People-friendly “JUKUREN®”
Supports World-Class Radio Manufacturing

Located in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, JVC KENWOOD Yamagata serves as a key manufacturing base supporting JVC KENWOOD’s wireless communications business. Situated within the Tsuruoka Central Industrial Park, the plant produces a wide range of high-value-added products, including professional radio communication systems for police, fire stations and emergency services, premium amateur radio transceivers highly regarded by enthusiasts worldwide, and emergency broadcasting systems used in public facilities.
Among its product lines, radio equipment for the North American public safety market has experienced particularly strong growth in recent years. Demand for the company’s latest flagship models, introduced in 2023, has expanded rapidly among government agencies such as police departments, fire departments, and emergency medical services. All of these products are manufactured at the Yamagata facility.
The radios produced for North America offer both IP-rated dustproof and waterproof performance and ruggedness that complies with U.S. military standards (MIL-STD). They are designed to withstand extreme conditions, including concrete drop tests and high-pressure water exposure from firefighting hoses. Units used by firefighters in Michigan have also been confirmed to operate in extremely cold conditions where temperatures fell below −30°C during a severe cold wave.
“Our radios have earned strong trust in the North American market because of their exceptional durability,” says Koji Watanabe, President of JVC KENWOOD Yamagata. “We have even received reports of a radio stopping a bullet and saving the user’s life.”
The radios are also designed for emergency situations where firefighters may use them to break windows during rescue operations. Their durability is truly built for the kind of extreme environments often seen only in action movies.
For Japan and Southeast Asian markets, the company offers more compact models designed for users with smaller hands.
“Japanese customers pay close attention to details,” explains Watanabe. “We propose products that reflect Japanese sensibilities, including compact designs and carefully selected color schemes.”
While sharing the same technological foundation, the company optimizes product characteristics according to the needs of each market.

JVC KENWOOD Yamagata first introduced HIOS electric screwdrivers more than a decade ago when production began for one of its flagship amateur radio transceivers, a product now recognized as a hometown tax donation gift in Tsuruoka City.
At the time, the company faced a significant challenge: each unit required approximately 300 screws.
“Missing screws or fastening count errors directly affect product quality,” recalls Hisashi Sato, General Manager of the Production Department. “We were concerned that mistakes would inevitably occur if we continued using conventional methods. That concern led us to search for a new solution.”
The answer was HIOS’s counter-equipped electric screwdriver.
“When we tested it, we immediately recognized its excellent usability. It enabled us to manage fastening counts while maintaining high productivity. We knew right away that this was exactly what we needed.”
Since then, the company has actively adopted the orange-colored JUKUREN® series throughout the factory. Today, more than 200 units are in operation.
Where multiple brands and pneumatic screwdrivers once coexisted on the production floor, HIOS products now account for well over 90 percent of all screwdrivers in use.
The screwdrivers are integrated with the plant’s production management system. Operators receive process-specific instructions on monitors, which clearly indicate the appropriate screwdriver for each operation.
In production lines where multiple product models requiring different torque settings and screw specifications are assembled simultaneously, the system prevents incorrect tool selection by disabling power to unauthorized screwdrivers.
By monitoring clutch signals in real time, the system verifies that the correct screwdriver is being used for the correct process.
“Mistakes are essentially eliminated,” says Sato. “Even if an operator picks up the wrong screwdriver, it will not operate. The system automatically controls which tools can be used for each process. This allows us to structurally prevent human error without requiring physical tool changes whenever production models change.”
The company also utilizes HIOS screwdrivers in automated systems integrated with industrial robots. Automated screw fastening equipment introduced approximately five years ago continues to operate reliably today.
Its long-term stability has been particularly impressive.
“It has been three to four years since installation, and we have never needed to change the torque settings,” says Hiroshi Tanaka, General Manager of the Engineering Department. “We perform regular inspections using torque measurement equipment, but the settings remain remarkably stable.”

Feedback from operators has been overwhelmingly positive.
Koki Endo, Supervisor of the FA Manufacturing Team, explains:
“Some of our applications require bits longer than 200 millimeters. With JUKUREN®, shaft runout is virtually nonexistent. We previously used screwdrivers from other manufacturers, where vibration was noticeable. JUKUREN® provides a clean clutch disengagement and makes it easy to recognize the moment fastening is completed, giving operators confidence during assembly.”
In radio manufacturing, where precision components are densely packed, even slight vibration or instability can result in damage or screw slippage.
“In some locations, even minor vibration can cause damage or stripping,” Endo adds. “That’s why stability is extremely important to us.”
The factory’s workforce is composed primarily of women, and JUKUREN® has received particularly strong support among female operators.
Mami Miura of the Engineering Department, who has performed fastening operations for many years, recalls:
“Before introducing JUKUREN®, we used large pneumatic screwdrivers. They were heavy and generated significant reaction force. After fastening more than one hundred screws a day, my hands would become sore. JUKUREN® has a slim grip that is comfortable to hold, and the difference in fatigue is remarkable.”
Shortly after implementation, many female operators began requesting the orange HIOS screwdrivers.
“The demand quickly spread to other production lines,” says Sato. “Eventually, nearly every process was standardized with the orange screwdrivers.”
The improvement originated from the production floor itself and naturally evolved into a factory-wide standard.
JUKUREN® has also earned strong trust from a quality management perspective.
Torque verification is conducted every morning before operations begin. However, torque deviation is so rare that inspections have become little more than confirmation that everything remains normal.
“It’s almost no longer an inspection,” says Tanaka with a smile. “We simply confirm that there are no issues.”
The company’s commitment to manufacturing extends beyond production quality. Ease of maintenance and repair is considered a key competitive advantage.
Many radio models remain in production for more than ten years. The company views repairability as an important part of its responsibility to customers.
“We avoid replacing entire circuit boards whenever possible,” says Watanabe. “We have dedicated repair specialists who perform component-level repairs. We are proud of our maintenance and repair capabilities, which we believe are among the best in the industry.”
As manufacturing sites continue advancing through digital transformation and increasingly rigorous quality control, JVC KENWOOD Yamagata views electric screwdrivers not merely as tools, but as advanced digital devices that support operators and improve manufacturing quality.
This philosophy was evident during discussions held after the interview between production personnel and HIOS engineers regarding future product improvements.
Responding to ideas generated directly from the manufacturing floor, Yoshiyuki Oshima, Leader of the Manufacturing Department at HIOS, emphasized:
“We will ensure that these valuable suggestions are incorporated into future product development.”
The discussion highlighted the strong synergy between the two companies and suggested further evolution of electric screwdriver technology in the years ahead.
Through the partnership between JVC KENWOOD Yamagata, a manufacturer supplying world-class radio communication equipment, and HIOS, a specialist in precision screw fastening solutions, the combined strengths of “Made in Yamagata” technology and manufacturing expertise continue to support high-quality production that competes successfully on the global stage.