Precision Makers

Why Yokogawa Test & Measurement is the world’s most trusted measurement partner.

The Yokogawa Group’s corporate philosophy has at its core, the goal, - ‘to contribute to society through broad-ranging activities in the areas of measurement, control and information’. Yokogawa Electric Corporation was established in 1915 by Dr. Tamisuke Yokogawa to manufacture the first electric meters in Japan. Measurement was the foundation for the original business and remains a strong and important driver for our business. Ever since those early days, Yokogawa has been providing products and solutions that continue to satisfy the ever changing demands of modern technology. Keeping ahead of technology measurement needs has involved dedicated focus, strong attention to detail, specialist and highly experienced engineers and above all the belief that no product or solution leaves the Yokogawa manufacturing line without being of the highest quality.

Measurement is important to us all. It is the ability to quantitively express certain physical values that provide indications to the quality, performance and function of the item being measured. To ensure the quality and performance, the measured value must be reliable. It is not sufficient for a measuring instrument to measure only on given days. It must obtain the same value over intervals of time, regardless of the environmental conditions it must endure. That is why the spirit of ‘quality first’ is an integral element in meeting our corporate philosophy goal.

With over 100 years of experience, we have built our reputation on understanding the needs of scientists and engineers that require both the accuracy of a measurement system and its precision where stability and reproducibility ensure that repeated measurements under unchanged conditions show the same results.

A measurement system can be accurate but not precise, precise but not accurate, neither, or both. A measurement system is considered valid if it is both accurate and precise.

In Yokogawa T&M, we are in the business of accuracy and precision. ‘Precision’ is what we make and ‘Precision Making’ is what we do. We are the ‘Precision Makers’.

That is why scientists and engineers see Yokogawa T&M as the world’s most trusted measurement partner.

Meet the Precision Maker

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Meet Masahito Nakagomi

Feb. 27, 2023

Position

General Manager, Decarbonization Business Division Business Development Department

Yokogawa Test & Measurement Corporation

Location

Hachioji, Japan

My name is Masahito Nakagomi. I joined Yokogawa Electric Corporation in 1992 and started working in the development department of the oscilloscope DL series, which was the main model of the measuring department. I then worked as an SE (sales engineer) in charge of major domestic heavy electric and general electric manufacturers. The department covered a variety of sectors including transportation equipment for railroads and automobiles, home appliances and information devices, heavy electrical equipment such as transmission-transformation of electric energy, circuit breakers and transformers, and advanced technology research laboratories and energy research laboratories. Our mission was to provide high-quality and reliable Yokogawa products and technical support for our customers through vital sales activities.

I am proud to be a precision maker that consistently provides optimal solutions to our customers using power analyzers and oscilloscopes. My success was supported by the deep insight and marketing capabilities that I acquired through my SE activities and the Precision Power Analyzer WT3000, which was developed based on the information I gained.

In 1997, I was transferred to the Marketing Department, where I oversaw the marketing of oscilloscopes and ScopeCorders, making use of the knowledge and experience I had acquired through my SE activities. I then became in charge of the marketing of Power Analyzers in 2000.

Around 2002, we began looking into a successor to the WT2000 series, a high-performance power meter that was able to display 4 numerical values and boasted a basic power accuracy of ±0.08%. However, it had a low market share and did not fully satisfy our customers' needs. At the time, demand for power meters was driven by calls to save energy use, reduce standby power in home appliances, and improve electric efficiency with inverters. As a Precision Maker, I believed that we needed to gather information on the technologies our customers were seeking and the product development issues they were struggling with. So I visited customers not only in Japan, but in more than 10 countries to listen to their voices and sales representatives and conducted a wide range of marketing activities to get valuable information about device functions and performances required for electric power meters, appearances, display items, and device operabilities.

Based on this marketing information, I discussed with the development department to elaborate and develop a product specification plan. With daily discussions that integrated market requirements for power meters with cutting-edge technologies, we finally launched a new product with dramatically improved performance, the Precision Power Analyzer WT 3000 series in 2004. This product had the world's highest-class basic power accuracy of ±0.06% and the 4-input that enabled the motor inverter efficiency with a single power meter. With the color LCD screen, the numbers needed for measuring motor inverters became easy to check. We succeeded in providing innovative high-precision power meters satisfying various needs of our customers in the home appliance industry and motor inverters development for EV by implementing the latest technology that can simultaneously measure power values and harmonic data.

The WT3000 and WT3000E series dominated the power meter market and were used as the de facto standard for power measurement for 14 years until the successor model, the WT5000 series, was released in 2018. This model has been used and recognized as the world’s leading power analyzer. Today, Yokogawa’s high-precision power meters maintain their dominant market share.

As a Precision Maker, I take pride in my ongoing pursuit of power measurement technology that meets or exceeds national standards. It is my mission to provide our customers with the most reliable and high-quality measuring devices by deeply understanding their needs and challenges and creating new value for them.

Our goal is to offer the most dependable and top-quality measuring instruments to companies striving for carbon neutrality. We strive to be the most dependable partner in measurement and provide our customers with the best solutions possible.

