What is Body Prototyping?

In Pursuit of greater Safety and Durability.

Our main business line is car body prototyping. Often people think that "prototype" means "trial production," but in fact it is a little different. The most important thing in car prototyping is to accomplish the movement and accuracy predicted by the design. This understanding is required, right down to the flow movement of a single stream of rainwater, and if the expected results are not achieved, new cars will not evolve. In this sense, a prototype vehicle has the aspect of being a test vehicle.

A variety of tests are conducted before a car is released onto the market. Besides driving durability tests, vibration, noise, rough road, collision, and driving performance tests are performed. Even if the same model is designed for a cold region, the car is transported to an extremely cold area and tested.
Nowadays, computers can make some predictions, so around 50 prototype units are built, but in the past, over 200 units were made. Prototyping is such a major undertaking.

We are mainly engaged in the prototyping of the underbody, which is the skeleton of the car. Although the underbody is not visible from the surface, it is where the suspension parts that cancel vibration and strength are required. That is why, in the prototype stage, we strive to achieve a higher level of precision than in the actual finished car. That's how I approach my work every day.

Also, processing jigs are an important part of prototyping. Prototype parts are time-consuming to produce because they are not yet available on the market and have complex shapes. Therefore, the role of the jig is to facilitate cutting and welding by positioning and supporting parts, saving time and effort. We have earned a high reputation among Toyota jig manufacturers in terms of both quality and delivery time for our prototype jigs.

As such, our company has been involved in almost all of Toyota's vehicle models for half a century with underbody prototype production and prototype production jigs. I am proud of my involvement in the development of Toyota's first luxury car, the Celsior, and the prototyping and mass production of the Lexus LFA was the result of my daily efforts.

Yahagi Industries will continue to combine its technological and developmental strengths in the field of prototyping in support of automobile development from behind the scenes, which cannot be achieved through mass production. Additionally, we would like to play a part in the future of new cars and apply the craftsmanship we have cultivated over the years to other fields.