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High-QualityLinearEncoderThroughIntegratedProductionTheUtsunomiyaOperationsKiyoharaPlantpresentsacompletemanufacturingenvironmentwherelinearencodersforMitutoyomeasuringequipmentaswellaslinearscalesforthegeneralmarketareproduced.Thewholeproductionprocessincludingthemanufacturingofglassscalesforlinearencoders,assemblyofelectroniccomponentsandproducts,andinspectionisperformedhere.Conditionsarecontinuouslybeingoptimizedforfurtherenhancedscaleaccuracyandevenhigherquality.TheundergroundresearchlaboratoryattheKiyoharaPlanthasbeenspeciallydesignedandconstructedtoprovidetheenvironmentrequiredforthehigh-levelscalegraduationprocessaswellasforhigh-accuracymeasurements.Locatedonasolidbedrockfoundationninemetersunderground,thefacilitymaintainsastableandtightlycontrolledenvironmentallyearround.Temperatureandhumidityfluctuationsaswellasexternalvibrationsarekepttoanabsoluteminimum.Inthislaboratory,weproducemasterscales,performaccuracyevaluation,andpursuevariouskindsofresearchthatprovidetheunderpinningfortheaccuracyandqualityofourlinearscales.SputteringequipmentTopsoilStyrofoaminsulationBituminouswaterproofingConcreteslabsSpaceabovedroppedceilingLaboratoryspaceVibration-prooffoundationUndergroundresearchfacilityLinearEncoderAccuracyCalibrationTechnologyToassurehighaccuracyinlinearencoders,ahighlyreliablecalibrationsystemisindispensable.Theultra-precisionlengthmeasuringmachinedevelopedbyMitutoyoandinstalledintheundergroundresearchfacilityattheKiyoharaPlantbenefitsfromthehighlystableundergroundenvironment.Inaddition,thelightpathofthelaserinterferometerusedtomeasurelengthsisplacedinavacuumtofurthereliminateanycausesofuncertainty.Theresultisalinearencodercalibrationsystemofworld-leadingprecision,internationallyrecognizedbymutualinterlaboratorycomparisons.Inrecognitionofthehightechnologicalstandardrealizedbythissystem,itreceivedtheBestPaperAwardoftheJapanSocietyofPrecisionEngineeringin2004andtheFAPaperAwardoftheGeneralIncorporatedFoundationin2005.LinearScaleTraceabilitySystemChartLinearScalesfromMitutoyoaretraceabletonationalstandardsNationalstandardSecondarystandardMitutoyoMetrologicalStandardsCalibrationSection(JCSSAccreditedCal.Lab.No.0067)FrequencyStandardOscillator(Asastandardofopticalfrequencycomb)MitutoyoMetrologicalStandardsCalibrationSection(JCSSAccreditedCal.Lab.No.0067)633nmIodineStabilizedHe-NeLaserMitutoyoUtsunomiyaCalibrationCenter(JCSSAccreditedCal.Lab.No.0031)633nmStabilizedHe-NeLaserLinearScale〈Instrumentalerror〉LinearScaleisaregisteredtrademarkofMitutoyoCorporationforitslinearencoderproducts.NationalMetrologyInstituteofJapan/NationalInstituteofAdvancedIndustrialScienceandTechnology(NMIJ/AIST)TheatomicclocksynchronizedtoUTC7-57