We have developed a new analysis technology to accurately calculate the bending shape and bending load of multi-core composite cables installed in the undercarriage of automobiles. The multi-core composite cables are made by bundling multiple electric wires (core wires) and integrating them. They connect the electric parking brake, wheel speed sensor, etc. arranged in the wheel to the vehicle body-side unit, and are responsible for power supply and signal transmission. Demand for the cables is increasing with the electrification of automobiles and technical development of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). The appealing point of the cable is the bending resistance, which prevents the conductor from breaking even when it is repeatedly bent due to the vertical movement of the wheel during traveling. In the past, the cable design was performed after determining the actual vehicle layout shape using CAD, but the calculation accuracy of the bending load was low, and the cable design had to be adjusted during prototyping and evaluation, causing the development period to be prolonged. With the newly developed analysis technology, the bending shape and bending load can be accurately calculated when both ends of the cable are fixed at a predetermined position and angle, thereby streamlining development.

The Mosquito method, a polymer optical waveguide fabrication method invented by Professor Ishigure at Keio University, enables the three-dimensional (3D) formation of core patterns in cladding using a commercially available micro dispenser and a multi-axis syringe-scanning robot. This fabrication method is expected to be used to realize devices required for 3D waveguides such as Fan-in/Fan-out (FIFO) devices, which are essential for the introduction of multicore fibers (MCF). On the other hand, prior studies have mainly examined multimode waveguides, and several issues need to be solved for making single-mode devices. In particular, the core shape tends to deteriorate from circular due to monomer flow caused by needle scanning in the cladding, which is a factor that increases the connection loss with the optical fiber. This paper presents a theoretical and experimental study on the fabrication of single-mode waveguides by the Mosquito method and the formation of circular cores using the method to reduce connection loss with single-mode optical fibers.

In the construction of 5th generation (5G) mobile communication systems, the transmission speed at the mobile fronthaul (MFH) section is about 2.5 times faster than that of conventional systems. As the signal speed increases, there is a problem of shortening the optical transmission distance due to the effect of wavelength dispersion in single-mode fibers. As a measure to extend the optical transmission distance, we have developed a media converter type optical repeater that converts the wavelength to the 1.3 µm band, where the effect of wavelength dispersion is minimized. The repeater combines waveform generation processing with electric circuits to compensate the transmission characteristics and can be applied to transmission lines up to 30 km. This paper describes the 25 Gbps optical repeater.

A digital coherent optical transmission technology has been deployed in not only long-haul and metro networks but also data center networks. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for a coherent module that can be incorporated in small-sized optical transceivers and realize high-speed and high-capacity transmission. Considering the demand, the Optical Internetworking Forum has standardized an integrated coherent transmit-receive optical sub assembly (IC-TROSA) module in August 2019. This paper presents an IC-TROSA type-2 module that integrates a tunable laser for 800 Gbit/s applications.

Electronic devices using oxide semiconductor In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) are attracting attention as next-generation flat panel displays. In order to apply ion implantation technique to IGZO films, Nissin Ion Equipment Co., Ltd. and Nissin Electric Co., Ltd. performed conventional B+ implantation in IGZO films and investigated their optical or electrical properties. The results show that the resistance control of IGZO films by B+ implantation is useful for the IGZO electronic devices, especially for reducing the resistance in the source and drain region of the IGZO thin-film transistors.

Development of new catalysts is progressing rapidly toward the construction of chemical processes with lower environmental impact. Celmet is a porous metal with a three-dimensional network structure having over 90% of porosity, and therefore is expected to be used as a support material for catalysts with low pressure loss and high deformability. The Celmet support also has the advantage that it can be heated directly by an electrical heating means. This paper revealed that a catalyst coated with CeO₂ powder loaded with fine Ru particles on Ni Celmet exhibited practical propane steam reforming performance comparable to commercially available Ru spherical catalysts. Furthermore, NiCr Celmet electrically heated at 500°C was estimated to have long-term durability based on the time-course change in electrical resistance, suggesting that it can contribute to the construction of compact and energy-efficient reactors.

Electric wires and conductive spring wires require high strength to withstand repeated bending and maintain high contact pressure. However, the higher the strength of general-purpose copper compound metals, the lower their conductivity. To overcome this challenge, we have developed a new composite wire with a stainless steel coating on a copper core wire by making full use of our wire drawing and heat treatment technologies. This new wire has higher strength and conductivity than beryllium-copper alloys, the strongest of the copper alloys, and is strong against bending and twisting outside stainless steel. This paper presents the results of an evaluation of its resistance to settling and repeated bending, assuming that the wire will be used as a conductive spring or electric wire.

Exotic alloys such as Ni-based alloys, cobalt (Co)-based alloys, and titanium (Ti) alloys are widely used for equipment and parts in aerospace and automotive industries due to their superior resistance against heat and corrosion. There has been growing demand for tools for machining these alloys. When cutting exotic alloys, the workpiece material is likely to adhere onto the cutting edge of a tool, resulting in a sudden fracture of the cutting edge of the tool. The tool life is significantly shorter than that of tools for cutting general steel. Thus, demand for cutting tools with stable performance and long tool life has been increasing. The newly developed ACS2500 and ACS3000 are designed to improve wear resistance and fracture resistance by applying a newly developed physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating and special cemented carbide substrate. These coated carbide grades help reduce cutting edge replacement frequency and tool consumption by extending tool life, thus contributing to the reduction of machining costs.

In recent years, computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation technology has become indispensable in the manufacturing industry as a part of developing products and optimizing process conditions. CAE supports manufacturing processes and product functions based on physical theories. It stimulates the imaginations of designers and production engineers by visualizing invisible phenomena, such as electromagnetic waves, heat, and stress, and connects to the development of new products and improvements of processes. Furthermore, these days more customers request CAE analysis results in addition to experimental results in adopting new products or manufacturing processes. In order to obtain useful and accurate CAE analysis results under these circumstances, it is necessary to develop advanced CAE technology reproducing experimental results, and high-speed calculation servers. In this work, we have realized CAE analysis that could not be handled previously, by increasing the calculation efficiency and functional performance of the calculation servers. This article gives an introduction to the details of these calculations in various analytical fields.