Real-World Application

Factory Noise Presents Challenges for Detecting Air Leaks

Togo Seisakusyo’s flagship products include valve springs, damper springs, and hose clamps, which Togo Seisakusyo developed in 1972. These clamps—the first of their kind—hold approximately 70% of the domestic market and about 30% of the global market share.

Although small in size, these components share one thing in common: they all demand a high level of technical expertise to replicate their necessary characteristics. Initially Togo Seisakusyo lacked the mass production experience or technologies needed to pursue in-house development that would improve heat treatment quality. But the company’s philosophy of never ceasing to challenge itself for continuous growth led to the advancements they needed to success.

Given this legacy and corporate culture, Mr. Fujikawa set the ambitious goal of achieving a “Zero Air Leak Factory” and took the lead in related initiatives. Since joining the company, he has worked in production technology and, with a background focused on energy-saving measures in equipment, began actively tackling carbon neutrality efforts for the facilities following his transfer to the Equipment Technology team last year.

“Countermeasures against air leaks have traditionally been handled by experienced maintenance specialists as part of the factory’s TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) initiatives,” explains Mr. Fujikawa. “However, to effectively advance carbon neutrality at the factory level, it is essential to implement autonomous maintenance activities closely integrated with the production floor.”

Mr. Fujikawa says that while detecting air leaks may seem straightforward, it actually requires significant skill and experience that only veterans possess—especially with ambient factory noise further complicating air leak detection.

“In our factory, given all of the press machines and feeders running simultaneously, earplugs are a must. Identifying the exact source of noise leakage used to be a tough and time-consuming challenge, even for seasoned maintenance experts,” he says.

Addressing air leaks once seemed like a problem that could not be solved overnight. But in its pursuit of a “Zero Air Leak Factory,” Togo Seisakusyo came across the industrial acoustic camera Flir Si124-LD Plus, rented from its group company, Muroran Togo Co., Ltd. Mr. Fujikawa personally attested to its effectiveness.

“When I first tried it, I was struck by how even inexperienced operators could quickly and easily detect air leaks. That’s why we immediately began exploring the possibility of bringing it into our company,” says Mr. Fujikawa.

A Head-to-Head Challenge: Veteran Maintenance Engineers vs. Operators using the Si124-LD Plus

Mr. Fujikawa explains that Flir products were not necessarily the first choice when deciding which equipment to adopt. “We started with a completely open mind, reviewing all available options to find the tool that could deliver the best measurement performance,” he explains.

“Initially, we believed that the Si124-LD Plus would be a strong candidate. To verify its effectiveness, we set up a contest between veteran maintenance engineers and less experienced workers equipped with the Si124-LD Plus, challenging them to detect air leaks. The results were clear. In a quiet environment, both groups performed equally well. However, in a noisy environment, the less experienced operator using the Si124-LD Plus outperformed the seasoned professional.” 

Once the on-site testing confirmed the effectiveness of the equipment, the team moved forward with selecting tools to help realize the vision of a “Zero Air Leak Factory.”

Mr. Fujikawa emphasizes that the most important factor during this stage was ease of use from the perspective of on-site operators. As they tested different products, several shortcomings became apparent. For example, some devices “mistakenly identified background noise as leaks,” while others “required frequent camera adjustments at every measurement point.” In the end, Flir stood out as the leading candidate, thanks to its ability to automatically distinguish genuine air leaks from surrounding noise.

The introduction of new equipment required clear evidence of cost-effectiveness. As Mr. Fujikawa explains, the demonstration tests made the decision much easier. He felt that if air leaks could be detected this quickly and easily, the return on investment would be more than justified. He also notes that reports of air leaks had been submitted from the manufacturing floor every year through TPM activities. In his view, adopting an acoustic camera that could support carbon-neutral reporting while also improving efficiency and shortening inspection times would be welcomed across the organization.

After a careful process of evaluation and verification, the final choice was the Flir Si2-LD, which earned strong support from on-site operators. Beyond avoiding the misjudgments seen with other products, we valued features that made the equipment stress-free even for first-time users. These included a noise-canceling function that filtered out surrounding sounds (Photo 1) and automatic distance detection.

There were also functions that proved extremely practical for experienced maintenance staff. For instance, the zoom capability delivered both high magnification and high image quality, allowing ceiling pipes and other elevated lines to be inspected without the need to climb up to those areas (Photo 2). In addition, the wide-area LED lighting provided bright illumination (Photo 3), which further enhanced efficiency.

(Photo 1) Noise-canceling effect. At the Togo Seisakusyo factory, workers operate in conditions where earplugs are required. Even in such a noisy environment, tests confirmed that unwanted sound was effectively eliminated by the noise-canceling function.

(Photo 2) The Si2-LD camera’s optical zoom delivers excellent image quality even at high magnification, making it easy to accurately identify the source of an air leak.

(Photo 3) The Si2-LD is equipped with an LED that has been optimized for light distribution and brightness. As a result, it can illuminate dark areas far more broadly than a conventional headlamp.

Mr. Fujikawa expects that using the Si2-LD will bring substantial labor savings in the annual inspections and surveys of the approximately 450 facilities operated by Togo Seisakusyo. In fact, verification trials during the introduction phase had already demonstrated a 70 to 90 percent reduction in inspection time. To ensure smooth adoption across the production sites, the carbon-neutrality promotion team is now working together with on-site manufacturing staff to establish practical operating methods.

“Our vision is to become a ‘Zero Air Leak Factory.’ By fostering collaboration between autonomous maintenance staff on the shop floor and professional maintenance engineers, we intend to actively leverage the Si2-LD as a catalyst for driving our carbon-neutral initiatives,” Mr. Fujikawa says.  

Product Information:

Flir Si2-LD Industrial Acoustic Imaging Camera for Pressurized Leak Detection and Mechanical Fault Detection

As part of its commitment to educational support, Flir Systems Japan provides training and assistance for implementing camera-based maintenance solutions on site, aiming to enhance safety and convenience across the industry. Demonstration and customer support inquiries: info@_ir.jp