HITACHINAKA - Cars of today are no longer mere mechanical objects! But the moving objects are equipped with artificial intelligence. Her mind, yes .. microelectronics or microchip! The electronics engineer in a car factory called a microcontroller!
The simplest example, car engines (as well as motorcycles) are now using the injection system and electronic ignition, its work is governed by a computer. Now, if the car is equipped with features such as ABS, ESP, traction control, automatic transmission, suspension, lights, steering wheel adaptive and so forth, including navigation and entertainment systems, ensured network requirements and more complex brains.
Now the factory is paralyzed because the brain is shaken earthquake on 11 March. As a result, car manufacturers struggled to produce cars in the current market conditions began to recover. It is experienced by all Japanese car manufacturers, including those made outside the country. Analysts also mention, the Japanese car manufacturer is now again a crawl!
Actually not only the car manufacturers of the concerned State Sakura. Manufacturers such as Ford, GM and Chrysler from the United States, joined affected! Even spread to France, as experienced PSA Peugeot-Citroën and Renault.
Renesas
Factory "brain" that car is lame Electronics Renesas in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, about 100 km northeast of Tokyo. Renesas is a supplier of 40 percent of microcontrollers - the Japanese call it "mikon" - for all car manufacturers in the world! So naturally and directly affect the Japanese automobile industry!
Renesas main factory in Hitachinaka, ravaged earthquake rocked (and then hit by the tsunami). Release the company issued last week, said they are currently improving its factories.
It is said, to speed up recovery, members of the Japanese martial troops helped to improve the factory. The automaker also exerting no less employer of 2500 they helped Renesas. In fact, it is not as easy as it returned to its original state!
Be accelerated
Indeed there is progress. If the previous estimate that Renesas factory will start production next July, the latest in release, including information from journalists and foreign correspondents in Japan are invited to visiting the factories, such as The New York Times, production could begin on 15 June. "A month earlier than previously thought," said by Renesas on the site.
"We have a responsibility," stated by Tetsuya Tsurumaru, Senior Vice President of Renesas factory in Ibaraki on Wednesday. "We are very concerned and do our best to restore supplies as quickly as possible."
Added, his company expects to start production next mikrokontrol on June 15, faster than previously estimated schedule. Nevertheless, the first production only 10 percent of normal capacity. Tsurumaru also can not predict certainty of Renesas production to full or normal conditions.
"This is the spirit of Renesas. We are determined to resume its production in June. Customers from all over the world waiting for! "Wrote a banner (banner) who was hanged in the factory building.
Workers continue to repair the attic, including factory air filter system which is a very important part. The reason, few possessed the production system dust particles, causing mikroposcopic circuit damaged or defective chips.
The test production has also been done. Employees dressed in white wear a face mask. They work to clean the space, fix and regulate the production of sophisticated machines again.
It was not easy to regulate or place of production machinery at its original position. Because the level of precision that superb high, per billion meter. Another thing that was also witnessed by the journalists, most of the production tool not be used.
To help the car company, Renesas said it was transferring production to other factories in Japan that are not damaged. Including directing automobile manufacturers to GlobalFoundries, factory mikrocontrol in Singapore. However, the condition now, lack microchip, is expected to last for months.
The difference with the PC
Microchip or microcontroller for the car is very different than that used on desktop computers or PCs. Microchip PC can use as a standard alternative. But not so with the car industry. As a result, they are difficult to move or find another supplier. Can only hope, Renesas will be immediately productive as quickly as possible.
Toyota said, face the problem of shortage of vital components 150, is mostly electronic. Only some others are rubber and paint additives. The condition is now better. The reason is, a week after the earthquake, the type of components supplied by a supplier can not reach 500 items.
In fact, last news, the problem was faced not only at the level of Toyota's main supplier (Tier1), as well as sub-supplier or smaller companies like Tier2, 3 and 4. For this reason, Toyota estimates the new factory could produce in full by the end of this year.
Actually, not just car manufacturers who depend on Renesas. Ricoh, copier manufacturer, also obtained a supply of special chip from Renesas. Renesas factory described in Naka special concern because it is a major manufacturer.
Combined Company
Circumstances that make Renesas role is very important for car manufacturers, adala origins. Apparently, this company is a combination of major Japanese semiconductor companies, namely Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric merged in 2003. In fact, later merged again with NEC Electronics to set up semiconductor division of NEC, Renesas is now called Electronics.
Another factor which makes Japanese car manufacturers such as bound, as was said Koji Endo, auto analyst at Japan's Advanced Research and quoted by The New York Times, very loyal to the previous supplier. Therefore, after the company was "married", car manufacturers continue to buy components from the original supplier.
Renesas is the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer. Sales in fiscal year 2010 reached 1.06 trillion yen. The company, 90 percent of its shares owned by joint NEC, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric. Hence, the first stage, the only Hitachi can not be told to supply air flow sensor to the factory car.
Special Orders
Microcontrol of car is a chip design orders with different hardware. The device software must be designed in accordance with the specifications of the car. While the spec of each model of car - even variants - different.
"The size of this microcontroller is different. Because it is very difficult to switch to other suppliers and can not be done quickly. The most rapid take 6 months or more, "said by Tom Startnes, analyst at Objective Analysis, a technology company who was interviewed for The New York Times.
"Special challenge. Software for instructions on various kinds of chips from one car to another factory, very special and different. The device software is not compatible, "revealed by Tomoaki Nakamura, who had watched in Hitachi's automotive electronics division and is now a vice president of research at IDC Japan, a marketing research company.
Standardization
Car manufacturers have their own standards and the public does not know much. This is very contrary to the corporate computer that determines the standard format for components like hard drives and data storage memory chips, microprocessors and operating systems such as Windows (Microsoft) or Macintosh (Apple).
For this reason, analysts say, the condition will now be learning for the world's car manufacturers to be more open with its software and setting standards. Actually, there have been recent desire among major car manufacturers in the United States, Europe and Japan to form a consortium to set standards microchip technology.
Two main groups of producers, namely AutoSAR and Genivi Alliance, focused to set the standard software (software) danr electronic components for engines, transmissions, information and entertainment systems. Now, with a crisis like now, is expected to accelerate the process of unification of these standards. Another lesson, no longer simply rely on the Renesas.
"Long term, car manufacturers will continue to search for and add a major supplier," said Egil Juliussen, an electronics analyst at ISH car iSuppli, a research firm. "The crisis is once again pushing the car industry makes standardization. If not, that paralyzed major component suppliers, the production car will be hobbled as it is now! "Specifically!
