 |
 |
Naming car models is tricky,
as the name should evoke something of the car’s character as well as resonate
with the target market. But, Mitsubishi Motors has found great
names for two new models set to hit the Japanese domestic market this fall.
The name of the latest Galant sports sedan
speaks of horsepower, safety and stability—Fortis, meaning “strong”
in Latin. True enough, the Galant Fortis (known as “Lancer” outside
of Japan) features a high-rigidity platform for excellent collision safety, and
a newly developed, 2-liter aluminum block engine that offers both high output
and high fuel economy. Add to that a wide-bodied, sporty exterior and spacious
cabin, and the Galant Fortis is set to be a strong market contender.
The tenth incarnation of the 4WD Lancer Evolution has been named X, the roman
numeral for 10. Of course, X can also mean something undefinable, a special something
that adds character.
Within its clean-cut design, the Lancer Evolution
X sports many of Mitsubishi’s latest automobile technologies. All Wheel
Control (AWC), for instance, gives the driver integrated control of driving and
braking functions, and Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) brings highly responsive
handling and remarkable stability.
Finally, the car’s high performance
and excellent fuel economy comes courtesy of a newly developed, lightweight 2-liter/4-turbine
MIVEC* engine, with an aluminum block and 6-speed automatic transmission. Not
bad, eh?
* MIVEC stands for Mitsubishi Innovative Valve Timing Electronic Control System—Mitsubishi
Motors’ variable valve timing mechanism. |
| |
|
PAGE
TOP |
 |
|
| When the Nikon Rayfact
IL Series of inspection lenses by Tochigi Nikon, a subsidiary of Nikon,
are fitted to automated production inspection equipment, they allow finely detailed
inspection of an exceptionally wide area. This feature is important to customers
that need to inspect broad, flat items such as printed sheets and other surfaces
or printed-circuit boards during production. The Nikon Rayfact IL Series, which
uses low-magnification lenses to achieve its high performance, improves inspection
throughput, and is well suited for use by external inspection equipment. The Nikon
Rayfact IL Series is compatible with the out-of- |
|
 |
|
| The Nikon Rayfact IL Series is
well suited for inspection equipment |
|
|
production EL-Nikkor Series (the EL-Nikkor
40 mm f/4 N, 50 mm f/2.8 N and 63 mm f/2.8 N), for optimal use in an assortment
of external inspection equipment.
The small number of changes over time and
the use of durable, rigid metal lens tubes have given the Nikon Rayfact IL Series
high reliability. Across the broad light spectrum of 380–700 nanometers
seen by the human eye, the lens corrects for image location caused by differences
in the wavelength of light and chromatic aberration arising from magnification.
For improved testing reliability, a lock mechanism allows the aperture to be set
to a fixed value to maintain a constant setting. |
|
PAGE
TOP |
 |
|
The Shin-Marunouchi Building, subject
of the cover story in the last issue of the Monitor, blends beautifully
with the modern urban environment and contributes to a richer life for all who
use it. To ensure that it blends equally well with the natural environment, Dai
Nippon Toryo was called on to develop and supply an assortment of high
functionality painting materials for internal and external surfaces. The Shin-Marunouchi
Building and the Marunouchi Building are both stately super high-rise buildings
that symbolically serve as the gateway to Tokyo and are frequently cited as examples
of living in harmony with the environment.
Their
designers intentionally sought to thoroughly eliminate heavy metals like lead
and chrome from building materials, while showing consideration for the impact
of paint odors and the health of construction workers by substantially restricting
volatile organic compounds. Their success was the result of long-term product
development by Dai Nippon Toryo aimed at “preservation and decoration of
architecture and structures” and “protection of people and the planet,”
and, as a result, Dai Nippon Toryo has become highly regarded for its stance of
making earth-friendly products. |
|
|
 |
|
| The new environment-friendly paint,
named Green Suboid, contains few heavy metals and volatile organic compounds |
|
|
|
PAGE
TOP |
 |
|
In June 2007, NTT DoCoMo began selling
the D904i, the latest mobile phone supplied by Mitsubishi Electric.
The 16.8 mm-thin handset—the thinnest in NTT DoCoMo’s 9 Series—is
equipped with a motion control sensor that allows the phone to be operated by
swinging or tilting the handset.
For instance, the D904i accommodates games
made particularly for handsets with a motion control sensor. These include Tamaran,
a game played by guiding a mercury ball by tilting the handset, and Taikan!
