What is MADE IN JAPAN 's tremendous things to do with thoroughly interviewing VAIO' s monster PC manufacturing site?

VAIO Corporation, which became a "small PC maker" independently from Sony, calls it "monster"Two kinds of high-performance PC releasedThen I revealed the direction of the new VAIO. So, in order to explore the secret of the monster PC, visiting the factory in Azumino (Azumino) in Nagano prefecture, which is the headquarters of VAIO Corporation, to cover the manufacturing site, we are thoroughly committed "MADE IN AZUMINO JAPAN "manufacturing practice was practiced.

VAIO | Quality | Azumino FINISH
http://vaio.com/quality/azumino_finish/

Arrived at headquarters of VAIO Corporation in Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture.


A monument of "Vaio no Sato" in front of the main gate.


In the building "VAIO" logo.


Behind it is the Japan Alps. In the environment rich in nature, monster PC "VAIO Z"Is manufactured.


Start infiltration at once.


Next to the lobby ......


Exhibition section.


The current model of VAIO was exhibited for a long time.


A powerful poster.


Today, I will check the manufacturing site of the model "VAIO Z" which has overdoed this over.


Before the factory tour, I changed my clothes and went out.


The first thing I go through is an air shower.


Garbage is strictly prohibited at the manufacturing site. Thus it is necessary to drop dust and the like with an air shower.


Also, it is especially important to remove static electricity in winter, before you enter the manufacturing line.


"Welcome GIGAZINE-sama," it is quite difficult to display.


First from the "mounting" line where various parts are placed on the main board (mother board). A machine like a microscope on the case where successive VAIO motherboards were exhibited.


The parts in this case are photographed by the camera.


This is a demonstration showing "0603" adopted by VAIO Z, that is, the size of parts of 0.6 mm × 0.3 mm. Compared with the size of rice grains shown on the display, you can see the smallness of 0603 parts. "0402" is a smaller part of 0.4 mm × 0.2 mm size, and it seems that there is a "Takumi" that can correct 0402 soldering at the VAIO Azumino factory.


Place the motherboard on a metal carrier and perform parts mounting work. With 2 motherboards per carrier, the shape of masking on the front and back differs. It is said that the 2-dimensional barcode is used for quality control by laser engraving so that it can be seen when manufacturing the board.


This is a "solder printing machine" of machines that print cream solder on motherboard. Whether or not the solder is printed in the proper place · proper quantity is fully checked by "solder printing inspection machine" immediately after.


The next step in solder printing is the mounting of parts in "modular type high speed placement machine". It is a machine that wears minimal parts 0603.


I will install it while winding 0603 on this tape.


The garbage-like 'dots' next to the round holes in the tape is 0603. The modular high speed wearing machine has the ability to place one piece of this small part at most in 0.03 seconds.


The device is a huge size spanning two aisles. As the motherboard reciprocates through the machine, it will mount the parts on both sides.


The operation is done with keyboard and trackball.


This is a machine called "multi function mounting machine" that mounts connectors. In addition, we need to strengthen the necessary parts of some strength with bonds in addition to solder.


Parts are larger than 0603.


After that, CPU etc. are also implemented.


Perform the check again to see if the parts placed are in the correct position before drying the board. In addition, the criterion of accuracy is an arrangement example of a master who is said to have "the hand of God".


Next, the step of passing through the "reflow oven" for completely attaching the mounted parts. The flux passes by slowly passing through the furnace in a high temperature exceeding 200 degrees Celsius, and finally it cools and solidifies the solder.


The reflow furnace for CPU is filled with nitrogen to prevent oxidation in a box of 5 meters or so.


The substrate came out of the reflow furnace.


Further inspection of parts matching. The yellow frame on the upper right of the display is the part under inspection.


Automatically inspect all the connectors.


In addition, after machine inspection, human checks are done, and it is said that maintaining high quality by conducting multiple inspections.


Boards that passed a number of inspections are carried on a special tray and transported to the next assembly process. In addition, the motherboard seems to be a custom made method that parts are mounted according to the order on the day of order reception.


And the floor changes and assembling process to manufacture exterior and keyboard etc other than motherboard and combine them. This is frame parts around the keyboard.


If you look closely, "MADE IN AZUMINO JAPAN" laser engraving has been given.


Laser machining is done with this machine.


Put the parts in and irradiate the laser.


The inside can be confirmed with the camera. This green laser ...


Such a small notation can also be engraved. That's why we realize texture and durability that is different from printing.


"Abonding" technology such as palm rest is also Azumino quality.


VAIO Z said that "crispness" is very important. When comparing the same parts (material) by using double sided tape and adhesive, the sense of rigidity when touching is the difference of muddy. The method of VAIO Z using adhesive is hardly deflected even when applying a strong force. The overwhelming difference in rigidity is a level that you can understand by one shot when compared to hand.


This bonding technology is also adopted for aluminum frame around the keyboard. Naturally, it is possible to realize overwhelming "thinness" by using adhesive instead of double-sided tape.


How much you can use the adhesive and how much you can get a high rigidity is a mass of know-how. Of course, the optimum location and quantity will change for each part.


Apply the appropriate amount in the correct place. In addition, it is said that all the time when the adhesive of this part was painted is managed by the barcode.


