DOWA Metaltech Co., Ltd.
DOWA METALTECH consists of (1) copper elongation business, (2) metal plating business and (3) circuit board manufacturing business. As our customers conduct their businesses on a global basis, we must also respond to their needs globally. More specifically, we actively deploy international business activities, focusing on China, Southeast Asia and Europe and are committed to development and supplying eco-friendly products through effective utilization of metal materials.
(1) Our copper elongation business contributes to reducing size and weight of parts and improving reliability by increasing strength, heat resistance and workability, and also to reducing burdens on materials in the end products.
(2) In our metal plating business, we plate a broad line of materials with precious metals to enhance productivity, functionality and anticorrosion property of materials, and reduce amount of precious metals using thinner films.
(3) In our circuit board manufacturing business, we handle components made of heterogeneous materials bonded together such as metals and ceramics. These lighter and higher quality components are embedded into many energy saving products.
In this way, we contribute to reducing the amount of metals to be used, provide more effective utilization of resources, develop and supply products that have less burden on the environment and create energy saving products.
President Haruo Nishizawa
Address: Shiojiri Inter Rinkan Industrial Complex, 9637-3 Kataoka, Oaza, Shiojiri-shi, Nagano Prefecture, 399-0711
Employees: 193 (as of the end of March 2011)
DOWA Power Device is a plant that manufactures metal-ceramic substrates used as parts for power devices that convert and control high voltage current. Power devices are indispensable for effective use of electricity and are used for a wide range of applications such as home air-conditioning system, industrial equipment, automobiles and railways. They also contribute to clean energy including solar power generation and wind power generation. Power devices convert unstable electricity generated by renewable energy to stable electricity to be transmitted through power grids. Power devices that are essential to effective utilization of electricity contribute to Earth’s environment through energy saving.
We always take the future in consideration when we develop power devices. We look forward several years from now, considering the future environment and social trend. For example, if the measures to fight against global warming improve and people are aware of importance of energy saving, the demand for hybrid cars and renewable energy appliances should increase. Speedy development of high quality power modules that contribute to high-functioning appliances is necessary, but technologies to promote universal use and mass production are also required for their wide use. We strive to invest many human resources into the development of the next generation to respond to the needs of the future society.
Recently we have been actively promoting joint research programs with universities and also cross-industrial collaboration.
We developed a cooling system integrated with circuit boards in 2010 under our joint development effort with Nippon Light Metal Co., Ltd., an aluminum manufacturer. Through the integration, we were able to realize more efficient power control in this product by dramatically enhancing cooling capacity. This product contributes to the power module field, including railway cars such as Shinkansen bullet trains, hybrid cars and electric cars.
Hideyo Osanai, Head of the Development Department
DOWA Power Device develops circuit boards for power devices that are attracting much attention as energy saving products. We are committed to aggressively promote joint research programs and develop products together with users, raw material manufacturers, companies in other industrial fields and universities to deliver products to the market more quickly and in timely manner at a better price. We strive to continue to develop cutting-edge manufacturing, mass production, evaluation and assurance technologies and human resources who will be the power source of development through partnership and communication with companies and institutions both in Japan and throughout the world. We made a press release on the cooling system integrated with circuit boards that was developed with Nippon Light Metal in February 2011. We will continue to develop better products and contribute to society.
Many employees of our company are from the local communities. Our company is supported by many local part-timers. We endeavor to make the workplace easier for working at, responding to their life styles, considering appropriate working hours and holidays. We actively introduce the multi-skilled worker system and the objectives management system to allow for each individual to make significant contribution.
Toru Komatsu, Assistant Manager, Production Management Division
As many of our part-time employees are housewives with children, their working hours are set from 9:00 am to 16:00 pm. In this way, they can easily take their children to and pick them up at nursery schools and still can spare time for to do things at home. We also promote development of multi-skilled workers to compensate for those who need to take leave. In this way employees can feel free to take leave. Now we have more than 50 part-timers and the average number of years of continuous employment for them is six years, which is a very high retention rate.
In Shiojiri-shi where our company is located, a marathon race called Road Race at Budo no Sato is held in September every year. Shiojiri is famous for its grapes and September is the season of grapes. We support the event as part of our social contribution activities through sports. The event is a very enjoyable one in which our employees participate as runners.. All runners can drink as much grape juice as they want. We will assume our responsibility as a member of local communities for conservation of environment and actively participate in such community-initiated activities.
