I wish I knew Japanese

[APIOQM]

Google Translate is helpful, but there are details missed:



You won’t find this level of technical detail from US or European manufacturers. There’s an appetite for it in Japan, which fosters better engineers, which results in better products.

 

[FarooqMCSE]

I knew some Japanese when I was with US Army in Okinawa. Lately, can not count to ten in Japanese

 

[mmmhhhmmmmmm]

Neat video. You can grab the Japanese transcript YouTube offers and pipe that through ChatGPT et al (I'm not using the paid version).

Comparing this to the auto-gen translated subtitles on the video and Google Translate, I think the below is far more coherent (not that I would know if it's accurate).

“This is one every 60 seconds. I think this is the world's fastest frame production line. Uh, that—well, the in-feed line is a TWB and arc hybrid welding, and previously it was just straight welding, but now we're connecting them in curves—whatever that means. It's based on what we've been doing since the '300', keeping the important parts but adapting what needed to be adapted for practical daily use. That's why I think these guys are doing something pretty incredible here.”
[Music]
“Matsumoto-san, you've brought us to a pretty impressive place today.”
“Yeah, this isn't the kind of place you just walk into. This is Toyota's Tokyo Design Research Lab—one of the satellite labs they have around the world.”
“Right.”
“You've probably heard of Calty in California, USA. There's also one in Nice, France, and one here in Tokyo.”
“Of course, the main headquarters has its new facility too.”
“But here in Tokyo, this satellite studio mainly focuses on advanced mobility development—not just cars.”
“Mobility and urban transportation, you mean.”
“Exactly. Toyota's future is being created here.”
“They're producing quite a bit here, too.”
“Right.”
“So, what are we reporting on today?”
“Today, we're focusing on the Land Cruiser 250's frame. We want to dive deeply into its details.”
“The LC250's frame is pretty intense, right?”
“Definitely.”
“And today, we get to talk in depth with the three people who built it.”
“Yes, very fortunate.”
“This is going to be full of technical terms.”
“Viewers, be prepared…”
“That's right.”
“Do your best to keep up.”
“Absolutely—hope you'll stay tuned.”
“Let's go?”
“Yes, please.”
“The Land Cruiser 250 is the latest model, launched in 2024.”
[Music]
“Although it's derived from the legendary LC line and retains rough-terrain capability, it also offers comfort and convenience for city driving—an excellent balance.”
“Today, our guests are…”
[Music]
“Nice to meet you. I'm Takayama from Product Planning for the Land Cruiser. Before this, I was in platform design, focusing on suspension. Thank you for your time today.”
“I'm Uchiyama from Vehicle Body Manufacturing Technology. I've been introducing production equipment for non-linear TWB into the frame line. Thank you.”
“And I'm Taira from the same department, responsible for the ladder-frame welding process. Glad to be here.”
“Wow—we're already hearing terms we don't understand yet. We'll come back to those later.”
“You're all wearing Land Cruiser shirts—is that the workshop wear?”
“There's no rule, but today everyone happened to match.”
“So where should we start?”
[Music]
“Let's start from the front.”
“Sure—what should we ask first?”
“At the front, the overhang seems short—is that right?”
“Yes, that's deliberate. You'll notice, we're using the GF platform, so the wheelbase is 2,850 mm—the same as the LC300.”
“Right.”
“But for everyday practicality, it's about 25 mm shorter than the Land Cruiser Prado—so improved maneuverability.”
“So even though it's shorter than the Prado, it's still based on the same platform.”
“We don't just reuse parts; we inherit all concepts and evolve them—that's what platform reuse means to us.”
“Wow, sounds very official.”
“We didn't rehearse this!”
“Can we dig deeper?”
“I saw this—what is this here?”
“Good spot. To handle crash deformation properly, we precisely set the crush initiation points—down to millimeters. A lot of effort went into where we positioned those mounts.”
“And they differ slightly by model?”
“Yes, though platform is same, we fine-tune per model.”
“Earlier, you said you produce one every 60 seconds?”
“Yes—that's how fast we build frame subassemblies.”
“No other manufacturer makes such large frames that fast.”
“We believe it's the world's fastest frame production line.”
“Wow.”
“We've seen overseas examples, but we haven't found a frame so loved by customers.”
“Right.”
“Many automakers benchmark others—I've been to see a lot abroad.”
