Aichi (Aichi Prefecture)
technological development
Aiming to reduce the weight of metal panels
AICHI METAL has conventionally used steel or stainless steel for panels when manufacturing exterior functional gatepost panels. In doing so, we have struggled with the selection of materials to be used as the base material. This is because weight is a challenge anyway. The more we try to increase safety and reliability, the heavier the panels become, and this trend is unstoppable. The lighter the material, the more strength is lost. However, through a truly fortuitous encounter, we found a solution to this. It is the use of a honeycomb structure. The honeycomb structure itself is not at all unusual. Even the world of corrugated cardboard has adopted these to achieve strength. However, the reason why we have not adopted this structure is that it is extremely difficult to process small edges. In the case of metal, it is possible to seriously injure a person with just a single small edge.
What is Honeycomb?
The "honeycomb structure" is so called because of the structure of the honeybee hive. This is extremely complex to understand mathematically, so I will venture to describe it as a collection of regular hexagons. This "honeycomb core," which is a structure that combines regular hexagons, is used in a wide range of situations as a structure that can "efficiently utilize materials while also maintaining a certain level of strength," and requires as little material as possible without compromising strength.
By chance, a company we have known for a long time had the technology to use this honeycomb structure to make the small end of a product wonderfully clean. If we could apply this technology, we would be able to reduce weight while increasing strength. Once the honeycomb panel is realized, the surface treatment is AICHI METAL's strongest area of expertise, making it possible to create lightweight, strong, and beautiful-looking products made entirely of metal.
Lightweight and strong honeycomb panels
In fact, there were already such products in society. It is just that there were not so many examples of their application in the fields of architecture and furniture. Now we are working on commercialization. It is not that difficult, but we have already adopted it on a project basis and are in the process of trying it out. The honeycomb core used in the honeycomb structure is also made of aluminum, which can deal with corrosion problems. There are countless cases in which technologies that already exist in society are unknown in different fields. We, too, have been sublimated to the current technological accumulation through such encounters. It is exciting to think that there are still more such encounters to come, and the fact that there are still more places to refine our technology gives us confidence in our future evolution and growth.
