Q: Tell us about the new AP4+ tool. 

Sota Ito: Even after the launch of AccuPulse, we kept improving the technologies in our products to fit what customers want in the real world. They give us great feedback. The new advanced features of the AP4+ were made based on customer feedback. 

Q: How is the tool addressing marketplace needs? What are some of the improvements, and how did you go about collecting and addressing your customers' needs in this new series? 

Sota Ito: The biggest change is that the new tool has a new set of algorithms that uses not only the torque from the transducer, but also angle data from a precision encoder. With the new algorithms, the tool can achieve greater precision and accuracy, especially in applications with different joint conditions, such as a mix of hard and soft joints. The tool can detect the snug point even more precisely using angle information.

In addition, we changed the user interface to be more intuitive and user-friendly. Setup time is dramatically lower.

Ryan Lashley: Snug detection helps the tool cope with some challenging applications, where there might be a mean shift. Our previous-generation tool might have struggled with that. 

Q: Why is it necessary to collect such precise and accurate data in a tool?  

Ryan Lashley: It's really a data-driven industry now. Even on their non-critical joints, our customers are looking for information to catch errors and similar issues. Just having that data is really important. It shows the value of what we provide our customers.  

One more thing we did with the new tool is to add a data buffer, so if there's any communication loss between the tool and the controller, the tool will continue to operate until the batch is complete. No data is lost. When communication is re-established, the tool picks back up again transmitting data. The operator doesn't even know if the tool lost communication. That helps out our fast takt-time customers in the automotive industry, where seconds count. 

Q: I understand Panasonic is a leader in pulse tools. How do you think your product is different than competitors? What makes the Panasonic lines stand out?  

Sota Ito: We are very proud to be the top producer of mechanical pulse tools. A mechanical pulse doesn't require oil. It will reduce customers' costs and the maintenance bottom line. And, it's very eco-friendly. The mechanical pulse is more efficient at generating the torque. So, compared with pulse tools, you can achieve higher torque with a smaller size.

It will make the customer's job much easier and more comfortable. We have made mechanical pulse tools that have been in use for 15 years. Our customers’ requirements for assembly tools are very high, but are meeting those expectations.

Ryan Lashley: You could probably tie a chain around a Panasonic tool and drag it behind a car for 10 miles, and it will still work.

We ensure that each of our tools encompasses that kind of durability—even our transducerized tools. Some transducers have a reputation of being more delicate or finicky. Not ours. They are drop-tested from 2 meters. They're meant to be used in a factory or in a really tough, demanding environment like that.

What sets Panasonic apart is our reputation for durability and innovation. We talk to our end-users. We ask them what they want to see in a tool. We don't just come out with something and say, “Here, make this work in your application.” Instead, we’ll bring them a prototype and ask what they think of it. And they might say, “That's great, but we’d never buy that.” Right? Or it needs to go down this path or that path. Having those relationships is critical for making sure that we're bringing something to market that solves a problem.

We're not just making a standard mechanical pulse tool. We figured out a way to add a transducer to it. We're not trying to make a “me too” product. We're trying to make something that delivers a solution to the marketplace. 

Q: What do you think Panasonic does to achieve and retain its quality of products and reputation? 

Ryan Lashley: It's making sure that we're keeping up with the demands of our customers. We're putting things through rigorous product testing. Everything that's going to make it into the hands of an operator—we have beaten the heck out of them in our labs. Our tools are built with the highest quality standards and materials. 

Q: Except for the AP4+, which are transducerized mechanical pulse tools, does Panasonic have any other unique mechanical pulse technology? 

Sota Ito: One of our directions of the mechanical pulse evolution is pursuing accuracy and traceability, which we realized in AP4+. Another direction is to make the tool more user-friendly and quieter.

To meet our customers' needs, we introduced our AccuPulse Quiet Pulse Series in 2023. And the tool still has a split anvil shaft design and larger drive mechanism that delivers precision torque with less vibration and noise. We reduced the noise level by about 10 decibels. That’s a big difference. The first Quiet Series tool has a maximum torque of 35 newton-meters. We are now launching a new Quiet Pulse Series with up to 55 newton-meters. 

Q: Do you think Japanese customers have a higher standard for noise requirements than American customers?  

Sota Ito: It's a very good question. I see more requests for less noise in Europe and China. Japan has recently raised its standards. Obviously, here in the U.S., we see a greater need for quieter tools. It's a big challenge for the mechanical pulses, because it has a mechanical hum. But we see the challenge as an opportunity to develop innovations that the other suppliers can’t.

Ryan Lashley: We've also reduced the vibration of the tool by about 75 percent, too. Operators' jobs are really demanding and tough. Being an operator in the field is not a lot of fun, right? We see that every day. We're trying to make their lives a little bit better. We can offer them a tool that's not quite as loud, not quite as abrasive. Ergonomics is a big pillar of what a tool should do. It's another thing that differentiates what Panasonic does vs. some of our competition. 

Q: I see that Panasonic now makes inline screwdrivers. So, what makes the Panasonic drivers different than others in a crowded market? 

Sota Ito: The concept of the new inline screwdriver is to transfer Panasonic's manufacturing know-how to our customers. Panasonic is a supplier of large appliances and electronics. We know a lot about improving productivity and quality in fastening processes. The product is based on observations from our actual worksite. It's basically packed with Panasonic know-how for process improvement—from the programmable features to the fine design details. 

Q: How did that knowledge translate into the design of the tool? 

Ryan Lashley: This driver was created for our own Panasonic factories. When people think of Panasonic, they think of televisions, maybe a tablet, or power tools. But in fact, it's multinational corporation with a quarter-million employees that makes tons of different electronics.

When we received the new screwdriver here in the States, we identified a couple of different things that make it stand out in the field. There are so many great screwdriver manufacturers out there. How do we provide value to the marketplace? What are we going to bring, that's different?

We try not to be the “me too” player. Do we have a standard clutch driver that just puts out torque? Of course we do. But we also have one that ties in right to an IO on a PLC without a controller. That can save somebody a lot of money for tooling up the line. We also perform a current calculation to obtain an actual torque value. We have an expensive transducer. Now we have a lower price option for someone whose needs might not be quite as advanced.

We have a good mix out there. It's really cool to have something that's innovative, even in that screwdriver space where it seems like maybe every leaf and rock has been turned. So just to be able to bring value to the marketplace with something new, something that differentiates us, even in a screwdriver, it's pretty cool.

Sota Ito: In addition, we've been offering error-proofing technologies to the automotive market for more than 15 years. Now we are trying to implement those error-proofing technologies for appliance manufacturing and other industries.  

Q: Is there anything exciting on the horizon in your division at Panasonic? Any spoilers or cool launches our listeners should look out for? 

Sota Ito: We are working on new, wireless controllers with intuitive interfaces. They have a lot of features that make maintenance jobs much easier.

Learn more about Panasonic Assembly Tools.