Abnormal volume of crude oil spill at the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico
has been shaking the entire world. The current situation of irritable
delay to resolve the oil blowout reveals several issues such as: technical
question for predicting and handling the accident, accountability of project
conductors and influence against the environment. At this time disaster
in the Gulf of Mexico, the audience might have been surprised to see that
the oil exploitation is conducted at 1,500m below the sea surface (actually,
oil extraction point is more deeper from the sea bed). Due to such
depth seawater, divers cannot reach the oil gushing spot, and every manipulation
for recovery is attributed to artificial robots. But it takes time
to repair the broken area even if the robots are used. 1,500m under
the sea is not the deepest level for oil drilling. In fact, oil fields
deeper than 2,000m underwater also exist in the world. The issue
is how technological security is guaranteed in preparation for unforeseen
scalable accidents in deep water keeping from human submergence.
When we look at the case in the Gulf, it seems that the oil company has
not organized rules and measures against such accidents before, which is
incredible for outside viewers. Also, comments of the responsible
owner company’s representatives interviewed by the media look like awkward.
Their failures are: they did not think of the oil blow-up significantly
at initial stage and were slow to move for taking comprehensive resolving
approach. With thinking the context of lack of security preparation
and delayed action to solve the continuous oil gush circumstance, we might
doubt the interested parties in the offshore oil project fell into a moral
hazard. The sizable spilled quantity of oil and boring attitude of
the related entities have also been inviting profound impacts on surrounding
environments in the animals and plants and related industries such as fishery
and tourism. Although currently, nobody can expect the accurate size
and volume of total damages and losses to be turned out finally, after
the resolution of the historically turbulence, the related oil parties
will be accused of their responsibilities severely and they will be obliged
to conduct firm arrangements for measures and proceedings against unexpected
accidents in the future. I want to put my word for the parties: Sense
of competitiveness in business is important but should include certain
morality. (Takashi Higashi, President, TCS)
Key articles on Japanese industry scenes selected by TCS
Headlines of the articles:
| ELECTRONICS |
Easy-Handling Battery Charging System for General Electrical Equipment |
| Water-Proof WALKMAN not Damaged by Sweat and Rainfalls | |
| Innovative Resin Able to Realize LED’s Large Irradiation and Pliability | |
| MATERIAL |
Film Sealant to Secure Solar Panel Use at Low Temperature |
|
Heat Resistive Nylon Used for Base Material to Solder Electronic Components |
|
|
Silk-Use Sponge Material Realizing Animal Bone Regeneration |
|
|
Great Heat Release Powder Made of Soybean for IT Devices |
|
| ENERGY |
Sophisticated Resin Used for Solar Cell Components to Enhance Power Efficiency |
| ENVIRONMENT |
Gene-Base Biodegradable Plastic Generates same Quality as Oil Born Plastics |
| MEDICINE | Endoscope Treatment Instrument Simplifies Stomach Surgery |
ELECTRONICS
Easy-Handling Battery Charging System for General Electrical Equipment
June
29--Murata Manufacturing announced that the company has devised a battery
charging system with which electrical equipment can be charged in putting them
onto a sheet embedded with electrode. General
electrical devices can be charged without private battery chargers.Charging efficiency rate is 70-80%.
Water-Proof WALKMAN not
Damaged by Sweat and Rainfalls
May 13--Sony
announced that the company will sell WALKMAN with water-proof
specification. The water prevention
mobile music player is a combined type connected to a headphone. Users can use the product not caring their
sweat or rainfalls and even wash the player by water shower.
Innovative Resin Able to
Realize LED’s Large Irradiation and Pliability
May
7--Idemitsu Kosan devised a resin material for LEDs. The acryl-resin material enables to irradiate
light largely even at its bending condition and is expected to be applied for
round-shape LED equipment and backlight of advertisement boards.
MATERIAL
Film Sealant to Secure Solar
Panel Use at Low Temperature
June 30--Dainippon
Printing developed a film material for solar panel which is difficult to be
hardened at low temperature. The material is used as a sealant to wrap and
protect silicon substrates of solar cells. The company plans to mass produce the seal from October.
Heat Resistive Nylon Used for Base Material to Solder Electronic Components
June 18--Unitika announced that the
corporation devised a high heat resistive nylon film which is bearable against
300 degrees centigrade. The film is
expected to apply for substrates of electronic components which need
soldering. The sales price will be half
those of existing polyimide films.
Silk-Use Sponge Material
Realizing Animal Bone Regeneration
June 11--Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Nihon University
invented a sponge-shape material using silk which becomes a base material
for regenerating animal bones. The universities extracted
fiber-like protein from silk and confirmed that animal cells for creating bones
increased inside the sponge material. .
Great
Heat Release Powder Made of Soybean for IT Devices
June 9--Nishin Oillio Group, in collaboration with Yamagata University
developed a special powder to release heat by using soybean peel. When the powder is combined with resin
material of heat release sheet for information technology devices, it is expected
heat release rate becomes seven times larger than the existing carbon-made
sheets.
ENERGY
Sophisticated Resin Used for Solar Cell Components to Enhance Power Efficiency
June 22--SGK
and HAMAGUCHI URETHANE developed a new material to enhance power generation
efficiency of solar cells. When the
material is mingled with a resin which adheres to backsheet and power
generation cell in solar cells, temperature hike of the cells is
restrained. It is expected the product
enhances power generation efficiency of crystalline solar cells more than 10%
than ever.
ENVIRONMENT
Gene-Base Biodegradable Plastic
Generates same Quality as Oil Born Plastics
June 24--Tokyo Institute of Technology
succeeded to produce biodegradable plastic by using genetically-modified
hydrogen bacteria in soil. The plastic
is pliable and easy to fabricate similar to the characteristic of petroleum-oriented
plastics.
MEDICINE
Endoscope Treatment
Instrument Simplifies Stomach Surgery
May 13--Fuji Film will start selling a
treatment instrument for endoscope surgery from June. Only one instrument enables to dissect and stop
bleeding of patients’ stomach without opening the lesion part on cancer tissues
of stomach’s mucous membrane.
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(Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun)
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