資源循環型の「モノづくり×デジタル」を牽引する研究開発、および関連デジタルソリューションの開発：
a. 環境性と経済性を両立するライフサイクルエンジニアリング（ライフサイクルシミュレーション、ライフサイクルアセスメント(LCA)、エコデザイン）
b. OT×ITを実現するデジタル製造・解析（多変量解析、ケモメトリクス、プロセスセンシング・アナリティクス、機械学習・AI、MD、インフォマティクス）
c. 加工プロセス最適化（樹脂成形、金属成形・機械加工、工程設計）
d. 検査・計測（分光分析、光計測、光学設計、光学シミュレーション）
ライフサイクルエンジニアリング（ライフサイクルシミュレーション、ライフサイクルアセスメント(LCA)、エコデザイン）、デジタル製造・解析（多変量解析、ケモメトリクス、プロセスセンシング・アナリティクス、機械学習・AI、MD、インフォマティクス）、加工プロセス最適化（樹脂成形、金属成形・機械加工、工程設計、電動機）、検査・計測（分光分析、光計測、、光学設計、光学シミュレーション）
Publishing Academic Papers:
Younjeong Hong, Yoshiteru Katsumura, Takashi Matsunaga, Yasutaka Kedo, Yuki Murasato, "Developing an Eco-Design Process to Address Resource Circulation and Lifecycle Cost",Procedia CIRP, Volume 135, Pages 438-443 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2024.12.041
Abstract: The increasing environmental awareness has highlighted the importance of sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) in product development. This study addresses the challenges of integrating LCA results into the design process by developing the "LC design navigator" a tool that support the integrated evaluation of environmental impact, performance, and cost throughout the product life cycle. The LC design navigator provides a structured approach to balance these factors by offering feedback and optimization during the design stages. Verification experiments were conducted using scenarios involving recycled materials and remanufactured parts for a stick cleaner. The results revealed the trade-offs between environmental impact and performance, emphasizing the complexity of LCA. The "LC design navigator" demonstrated its potential in balancing environmental impact reduction and cost in the design process. However, further improvements in evaluation model accuracy and applicability across different product fields are necessary. The practical implementation of this tool is expected to facilitate more sustainable product development by enabling data-driven decision-making from the planning and design stages.
Kenji Maruno, Tatsuo Hariyama, Masaihro Watanabe, " Measurement Performance Evaluation of a Non-Contact Narrow Shape Measurement with Direction Switching ", J. of JSPE, 90(4), 369-375(2024)
https://doi.org/10.2493/jjspe.90.369
Abstract: The narrow inner geometry of machine parts requires high-precision machining and geometric inspection for high-performance products such as hydraulic components. However, it has been difficult to measure 3D inner surface geometry with conventional measurement methods. It is also difficult to measure the reference or datum surface and the narrow inner surface profile by the same measuring tool. Therefore, a novel optical measuring probe that can measure both the narrow profile and the datum surface by a thin probe that can be inserted into the narrow space and measuring the distance in the radial and depth directions was developed. To realize this measuring method, a distance measurement probe based on FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Waves) method and a novel measurement direction switching technology using polarization direction control were developed. Experimental results show that the dimensional measurement accuracy by each measurement direction is micrometer order. The measurement results of a test piece with complex geometries showed good agreement with those obtained by CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine).
