a new product, the novel elemental technology is normally only part of the product and most of the product is synthesized from existing technologies, meaning that, bricolage is required. Also, in bricolage, elemental technologies that are readily available and familiar are used; thus, highly reliable and readily applicable technology can be obtained.[11]In this research, good results were obtained by altering the research flexibly in response to the feedback of results and external factors, without fixating on an initial scenario or core technology, and particularly by retreating quickly from paths that may have led to a dead end. The three actuals of site, object, and situation helped early decision-making.At the present point in time, owing to the economic situation, the developed technology is not fully utilized at the sites of production, and I am disappointed by the fact that it is not yet a selling technology. We are looking toward follow-up research rather than the easy wrapping-up of this research, and we hope to be responsible for the research up to the final stage. Although the developed technology is advantageous for high-mix low-volume production, we found that the speed of metal spinning is important from exchanges with companies. Therefore, as a future development, we wish to work on increasing the speed and power of the machines and the issues that arise from this. Also, we are working on applications to materials that are difficult to process such as magnesium, for which we feel that fusion with the findings of material science is further needed.

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