からくり

English translation: "Tricks" or "innovative techniques"

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Japanese term or phrase:	からくり
English translation:	"Tricks" or "innovative techniques"
Entered by:	Troy Fowler

05:57 Sep 14, 2005

Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Automotive / Cars & Trucks / assembly line management

Japanese term or phrase: からくり

From the same document. How would one render this saying in English? Here is the entire section:

===================
ライン数(k)の増加は必然的に設備投資を伴う。そこで，設備投資額(E)は，次のように表される（図８）。

ところで，セル生産の導入過程では，設備の改良・内製化・安価なものによる代替によって設備負担を減らす取り組みが行われていた。これは「からくり」とよばれる。からくりによる設備負担軽減のメカニズムは，

Troy Fowler KudoZ activity Questions: 149 (1 open) (2 without valid answers) (8 closed without grading) Answers: 341 United States
Local time: 09:17

"Tricks" or "innovative techniques"

Explanation:
The answer to the question of what is "karakuri" is in your own sample text. Thesea are "tricks" or "techniques" to reduce cost and increase efficiency.

NOte that of course while the word "trick" is used, it here means "innovative techniques" , and does not mean that we are being simply deceived into thinking costs are lower.

Selected response from:

Kurt Hammond
United States
Local time: 09:17

Grading comment

Thanks for your answer Kurt.

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

2 +2

"Tricks" or "innovative techniques"

Kurt Hammond

karakuri

Katsunori Higuchi

2 +1

Hand made equipment

ishigami

sequential mechanism

Kazumichi Sato (X)

See web site

snowbees

Answers

7 mins confidence:

からくり karakuri

Explanation:
I think "karakuri" is enough in this context.

Katsunori Higuchi
Japan
Local time: 01:17
Native speaker of:

Japanese

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

からくり

"Tricks" or "innovative techniques"

Kurt Hammond
United States
Local time: 09:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 128

Grading comment

Thanks for your answer Kurt.

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

からくり Hand made equipment

Explanation:
長浜キャノンの現場作業者はCell production/manufacturingのために作成した手作りの設備類を「からくり」と呼んでいるそうです。
http://www1.harenet.ne.jp/‾noriaki/link71-3.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs 14 mins (2005-09-14 10:11:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

More「からくり」information
http://www.ooaana.or.jp/shien/tayori200403.html
http://www.sonyemcs.net/kisarazu_tec/html/technical/02.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs 5 mins (2005-09-14 22:03:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Early stage in introducing the cell production, they, who were working in the cell, encountered a lot of problems in production process using the device, equiment and etc. To solve those problems, they have developed, produced or improvised the tools, equipment. 「からくり」originally indicated these hand-made equipment, tools and devices. However, the production sectors introduced the cell production later seem to have been applying the term「からくり」more broadly like 「からくり改善」.

ishigami
Local time: 00:17
Native speaker of:

Japanese
PRO pts in category: 32

2 hrs confidence:

からくり sequential mechanism

Explanation:
http://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=ja&c2coff=1&q="sequen...
http://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=ja&c2coff=1&q="からくりにな...
mechanismなのですが、仕組みの説明に前後関係を必要とする場合に、特にからくりという言葉を使うようです。

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 35 mins (2005-09-14 08:32:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=ja&c2coff=1&q="という仕掛け...
たぶん、技術者が得意そうにいうときの「仕掛け」も同じです。

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs 10 mins (2005-09-15 02:07:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I change my mind. "Core Mechanisms in Sequence" is better because からくり means a little bit special mechanism in the context.

Kazumichi Sato (X)
Japan
Local time: 01:17
Native speaker of: Japanese
PRO pts in category: 11

20 hrs confidence:

からくり See web site

Explanation:
The asker's query appears to derive from the article QUOTE

設備や治工具もセルに合ったものを自作し始めた。従来の設備、治工具はベルトコンベアを前提に、すべて外部の専門業者に発注していた。発注側も受注側も「せっかくつくるのだからよいものを」と考えた結果が必要以上のスペックの設備となって表れていた。ベルトコンベア向けの重厚長大な設備、治工具は、セルでは使いにくい。間締めした狭いスペースでも使いやすい軽薄短小の設備を自らつくった方がよい。現場の作業者はこう考えるようになったのだ。手づくりの設備類を長浜キヤノンの現場作業者は「からくり」と呼んでいる。モーターなどの動力装置抜きでうまく動く仕掛けをつくる。そんな思いをからくりという言葉に込めている。
　「からくり」には設備投資額が減少するというおまけもついた。例えば、製品の印字精度を検査する画像評価機はオフィスの複写機並みの大きさの装置を１台600万円で購入していたが、これを小型化し、卓上にのる１台50万円程度のものを自ら開発した。部品を移送する装置もモーターを使ったりする大かかりなものはなるべく取り除き、小さな手押し台車を使って渡したりするようになった。大型の自動倉庫は廃止し、今ではセルのそばの決まった場所に最小限の部品だけしか置かないようにしている。(55〜56ページ『キヤノン高収益復活の秘密』)UNQUOTE

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 7 hrs 5 mins (2005-09-15 13:02:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Articles about automotive production appear to provide "helpful" tips about the asker's query. QUOTE

Keeping Costs Low. Talk to any Honda executive and he will lament how financially poor his company is. Honda has institutionalized this sense of being the little match girl of the automotive industry to keep its folks creative and hungry. The thinking essentially goes like this: it’s easy to get lazy if you think your company’s coffers are bulging, but if you think of yourself as the scrappy little guy about to get crushed by massive competitors with unlimited resources, then you come up with cheap, creative solutions. At EGA that mindset means getting more work for less money out of each die set. UNQUOTE
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KJI/is_1_116/ai_...

http://www.autofieldguide.com/articles/070502.html

Reference: http://www1.harenet.ne.jp/~noriaki/link71-3.html

snowbees
Local time: 01:17
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Japanese
PRO pts in category: 16

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

からくり

English translation: "Tricks" or "innovative techniques"

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

からくり

English translation: "Tricks" or "innovative techniques"

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language