“Automakers have great benchmarking systems—sort of like exchange visits.”
“Yes—they show each other around.”
“Did you enjoy visiting any place?”
“Hard to say—the other factories are always fascinating.”
“Right, because it's new to you.”
“You pick up good ideas.”
“Definitely—every factory has its unique highlights.”
“Now, onto the suspension—I noticed more stroke than the old 70-series, and it's a long double wishbone.”
“That's essential for the Land Cruiser's performance—stroke was first priority. And yes, the frame geometry had to be tuned around it.”
“You adjusted suspension pick-up points by millimeters—3D fine-tuning for straight-line stability.”
“Right, moving the wishbone up or down affects stability.”
“You're using aluminum for weight saving?”
“Yes, aluminum lower arms—modified from the 300.”
“How about the stabilizer location?”
“Because of the short overhang, we moved it rearward from where it was on the 300 to maximize crush zones.”
“I noticed the frame is very clean, with laser brazing.”
“Yes, our TWB process is hybrid laser-arc welding—allows non-linear welds, unlike old straight-line welding. We define thickness and materials based on precise strength needs.”
“One weld line is about 1,200 m long, with 8-10 such weld lines per vehicle.”
“Impressive.”
“The weld bead is really clean—the laser part is that raised line; the rest is arc weld.”
“The curve is designed for strength and weight saving, placing laser welds where needed.”
“So the mounting parts are precise—lots of careful metrology, again millimeter-level planning.”
“Yes. And after welding, when panels are fitted, spring-back control is critical—we manage that too.”
“Let's talk TWB—what does it stand for?”
“Tailored Welded Blank. You butt two panels together, weld, then press-form. Unlike old methods—cut, press, then arc weld reinforcements—it lets us get accurate strength by the time of final shaping.”
“So weld-then-shape, improving precision before final assembly.”
“Exactly—nearly net-shape parts go into next welds, making the process faster and more accurate.”
“You've used hybrid laser-arc—why arc first, laser after?”
“Yes—arc for good penetration and laser punching through. That gives clean, strong welds.”
“Interesting approach—laser-first is common, but you reversed it.”
“And press-forming involves over-bend, spring-back, then final shape steps to ensure precision.”
“This technique took about 10 years to develop, and was introduced from the 300's production.”
[Music]
“Can we talk about the dies?”
“I'm not the die specialist, but I know that we match cross-sectional profiles carefully—flip one panel to align blade edges before welding, reducing gaps.”
“What about HLA welding?”
“Hybrid Laser-Arc—used even on curves for TWB, combining arc and laser to get near-net shape.”
“That's specialized tech.”
“Yes—arc first, then laser to clean and finish.”
[Music]
“These techniques took around 10 years to develop; deployed from the 300 series.”
“What about improvements after launch?”
“We continuously refine designs, parts, and respond to customer expectations.”
“Customers love this frame—they often ask 'will it stay frame-based?' That shows how much they care.”
“We get nervous and excited once it's out—it's a real test.”
“It's rare for a frame to earn this much praise.”
“This team isn't usually in the spotlight, but what they do is amazing.”
[Music]
“Invisible parts are the most important—without a strong frame, the car fails. We've seen frames crack in Dakar Rally with basic arc welds. Our hybrid, pre-heated method allows mass production at speed—one every 60 seconds.”
“If you understand that, you'll see how incredible this frame truly is.”
“Thank you—really, thank you.”
“Thank you so much.”
[End]

 

[FarooqMCSE]

Neat video. You can grab the Japanese transcript YouTube offers and pipe that through ChatGPT et al (I'm not using the paid version).

Comparing this to the auto-gen translated subtitles on the video and Google Translate, I think the below is far more coherent (not that I would know if it's accurate).

Hi buddy, so thankful to you for posting it. Very interesting and educating

 

[Area 51]

The US market cannot handle a more detailed level of explanations. The education system is failed in the US for a number of reasons. The US does not produce top rate engineers form the indigenous population any more for the most part, we need to import them from 3rd world counties and some not 3rd world. The local and fed gov in the US has an agenda that is not clear, maybe even to the people that think they know. The work ethic in the US is failing.
So yes, would be nice, the US cant handle it, this web site proves that out in many cases.
Sad but true.