Toshio Horikiri, President of Toyota Engineering Corporation, outlines a revolutionary perspective in industrial evolution: Industry 5.0 extends beyond technological progress, embracing a broader goal, and Society 5.0. Omme Gears, inspired by this vision, is poised to embrace this change in the metalworking industry, emphasizing social and ecological values.
Society 5.0: Efficiency, Sustainability, and Inclusivity
While Industry 4.0 focuses on digitalization, Industry 5.0 introduces a new paradigm. Horikiri emphasizes that advanced technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence and robotics, will not only enhance production but also focus on improving people’s lives. In this scenario, efficiency becomes the cornerstone of operations. Industry 5.0 promotes synergy between technological innovation and attention to human needs, placing the creation of a more inclusive and sustainable work environment at its core.
SMEs as Starting Points for Industry 5.0
Toshio Horikiri draws attention to the power of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Industry 5.0, which presents itself as fertile ground. Horikiri highlights the ability of Japanese SMEs to quickly adapt to change, contrasting with the sluggishness of large companies in keeping up with innovation.
Omme Gears, being an SME, reflects this agility and adaptability. SMEs, with their lean structure and greater organizational flexibility, can best leverage the opportunities offered by Industry 5.0, innovating quickly and effectively to meet the needs of the ever-evolving market.
Horikiri’s message is clear: a better society is formed through strong and dynamic SMEs. The ability of SMEs to adapt and innovate rapidly will not only influence their own success but will be crucial for the progress of the entire industrial sector.
Their agility, combined with a human and environmentally-centered vision, makes them true pioneers in the era of Industry 5.0, ready to turn challenges into opportunities and inspire positive change on a global scale.
Omme Gears Invests in Environmental Sustainability and Social Responsibility
Omme Gears is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations by adopting sustainable production practices and optimizing resource use. In particular, the company has implemented various initiatives aimed at reducing the environmental impact.
One of these initiatives involves the use of vegetable-based oils in manufacturing processes, which has led to a series of significant improvements. These include reducing processing fumes by utilizing oils with higher smoke points, enhancing the oil’s cleaning capacity to reduce processing residue buildup on machinery, and standardizing the type of oil used in some machinery, thereby eliminating any issues arising from potential oil contamination.
Furthermore, Omme Gears has implemented a new type of recyclable detergent in their washing process, resulting in further improvements. These detergents not only completely eliminate the use of protective oils during packaging, but thanks to their excellent passivating capabilities, once the cleaning capacity of the solution is exhausted, mixing it with emulsions used in machine tools gives them a “second life.”
Both of these initiatives have significantly contributed to reducing processing waste, demonstrating that Omme Gears is committed to environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
The Sustainable and Digital Future of Omme Gears
Digital transformation and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies are just the beginning of the journey toward Industry 5.0. Omme Gears is aware of the importance of keeping pace with the evolution of the industrial landscape. Thereby, Omme Gears has invested in the training and development of its personnel, recognizing that human capital is fundamental for long-term success. Through ongoing training and development programs, the company aims to cultivate a highly skilled and adaptable workforce, ready to tackle challenges and seize opportunities offered by Industry 5.0.
Furthermore, Omme Gears is actively committed to promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing within the metalworking sector by participating in conferences, workshops, and industrial fairs, and by fostering an idea exchange with other SMEs and industry stakeholders. This exchange of experiences and best practices is essential to stimulate innovation and foster the development of shared solutions for common industry challenges.
Looking to the future, Omme Gears is exploring further opportunities to enhance its sustainability through digitalization processes. We are currently exploring solutions to reduce energy consumption and monitor energy absorption and anomalies in electricity consumption.
These efforts aim not only to improve the operational efficiency of the company but also to further reduce the environmental impact of what we do, thus contributing to building a more sustainable future for all.
Find out how Omme Gears implemented Lean Production to improve its industrial processes.