Voltes V: Toyota, four other carmakers join forces for Japan’s auto industry

Japanese carmakers generally enjoy a reputation for quality on an individual level, and when they work together, the potential outcomes are always a subject of interest. Toyota Motor Corporation is leading five of Japan’s major automakers in assuming executive roles within the Japan Automotive Model-Based Engineering center (JAMBE). 

Toyota leads four other Japanese automakers to promote model-based design

Joining Toyota are Subaru Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and Mazda Motor Corporation. Apart from carmakers, five companies on the parts manufacturing side will also take up executive positions, namely Aisin Corporation, JATCO Ltd., Denso Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. 

Consisting primarily of private companies working with the Japan Automotive Research Institute (JARI), JAMBE’s purpose is to create a community responsible for advancements in the mobility sector, promoting model-based development (MBD) in the Japanese automotive industry. MBD refers to the use of virtual models on a computer throughout the design and development process, as opposed to constructing an actual prototype. This allows companies to conduct simulations and make adjustments to refine the product prior to actual fabrication and assembly, with less time and effort than it would take using physical components. 

The goal is to further streamline Japanese manufacturing processes by minimizing errors and wastage

The center takes up from where a prior initiative, the Enrichment of Suriawase 2.0 led by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, left off. The program was a future policy for MBD, comprising stakeholders from the automotive industry, the government, and the academe. Suriawase 2.0 describes the Japanese way of negotiation between different engineering teams in relation to product development, now reinforced by MBD to include inter-company and academic involvement. 

Within JAMBE, executive member companies will be at the forefront of strengthening Japan’s automotive competitiveness on the global stage. This will be done by allowing businesses and the academe to share digital models across the board, with academic model-based research (MBR) used to develop vehicles, parts, and systems. The goal is to execute monozukuri, the relentless pursuit of improvement in Japanese manufacturing with as little mistakes and wastage as possible.  

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