#Japan #Tokyo #Education Support #MISUMI #Meviy

Introduction

Misumi Group Inc., through its AI-driven mechanical parts procurement platform Meviy, has launched a special support program named "Meviy for Education". This initiative aims to empower students who will shape the manufacturing industry of the future. As part of this program, we are excited to present a report detailing the activities supported during the 2024 academic year (from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025).

Background of Meviy for Education

Japan's manufacturing industry accounts for approximately 20% of the country's GDP and has begun to grapple with a critical labor shortage issue. In recent years, the number of young workers has diminished significantly, dropping by around 1.29 million over the past two decades. This decrease is attributed not only to a decline in the number of learners but also to a shortage of educators capable of training these individuals. The role of digital services like Meviy is crucial in addressing these challenges by greatly enhancing the efficiency of the manufacturing process through the use of AI and digital technologies. Recent studies suggest that almost 30% of universities and technical colleges across Japan have begun utilizing Meviy, indicating rising adoption in educational settings. Consequently, "Meviy for Education" was initiated in 2023 to support aspiring young manufacturers, now in its third year as it also implements support for the 2025 program (September 2025 – August 2026).

Highlights of the 2024 Academic Year

In 2024, the program supported 20 diverse student organizations nationwide, assisting projects from student formula competitions to robotics contests and art-technology collaborations in design schools. Providing coupons worth up to 90% off Meviy parts purchases, students benefited significantly from this support. Feedback from participants highlighted that they were able to create high-precision components that would have been challenging to manufacture with their school's equipment and noted accelerated development cycles due to quick component procurement.

Utilizing Meviy as a tool has enabled participating organizations to significantly enhance both development speed and manufacturing accuracy, demonstrating tangible results such as prestigious placements in national robot contests and improvements in EV racing car performance. Furthermore, there have been reported cases where this program has directly contributed to prototype development successes.

Meviy in Educational and Research Settings

From the program's follow-up surveys, it has become evident that Meviy is widely utilized by students for their manufacturing projects, serving as a practical procurement method during design and manufacturing phases. We also received specific requests related to educational and research activities, which will inform our improvements in service and support offerings moving forward.

Advantages of Using Meviy

• - Rapid procurement of parts even with tight development schedules
• - Comprehensive online processing for estimates and orders just by uploading 3D CAD data
• - Capable of producing high-precision components reflecting design intents, including tolerance and flatness specifications
• - Flexibility in handling complex materials and shapes difficult to process with in-house facilities expand the freedom of design

Voices from Participating Organizations

University of Tokyo - Formula Factory (EV Racing Car Manufacturing)

"We work on producing EV racing cars for the annual Student Formula Japan competition held every summer. This year, we made significant vehicle packaging changes, requiring the manufacturing of many new parts. We used Meviy to procure difficult drivetrain components, enabling us to design high-difficulty parts that fit our desired gear ratio. The quick estimate process and ease of implementing design changes were incredibly beneficial. The ability to specify tolerances allowed us to order precision-required parts with confidence in quick replenishment in case of blemishes."

Waseda University - ROBOSTEP (Robot Development)

"Meviy has been a game changer for us, particularly when creating high-precision metal plate components that were challenging to manufacture using campus facilities. By utilizing Meviy for essential structural parts like the independent steering mechanism base plate and omni-wheel plates, we could finally implement our mechanisms early. The service's efficiency also allowed us to handle estimates and deadlines quickly, which was critical for our limited budget and tight development timeframes, leading to remarkable achievements in competitions."

Kinki University - Kinki Manufacturing Workshop (Education)

"We leveraged Meviy for producing educational materials that enhance students' understanding of fit tolerances for their graduation projects and extracurricular activities. By producing components with varying clearances, students learn the importance of tolerance specification in practice. Meviy's use has alleviated our workload and allowed us to focus more on improving educational content and experience."

Misumi's Manufacturing Support Efforts

Our commitment extends beyond just the Meviy program; we engage in various initiatives to foster the next generation of creators. More details on our support activities can be explored at Misumi CSR initiatives.

Notable Support Activities So Far

• - Special website for supporting student manufacturing activities: Misumi Student Manufacturing
• - Sponsoring Robo-One, the bipedal robot competition: Robo-One Special Site
• - Supporting small manufacturing businesses through Meviy
• - Assisting the middle and high school team SAKURA Tempesta at the FIRST® Robotics Competition.
• - Organizing summer manufacturing workshops.

What is Meviy?

Meviy allows users to upload 3D models of mechanical parts and receive instant quotations through AI, facilitating shipping as soon as within a day. This platform has considerably minimized the inefficiencies generally faced during the procurement of mechanical parts, claiming over 90% reduction in processing time involved. For four consecutive years, Meviy has proudly held the top market share domestically, receiving the Prime Minister’s Award among other accolades for boosting manufacturing productivity. We have also expanded our service offerings globally to provide time-value around parts procurement through digital transformation.

Meviy's website: Meviy
Customer feedback: Customer Voices

About Misumi

Misumi serves over 323,000 global manufacturing enterprises (as of March 2025) by providing essential mechanical parts, tools, and consumables needed in the manufacturing industry. Our business model, which uniquely combines manufacturers with production capabilities and trading companies selling third-party brands, allows us to realize rapid, reliable, and global delivery while enhancing customer convenience.