Around 1967, Toshiyuki's father, learning that Matsushita Communication Industrial (now Panasonic) was establishing a presence in Yokohama, went to pitch their metal mesh technology for microphones.
This led to the start of business with Panasonic.

"During the first karaoke boom in the 1970s, Panasonic was also producing microphones, and our company reportedly had monthly sales close to 100 million yen."

Toshiyuki had been aware of inheriting Futami Seisakusho since he was in junior high school. However, to experience the outside world, he joined Panasonic after graduating from a vocational school.
"I had planned to leave after five or six years and take over the company, but it was so comfortable that I ended up staying for 12 years."

Toshiyuki was in charge of production technology at Panasonic and was involved in die/mold and equipment-related work.
Then, at the age of 32, he joined Futami Seisakusho, and after working for about 10 years, he took over the company as the 4th generation president.

When Toshiyuki joined Futami Seisakusho, microphone manufacturing accounted for 80% of total sales. Furthermore, Panasonic's sales alone reportedly amounted to 70%.

"I thought that if we relied solely on Panasonic, we wouldn't know what might happen in the future. So, I decided to change the sales composition ratio."

Thus, Toshiyuki introduced new machining centers and 5-axis machining machines, utilizing subsidies. By doing so, he ventured into new fields such as prototyping die/mold and resin machining, and currently, microphone manufacturing and other manufacturing are said to be roughly 50:50.

Futami Seisakusho's strength lies, after all, in its microphone manufacturing know-how and technical capabilities.
The company can undertake integrated production from product planning to parts manufacturing, secondary processing such as painting and alumite treatment, and assembly.

Among these, the company has a strong reputation for its high level of manufacturing technology for microphone head metal mesh and diaphragms.
Processing metal mesh is difficult without the technology to create press dies.
For example, for a dynamic microphone, mesh-like metal must be drawn into a spherical shape.

If processed improperly, the mesh can tear or become uneven.

"If the mesh is uneven, it affects the accuracy of sound pickup. That's why we change our methods depending on the shape, such as drawing it in multiple stages or crushing the mesh beforehand before drawing."

And Futami Seisakusho's technology is fully utilized in the diaphragm, which can be called the heart of the microphone.
Polyimide film with a thickness of about 8/100 mm is molded using a heated die/mold.

"Depending on the shape of the diaphragm, the captured sound quality changes, such as being able to pick up high frequencies easily or having rich bass. We have that know-how."

Therefore, Futami Seisakusho can adjust the diaphragm to meet the sound needs requested by customers.

Utilizing the technical capabilities cultivated in microphone manufacturing, the company is also engaged in businesses other than microphones.
What customers particularly appreciate is prototyping die/mold.
They can handle palm-sized items, approximately 100 mm square.
Toshiyuki emphasizes cost the most in the manufacturing of prototyping dies.

"Prototyping dies are used to produce around 1,000 units, sometimes as few as 50 or 100. Therefore, we prioritize cost over durability and consider methods that can be done with as little cost as possible."

Die/mold manufacturing costs are initial costs. While mass production can reduce the initial cost per product, for prototyping with small production quantities, the cost of the die/mold becomes a significant burden.

To reduce costs, Futami Seisakusho uses duralumin as a material, cutting processing time by about half. Additionally, they reduce costs by devising machining center processing methods without using electrical discharge machines.

Sometimes, they even use loose inserts instead of slide structures, allowing the inserts to be removed by hand. By accumulating various such ingenuities, they can surprisingly reduce the price to about one-fifth of that of a production die.

The future of Futami Seisakusho, as envisioned by Toshiyuki, is a world where 'two powers become three,' just as his grandfather named it.

"From now on, we must engage in high-value-added work. For that, technology is essential. To achieve this, I believe we must become a company where each employee not only possesses technology but can also combine their strengths to exert even greater power."

To achieve this, they are implementing various initiatives.
Creating a comfortable working environment for employees is one of them.

"Comfortable working conditions differ for everyone. So, we try to find the working environment that suits each individual."

For example, employees commuting from the central-southern part of Kanagawa Prefecture to Shinagawa are put on staggered work hours to reduce the stress of rush hour.
Regarding the training of young engineers, they are reportedly taught CAM first, contrary to the usual learning order.

"We used to be told to learn technology by observation, and that you couldn't program if you couldn't use general-purpose machines, but that leads to frustration. So, we start with familiar computer-based tasks to get them interested in machining."

Toshiyuki's vision of 'two powers becoming three' is not limited to within the company.

"We have nearly 100 partner companies. Without them, our work would not be possible. I believe that by leveraging each other's strengths, we can achieve better manufacturing."

For that purpose, they want to get to know various companies and collaborate. If each can contribute their strengths and transform them into even greater power, the world of manufacturing will shine even brighter.