A.Yamaguchi, S.Arai, N.Arai, "Design strategy for blends of biodegradable polyester and thermoplastic starch based on a molecular dynamics study of the phase-separated interface", Carbohydrate Polymers, 333 (2024).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122005
Abstract: Molecular insight into the phase-separated interface formed when biodegradable polyesters and thermoplastic starch (TPS) are melt-blended is valuable for the design of composites. In this study, eight different interfaces combining four major biodegradable polyesters (PLA, PBS, PHB and PBAT) and two TPSs [unmodified TPS (nTPS) and citrate-modified TPS (cTPS)] were investigated by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. According to the MD simulation results, PBS, PHB and PBAT diffuse readily into the TPS and form compatible interfaces, whereas PLA is less compatible with the TPS. The results of tensile simulations show that PBS and PBAT adhere well to TPS; in particular, PBS/cTPS and PBAT/cTPS exhibit high interfacial-fracture energy (G). Both PLA and PHB blended with TPS exhibit low G because PLA is less compatible with TPS and PHB and TPS have low electrostatic interaction. The reason for the high G of PBS/cTPS and PBAT/cTPS is thought to be a combination of three factors: (i) formation of a deep compatible interface, (ii) suppression of void growth by electrostatic interactions and (iii) absorption of strain energy by a change in the conformation of the molecular chains. These three interfacial adhesion mechanisms should be considered when designing biodegradable polyester/TPS blends with good mechanical properties.
T.Hariyama, K.Maruno, M.Watanabe, S.Takahashi, "Analysis of measuring distance error caused by thermal fluctuation and development of error reduction technique for frequency-modulated continuous-wave method", Precision Engineering, Vol.82, 199-211(2023)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141635923000752
Abstract: To improve the robustness of frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) distance measurement systems, we clarified the effect of temperature changes in the surroundings. In particular, the temperature change causes a phase change between the slow-axis and fast-axis polarization of the optical fiber, which in turn causes a distance error. Numerical analysis using a model of the phase state of polarization revealed that a distance gain error occurs in the reference fiber interference unit and a distance offset error occurs in the measurement fiber interference unit of the FMCW distance measurement system. We propose two measurement-error reduction methods that suppress the phase change in polarization in accordance with the characteristics of each interference unit. Experimental evaluations showed that the measurement errors were reduced from 5 μm to 1 μm and the temperature robustness of the system was improved.
T.Kambayashi, T.Noguchi, A.Nojima, S.Kono, S.Taniguchi, Y.Ozaki, "Glucose Monitoring in Cell Culture with Online Ultrasound-Assisted Near-Infrared Spectroscopy", Anal.Chem. 92(4), 2946-2952 (2020)
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.analchem.9b03354
Abstract: Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic analysis for suspensions often requires a pretreatment by dilution or filtering of suspended solids to maintain the sensitivity of the measurements. An online ultrasound-assisted spectroscopy (UAS) unit enabling pretreatment-free and noncontact analysis for bioprocessing is proposed and evaluated with a model suspension containing 3-μm-diameter polystyrene latex particles (PSLs) with the density of 5.1 × 108 counts/ml and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture whose cell density was 3.2 × 107 cells/ml. The online UAS uses acoustic radiation force generated by ultrasonic standing waves. Suspended matter such as the PSLs and CHO cells can be localized at nodal planes in the suspensions by the acoustic radiation force. Hence, in the case of the online UAS, incoming light can pass through the suspensions more easily than that in the case of a conventional spectroscopy. Its effectiveness was evaluated by the predictive capability of a calibration model for glucose concentrations in the model suspensions and the CHO cell cultures. The calibration models were constructed by use of a partial least-squares regression (PLS-R) in the range of 4900–4200 cm–1 region after the pretreatment of second-order Savitzky-Golay filter. The calibration model built from the NIR spectra acquired with the online UAS could predict the glucose concentration in the CHO cell cultures with a measurement error of 0.6%. It was validated that the glucose concentrations in the flowing model suspension were able to be monitored by the online UAS with a measurement error of 8%. The newly developed online UAS for cell culture monitoring allows us to promote a wider use of NIR spectroscopy. For example, in the applications to the biopharmaceutical and cell-therapy industries, the online UAS enables simpler and easier monitoring of cell cultures because cleaning and sterilization of monitoring tools after cell culturing can be eliminated.
Satoshi Ihara, Akihiro Yamaguchi, Takashi Abe, "Potential for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Eco-Design of Elevators", 2025 REMADE Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference (2025).
