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About OHGURI SHIKO Co., Ltd.

With more than 40 years of expertise in manufacturing bound notebooks, OHGURI SHIKO Co., Ltd. upholds the motto, “Let’s create products we would want to buy ourselves.” The company is dedicated to crafting notebooks whose quality is fully appreciated only through use, continually refining its production technology. Recently, OHGURI SHIKO has focused on the “Mahora” notebook, specifically designed to meet the needs of individuals with developmental disorders.

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“We really can’t imagine going back to a time without
the ‘Dry Fog Humidification System.’ It has become something indispensable.”

Decreased Productivity during the Winter Season

Mr. Takamitsu: When I first began leading the productivity improvement project, our factory didn’t have any industrial humidification systems. In winter, we faced a variety of problems seemingly caused by dryness.

Especially on the second floor, dedicated to producing mini-sized notebooks, the situation was severe. We faced challenges such as paper warping, sheets sticking together, and double feeding causing paper jams in the machines, leading to a noticeable decrease in productivity.

Mr. Ohguri: Compared to the productivity during periods of stable humidity, in winter, we observed a 40% decrease on the first floor, where we manufacture semi-B5-sized notebooks, and an approximately 60% on the second floor. It seems that the second floor, in particular, is susceptible to dry conditions. Despite trying commercial humidifiers and anti-static ropes, the situation did not improve.

Mr. Takamitsu: I simply didn’t want to propose an investment by hastily concluding that “the decrease in productivity is due to dry conditions.” During my interviews with the onsite operators, they mentioned, “In winter, dry paper rubs together, causing static electricity,” but we lacked quantifiable data to form a basis for investment decisions.

A Correlation between Humidity and Productivity