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2020 - Makoto Sato - Japan

                                        Pat McKeown

  Mr. Makoto Sato

 

 

  Honorary Fellow,
  Former Executive Senior Managing Director, Makino Milling Machine Co., Ltd.

 

Mr. Makoto Sato was born in Japan on 4 March 1941, graduated from Hokkaido University in 1963 and joined Makino Milling Machine Co., Ltd. Shortly after joining the company, he participated in the commercialization of Japan's first NC milling machine, which was successfully developed. He was involved in Japan's first machining centre, which was later commercialized worldwide. He served as a member of the Technical Committee of the Japan Machine Tool Builders' Association and made efforts to harmonize Japanese Standards (JIS) and International Standards (ISO) for machine tools, which greatly promoted the globalization of machine tools. He also devised the practical application of FMS and the standardization of machining cells, which he disseminated worldwide.


 His contact with CIRP began in 1974, when he introduced MAD: Machining oriented Automatic Decision system of tooling for machining centres. In this year, the first General Assembly of CIRP in Asia was held in Tokyo and Kyoto. He participated in the round table in Tokyo as an observer. In Kyoto, he took the participants to the Yanmar Diesel Amagasaki Factory. A demonstration plant of the Mechanical Engineering Research Institute "The Adaptive Controlled Transfercenter" designed and built by Makino Milling Machine, was in action without the need of the operator, and won praise from CIRP participants.

 He also conducted research and development of innovative machining methods including Flush Fine Cutting (FF Cutting), which is widely used for high-speed machining of hard materials and ultra-high-speed machining of light alloys. In FF cutting, the machining heat does not accumulate inside the cutting area, which is advantageous for high-speed machining. Accordingly, the speed of machine tools has increased dramatically, and machine structure has been lightened and made smaller. Makino Milling Machine became global machine tool builder and as a result was the pioneer of today's high-speed, high-precision and multi-axis machine tools.
At the same time, Mr. Makoto Sato conducted joint research with many universities, research institutes, and companies, participated in national projects, and actively lectured and wrote at various academic conferences.

 As soon as NC machine tools became commercially available, there was a demand for 5-axis controlled machining centres. In 1969, he developed the first 5-axis NC milling machine requested from a European tyre manufacturer. Since then, he and the company have developed a variety of 5-axis machining centres to meet by different kinematic demands for various industries around the world. 

 Mr. Makoto Sato has been working step by step in the field of machining technology to find solutions and disseminate the results of his efforts. His aim has been to achieve machining technology which has high accuracy, high efficiency and short lead time, and which is economical and non-invasive to nature. The actions he has taken are in line with the common consciousness of all people that the environment of the earth must be protected in a sustainable manner.

He is married and has three daughters and four grandchildren. Aquabics (Aerobics performed in the pool) is part of his daily routine.