尼崎 新平，加賀 祐介，的場 吉毅，"リチウムイオン電池の内部短絡に影響する金属異物特徴量の検討"，電気化学会第92回大会（2025）
Ippei Kono, Sanae Nakao, Hideki Sato, Akio Koketsu, Yoshiyuki Furukawa, Keijiro Masui, "Evaluation of ATM Part Reuse Business Using Life Cycle Simulator", EcoDesign 2025 (2025).
Younjeong Hong, Yoshiteru Katsumura, Takashi Matsunaga, Yasutaka Kedo, Yuki Murasato, "Developing an Eco-Design Process to Address Resource Circulation and Lifecycle Cost", 32nd CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering (2025)
向瀬 レミ, 京井 正之, "アモルファス箔の打抜き加工における積層枚数が金型寿命に及ぼす影響", 第75回塑性加工連合講演会 (2024)
T.hariyama, T.Toyouchi, S.Baba, M.Watanabe, "Development of Inspection Technology for Remanufacturing", EcoBalance 2024(2024)
H.Nakatsuchi, C.Kubota, H.Suzuki, H.Morita, "Data-driven material and process solutions for the utilization of recycled plastics", EcoBalance 2024 (2024).
八木 大介, 神林 琢也, 尼崎 新平, "蛍光指紋データを活用した再生材含有率の推定技術", プラスチック成形加工学会第32回秋季大会 (2024).
YounJeong Hong, Kenji Nishikawa, Yuki Murasato, Yuki Shimizu, Yoshiteru Katsumura, "Eco-design Towards Sustainable Manufacturing by Environmental Assessment Navigation", EcoDesign 2023 (2023).
向瀬レミ，石上孝，京井正之, "アモルファスの打抜き加工における金型損傷原因の明確化と対策の検証", 第73 回塑性加工連合講演会論文集, 335-336 (2022)
豊内哲也, 丸山重信,"反射像観察による球体表面外観検査の感度検証", 精密工学会春季大会(2022)
T.Kambayashi, T.Noguchi, A.Nojima, S.Kono, S.Taniguchi, Y.Ozaki, "Glucose Monitoring in Cell Culture with Online Ultrasound-Assisted Near-Infrared Spectroscopy", Anal.Chem. 92(4), 2946-2952 (2020)
河野 一平, 寺前 俊哉, "人と設備に依存しない安定加工を実現する加工デジタルレシピ", 日本機械学会誌, 124(1231), 30-33 (2021)
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsmemag/124/1231/124_30/_article/-char/ja/
日立と三菱UFJ銀行、日立が推進する「再生材マーケットプレイス」参画企業への金融機能提供に向けた検討開始に関する基本合意書を締結
https://www.hitachi.co.jp/New/cnews/month/2025/10/1008.html
日立産総研ラボ：循環経済社会の実現に向けた連携研究ラボを設立
https://www.hitachihyoron.com/jp/archive/2020s/2023/01/20/index.html
https://unit.aist.go.jp/hitachi-cecrl/index.html
再生材の活用促進を支援する「再生材マーケットプレイスシステム」を用いた実証：
https://www.hitachi.co.jp/New/cnews/month/2024/06/0605.html
安全基準の厳しい企業・官公庁向けデータ記憶装置製品に再生プラスチックを採用：
https://www.hitachi.co.jp/New/cnews/month/2023/10/1005.html
日立ブランド 家電5製品が「2022年度グッドデザイン賞」を受賞、さらに上位の「グッドデザイン金賞」に日立グループ初の2製品同時選出：
https://www.hitachi.co.jp/New/cnews/month/2022/10/1007.html
熟練者と同等の切削加工品質を確保できる切削加工誤差補正技術を開発：
https://www.hitachi.co.jp/New/cnews/month/2018/06/0618.html
走査型プローブ顕微鏡において、熱ダメージレスで組成や分子構造を計測する技術を開発：
https://www.hitachi.co.jp/New/cnews/month/2017/10/1010c.html