Then, paste the parts together. It seems to be thoroughly managing time from application of adhesive to sticking parts to each other. This is frame parts around the keyboard. It is necessary to stick together the keyboard and the touchpad holes perfectly, and this precision also affects the keying feeling of the keyboard, so very high adhesion accuracy is required.


Press it further to solidify the adhesive.


Support with double-sided tape until the adhesive set.


I will push the parts with each other using such special jig.


Fixing is manual. It is said that high technology is required because the fixing method here greatly affects the quality.


In addition, the adhesive surface which can not be visually checked by shooting from the side with a camera. The aim is "zero clearance"


In addition, it is said that there is only 0.4 mm in the amount of black "claw" in the photograph. You can see how severe the adhesion accuracy of parts is.


This is VIIO Z's battery which will realize continuous driving time of 15 hours or more.


Not to buy and install ready-made items, the batteries are also made in-house at the Azumino factory. Three parts of the picture are battery cells. Moreover, there is no case unlike a general battery for pursuit of thinness.


Move three cells at once in a special jig with a suction pump.


Blow off the trash with a blower ......


Lamination of exterior seals acting as a substitute for case.


Work that looks nervous ...


As a matter of course I decided with a single shot.


Finally press the seal firmly from the outside and complete. If there are wrinkles and bubbles it is impossible to achieve ultimate thinness.


In this way, VAIO Z's distinctive thin high capacity battery was manufactured by hand.


This part is a VAIO Z touch pad, under the face sheet (surface material) a part called mica schist (Mica). As a result of pursuing a hard surface without bending, 1 mm thick mica is adopted.


The back is a module. 3 sheets of face sheet · mica · module are stuck together accurately.


Naturally, since the bonding accuracy is directly linked to the click feeling, accurate bonding work is indispensable with a special jig.


Mounting on the keyboard.


PSP is used as a management tool.


Install it so that it can be pushed exactly from directly above.


Safely, installation completed.


Inspection of the board is also done before incorporation.


Even if the voltage supplied to the USB terminal fluctuates above or below the expected value, the device itself will function. However, there are problems that battery operation time may be reduced due to a slightly high or low voltage, or defective recognition of the device may occur. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of VAIO Z, the rule that the voltage of all ports of the board is checked one by one and only passed can proceed to the next installation process is applied. It is insufficient to simply use it, and it is necessary for the board of VAIO Z to be able to draw out the maximum performance.


this is,FujikuraHeat pipe jointly developed with. VAIO Z cools the high-performance CPU and GPU called Core i7 + Iris Graphics 6100 housed in an extremely thin enclosure by its own cooling system "Z ENGINE".


Thermal conductive grease applied between the CPU and the heat pipe can also be drawn out to the maximum by cooling it with an appropriate thickness at the proper place. Therefore, a dedicated jig for applying grease is also available.


Put on the fixture and paint grease out.


When removing the jig, the shape of the CPU die was painted with the correct amount of grease. Although the thermal sheet was used in the conventional model, it was said that grease was adopted in VAIO Z in order to keep the thickness to the utmost while meeting the strict heat radiation performance standards.


Furthermore, all grease application work is recorded by camera.


It ensures high quality by making it possible to trace what state grease on each board of the product was painted.


Fix the heat pipes and cooling fans with a special jig and screw them to complete the CPU surroundings.


VAIO Z completed by assembling all parts is put in this "automatic inspection machine" and it is checked whether all functions work properly.


Set up the VAIO Z which is assembled like this in the box ... ...


Close the door and switch on.


We will do all dozens of tests automatically.


After passing automatic test machine tests, the VAIO Z. Here, final test of various functions is done as the last function check. Battery charge / discharge test, SSD speed check, load test to run at full power for a long time, etc. After doing exactly, installation of OS and software will be done on accepted aircraft. Note that this process is almost automatic.


The last barrier to wait after clearing the machine check is a human appearance check. Since it is what people use, the end is that we need to go through the strict checks of human beings.


Only the "awareness" professional with visual inspection certificate is allowed to make a final check, and the checkpoint is over 100 items in all. Checking professionals such as keyboard feeling of keystrokes and chassis gaps will look and touch the "texture" thoroughly.


For the presence / absence / position of the label affixed to the palm rest, automatic inspection by the camera is also performed in parallel. The VAIO Z which cleared all the inspections in this manner is enclosed with a certification card of Azumino finish and it is shipped to the user.


·bonus
Outside of the area where VAIO Z was created, there was a dubious workshop somewhat.


Clean room just like in the glass. This is a booth that sticks the protective film.


It is said that dedicated LED lighting which is easy to check whether there is dust or dust is used.


The pasted protective film was checked by two people.


When you let me confirm the pasted condition, it is a finish that you do not know that it stuck afterwards, without mixing of air bubbles or dust. Unlike smartphones, it is difficult for users to manually paste protective films with this quality on a large-screen VAIO Z display. So, it seems that a considerable percentage of people ordering VAIO Z will designate protective film paste options.


At the Azumino Plant, which produces VAIO Z, we are sticking to thoroughly even to the "quality feeling" that produces "using and feeling comfortable" in addition to the performance in terms of thinness, lightness, and strength, a dedicated jig for assembly Manufacturing process was adopted that assembled with hands of craftsmen swagger. It seems that "Monster PC" is being created by the manufacturing site where there are many intervening parts of "human hand" far than we imagined.