Learn by topic

Each topic brings together a reading path, calculators, lookup tables and downloads — start where you need.

1. Tolerances and engineering drawings: Read and issue drawings correctly: fits, geometric tolerances, surface roughness, datums, symbols and the Japanese title block — with lookup tables and handbooks to download.
2. Pneumatics and motion mechanisms: Pneumatic circuits, cylinders, valves and vacuum, plus motion mechanisms — ball screws, timing belts, guides, bearings and motors — from selection to calculation.
3. Electrical, sensors and PLC: From electrical basics, electrical safety, relays and contactors to reading schematics, PLCs, inverters, servos, HMIs and industrial networks — the 80-part Automation series.
4. Materials, surface treatment and machining: Choosing steel, stainless, aluminium and engineering plastics; heat and surface treatment; choosing machining methods and designing parts that are manufacturable at the right cost.
5. Quality and inspection: How Japanese factories manage quality: QC process charts, inspection against the drawing, boundary samples, FMEA, root cause analysis and machine acceptance.
6. Technical Japanese: The Japanese actually used in factories: shop-floor kanji, drawings, safety signs, asking back and confirming, 報連相, emails and reports — 40 lessons with downloadable handbooks.

MINATA — minatavn.com