Spirit of Manufacturing
Manufacturing serves as the foundation for delivering EIZO’s high-quality, reliable, and innovative products. Each team member takes pride in their craftsmanship, enabling us to respond promptly and flexibly to the needs of customers worldwide, building a lasting trust. This commitment is one of our key strengths and a motivating factor that propels us toward the future.
Manufacturing as the Core of Value Creation
We deliver high-quality, reliable visual imaging products suitable for a wide range of applications, from general office environments to specialized fields such as Creative Work, as well as mission-critical sectors including the likes of Healthcare and Air Traffic Control. At the core of our value creation is our in-house manufacturing process, which encompasses all operations, from circuit board assembly to final product assembly and inspection. Through our centralized integrated development and manufacturing systems that include housing design, quality assurance, and procurement functions inhouse, we collaborate closely within the Group to maintain our rigorous quality standards, optimize development and production workflows, and quickly incorporate emerging technologies. Additionally, we adapt flexibly to customization requirements driven by shifts in demand, procurement conditions, and customer requirements, ensuring a stable and reliable supply. For EIZO, manufacturing is not simply a process but the foundation of the strength that sustains our global presence.
EIZO’s Advantage in In-House Development & Manufacturing
At EIZO, we manage the entire process in-house, from manufacturing circuit boards to assembling and inspecting finished products. From the development stage, the manufacturing department collaborates closely with the development departments to explore ways to further improve manufacturing, including optimizing mass production processes and in-house development of production systems themselves. In addition, the extensive amount of quality data collected daily throughout the production process is analyzed in collaboration
with the development and information security departments. This data is then applied to enhance new product development, streamline production systems, and improve process design. Additionally, by ensuring strong collaboration across departments, from development and procurement to production and sales, we ensure a responsive and flexible approach to customer needs and external market changes, thereby maintaining a reliable supply for our customers.
In recent years, we have also introduced a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) involving all relevant departments, from upstream development to logistics, quality, and manufacturing, to further advance our in-house development and production capabilities.
Precision Manufacturing that Ensures the EIZO Standard
In the component mounting process, state-of-the-art equipment enables micron-level placement adjustments, ensuring highquality standards in board assembly. In the inspection process, we prevent defects from leaving the production line by using X-ray inspections for areas that cannot be visually checked and by employing an in-house developed automated optical inspection (AOI) system utilizing AI to verify the mounting status of all components. Each completed board proudly bears the EIZO logo as proof of the high reliability of our monitors.
In the monitor production process, we adopt the most suitable production methods, such as automated production or cell production, based on product characteristics, production volume, and delivery schedules, ensuring efficient and stable manufacturing. Furthermore, years of manufacturing experience have accumulated deep expertise and advanced skills across all processes, from assembly to packaging, forming the foundation that ensures EIZO quality.
Advanced Production Facilities Using AI, Robotics, and IoT
Approximately 80% of EIZO monitors worldwide are produced at EIZO Corporation's headquarters factory and EIZO MS Corporation's factory. These sites use four different production methods, depending on product characteristics, required production volumes, and delivery date requirements. The hybrid production has a state-of-the-art production line that has achieved labor saving and automation by taking advantage of AI, IoT, and robotics. This production system collects data in real time such as production progress, the operating status of equipment and measuring instruments, and the state of product adjustment. Analyzing this big data supports continual improvements in product quality and processes. In addition, we have achieved the digitization of onsite records using electronic paper and tablet terminals at production sites. We are striving to further improve productivity by accelerating data analysis.
| Production Type | Products Produced |
|---|---|
| Belt conveyor production | Products for business applications with high production volume per model (mainly B&P) |
| Cell production | Various products in small lots for specific markets (mainly V&S), each product requiring different adjustments and inspections |
| Hybrid production | Products that are difficult to adjust and therefore time intensive because of the many adjustment and inspection items (mainly healthcare and creative work). Two-thirds of the entire process can be fully automated. |
| Master production | Products with our uniquely customized panels (mainly V&S) The floor has a large clean room and specialized equipment |
Strengthening Resilience through the Integration of Digital Technology and People
Addressing Workforce Reduction through Advanced Technologies
EIZO, which conducts the majority of its manufacturing operations in Japan, is proactively addressing the challenges associated with a declining labor force by investing in advanced technologies such as AI, IoT, and robotics to facilitate labor-saving and automation in production processes. These initiatives are designed to uphold the high quality and reliability of our monitors while transforming this challenge into an opportunity for sustainable value creation.
For instance, by automating processes from circuit board assembly to unit processing for high-volume B&P models and introducing automated inspection systems for finished products, we have significantly improved production efficiency and enhanced manufacturing capacity. These advancements require standardized designs for boards, circuits, and mechanical specifications, an evolution in production systems made possible by the close integration of manufacturing and development functions.
Providing Added Value Through the Introduction of Advanced Equipment
To keep providing unique value, we continuously invest in the advancement of our manufacturing processes. A prime example of this is our “optical bonding” equipment, which enhances both the visibility and durability of our monitors. By introducing equipment that automatically injects resin into the gap between the LCD panel module and protective glass, bonding them together, we have achieved both improved production efficiency and ensured consistent, high-quality results, resolving challenges associated with traditional bonding techniques.
Final Inspection by the Human Eye
Despite implementing advanced automation, EIZO ultimately ensures quality through comprehensive final inspections by the human eye conducted by trained personnel. Following automated image quality assessments of each individual unit, our qualified employees, certified through our internal qualification program, perform manual visual evaluations. This human inspection process ensures that even the most subtle defects are detected, as our monitors are ultimately evaluated by skilled professionals. We are committed to delivering true quality by combining state-of-the-art technology with the expertise of our qualified teams.
Worker Skill Development System
All workers assigned to production sites are trained at the Technical Skills Training Center. The training covers a wide range of topics, from understanding the structure of monitors to practical training in assembly.
The education and practical experience and skills of all workers are managed as skill charts, which are used as indicators for assigning the right person to the right job and as target indicators for each person to achieve multi-skilling.