Chin-san’s Fishing Story, a fishing game that simulates the action
of casting the rod (= the handset).
To view incoming e-mail, the user simply swings
the handset twice—right and left—when the mail notification pops up.
Similarly, swinging the handset |
|
|
 |
|
| Swinging the handset left and right
opens the mail browser |
| |
| up and down, or back
and forth, can rewind or fast forward music. Video clips are handled as well,
with the screen automatically switching between portrait and landscape when rotated
counterclockwise to a horizontal position. |
|
|
|
| These
motion control capabilities also enable various functions to be operated with
the handset closed, which makes handling more convenient. In addition to the pre-installed
games mentioned above, more games for D904i can be downloaded from DoCoMo’s
internet service, including from Mitsubishi Electric’s website: www.mitsubishielectric.co.jp/mobile/
(Japanese only). |
|
| The screen changes to landscape
when rotated counterclockwise—great for video clips! |
|
|
|
PAGE
TOP |
 |
|
Mitsubishi Estate
has given key buildings in the Mitsubishi Group’s heartland in Marunouchi,
Tokyo, a high-tech upgrade—a multi-base communication system that marries
voice-over-IP and wireless LAN with NTT DoCoMo’s FOMA technology, thereby
greatly facilitating building management.
Developed by NTT DoCoMo, the new system connects the current wireless IP voice
call system, which uses the N902iL FOMA/wireless LAN dual-mode mobile phone from
NTT DoCoMo, to the fiber optic network constructed in the Marunouchi area by Marunouchi
Direct Access Inc. Currently, the new unified network spans four buildings: the
Shin-Marunouchi, Marunouchi, Otemachi and Kishimoto buildings.
The system makes it possible to place, receive, hold and forward internal calls
using wireless IP technology between the four buildings, and can also be used
to activate emergency contact in the event of a disaster. In addition, users also
benefit from a range of FOMA functions, such as high-speed e-mail and Internet,
transmission of large files to and from the handsets and more.
Mitsubishi Estate and NTT DoCoMo will continue to explore and introduce streamlined
IT communication systems that make use of mobile phone technology. |
|
 |
|
| The new communication system links four Mitsubishi buildings
together |
|
|
PAGE
TOP |
 |
|
NYK Joins Joint Project to Build Singapore’s First Dedicated Automobile Terminal
NYK, PSA Singapore Terminals and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. have agreed to establish
the first dedicated automobile terminal at PSA Singapore Terminals, the world’s
largest transshipment hub for containers.
The new joint venture has been named Asia
Automobile Terminal Singapore and by January 2009, it will establish and operate
a dedicated terminal for automobiles using two berths at PSA’s Pasir Panjang
Terminal.
Singapore is a very important harbor in Asia
for NYK’s finished-automobile transport service. Through the new joint venture,
NYK will boost its competitive network and its ability to respond to rapidly increasing
demand for automobiles in Asian countries. |
|
Asahi Glass Launches Commercial
Production of Groundbreaking Dielectric
Dielectrics are insulating substances with very low electric conductivity
that confine electric currents to specified pathways—for instance in wire
insulation and circuit boards. For electronic devices, highly efficient dielectrics
enable higher operational speeds, lower power consumption and smaller size as
components can be packed tightly together.
Asahi Glass has now launched commercial production
of a new fluorine material with unprecedented resistance—the dielectric
constant, which measures the material’s relative permittivity, or how much
of the current that passes through, is at 2.4–2.5, the industry’s
lowest. The material is intended for use as an interlayer film within high-frequency
devices, meaning electronic equipment operating at high processor speeds. It can
be applied easily using the spin-coat method, and is suitable for use with a wide
range of communication devices, such as mobile phones. |
|
Mitsubishi Electric
Cooks with Induction
Seven new built-in-type induction heating cooktop systems released in
June are the industry’s first to use a triple coil—a big step forward
in the field of uniform heating.
The induction cooking elements do not use
fire or a hot, glowing burner. Instead, they rely on electromagnetic induction
to heat the molecules in the pan itself. The series features a newly developed
triple induction-heating coil that is controlled by two circuits to realize uniform
heating across the bottom of the pan.
The 360 mm-wide broiler-oven is 30 mm wider than the previous series, which expands
flexibility and performance of your cooking. |
|
PAGE
TOP |
|