Meet other Precision Makers

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Meet Keizo Shinmen

Jul. 10, 2020

Position

General Manager, Business Development Department

Yokogawa Test & Measurement Corporation

Location

Musashino, Japan

My name is Keizo Shinmen and I am a graduate from the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Mathematics. I joined Yokogawa Electric Corporation in 1989 and following two years in the Intellectual Property Department, I took on the responsibility of developing embedded software for our general purpose measurement instruments, including Function Generators, the FG100/200/300 Series, Time Interval Analyzers, the TA320/520/720 Series, a PC based application software for our high-speed data logger, the SL1000, and our waveform viewer Xviewer, a key software accessory used with our Digital Oscilloscopes and High Speed Data Acquisition products, such as the DL850E.　In 2015, I began the development of a next generation CPU platform that would continue to maintain Yokogawa’s commitment to high quality products and solutions as well as increase the value they create for our customers. As a Precision Maker, I have taken pride in contributing to our team of Precision Makers to deliver Power Analyzers, Digital Oscilloscopes and DAQ solutions, which have enabled customers to have confidence in their R&D decisions because of the trust they have in our passion for precision.  We continue to support many industries, such as Automotive, Electrical Equipment and Energy and are committed to a Sustainable Society. That is why I firmly believe measurement and specifically ‘Precision’ is a key driver for delivering sustainable innovation and my experience of ten years with customers designing and developing the Time Interval Analyzer has confirmed how important ‘Precision’ is.

When we started developing the TA320 in 1995, digitization of electronic devices and multimedia technology was rapidly expanding, and many electrical equipment manufacturers were in a hurry to decide the criteria for timing jitter on the standard of DVD (digital versatile disc). Since some measurement instrument manufacturers exited the time measurement business and to make the TA320 the de facto standard, our development leader and I had visited many customers in many locations, over many months and travelled thousands of kilometers. We repeatedly checked with these customers our ideas and developed prototypes for them to try and test. Listened carefully to their feedback, adjusted our ideas and worked with them again to refine and adjust. We worked hard to ensure that the customer could trust the measurements and that these were precise and accurate. We remained agile in our development and worked hard to fully understand the needs of the customer. Our Development leader succeeded in realizing 300ps RMS internal jitter (100ps measurement resolution) from his time measurement background and I was able to design a fast multi-byte length calculation for jitter measurement which maintained high resolution, even though there is not a high-speed processor for embedded system. Despite the short development period of 1 year, we succeeded in providing customers with precision products that met the customers technical demands as well as their ‘go to market’ timing requirements. The TA Series became a great success story and the de facto standard instrument for jitter measurement for the optical disc industry over the next 10 years, achieved by working closely with our customers.

After 25 years of engineering experience, in 2017, I transferred to the Marketing Department to support our expansion into new business areas. I have every confidence in Yokogawa’s product quality and the high core technology of our hardware. I am a strong believer that close cooperation with customers and understanding their measurement challenges, enables us to deliver best-in class solutions and services, which in turn allow the customer to deliver next generation solutions their customers can trust in. To achieve this goal, I will develop and create new value for customers using our core strengths of measurement technology, new software technology, a customer focused policy and a passion for ‘Precision’. That is why I am proud to be a ‘Precision Maker’.

In my private time, I like to travel to various places in Japan and overseas with my wife and enjoy taking a hot spring and visiting world heritage sites. I always investigate the place I visit, transportation, hotel, restaurant, museum, ticket, and etc, and make a precise plan and itinerary in advance. I am fully satisfied with making a plan and carrying out this plan, so my wife always says with smiling she enjoys travel itself more than I.

Meet Erik Kroon

Oct. 26, 2016

Position

Yokogawa Calibration Laboratory Manager

Test & Measurement, Yokogawa Europe

Location

Amersfoort, The Netherlands

My name is Erik Kroon. I joined Yokogawa Europe 1990 to set up the calibration laboratory in Amersfoort and develop test systems for the YPA factory.

From 2000 to 2008 I worked for national standards laboratory in the Netherlands (VSL Dutch Metrology Institute) where I was responsible of the Time and Frequency, High Voltage standards and was involved in power calibrations. During my work at VSL I joined the ‘Consultative Committee for Time and Frequency (CCTF)’ at the ‘Bureau International de Poids et Mesures’(BIPM) after which I rejoined Yokogawa. I’m also a former auditor for ISO 17025 for the Dutch Council of Accreditation (RvA) and a current member of technical committee for the RvA.

Over the years I have dedicated my work for ensuring accuracy in high-precision power measurements as a Yokogawa calibration laboratory manager.

When I rejoined Yokogawa as the calibration manager, my personal goal was to establish the best power calibration laboratory in Europe as a non- National Standards Laboratory.

As more and more innovation focuses on energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy resources, engineers are increasingly demanding accuracy and precision from their power measurements. At the same time, new standards such as IEC 62301 Ed2.0 and EN 50564:2011, covering standby power consumption, and the SPEC guidelines, covering power consumption in data centres, demand more precise and accurate testing to ensure compliance. To meet these challenges, R&D teams are increasingly confronted with the need for new levels of precision in power measurement that can only be achieved if the measuring instruments are properly calibrated with reference to national and international standards. Therefore, I am proud to announce that Yokogawa’s European Calibration Laboratory has become the world’s first non-governmental facility to receive full ISO 17025 Accreditation for power measurements at up to 100 kHz.

This is in addition to its established capability for providing high accuracy calibration at 50 Hz, especially at very low power factors (down to 0.0001) and at high currents. The recognition offered by this accreditation is objective proof that the knowledge of our personnel and the quality of our instruments are world-leading.

For customers working with tight tolerances, ISO 17025 accredited calibration of the measurement is vital to major critical measuring projects and provides the high level of quality assurance that our customers need. Without high-quality in-house calibration facilities, instrument manufacturers cannot provide the sort of evidence that is available to Yokogawa to show that their instruments perform within their specifications. I can honestly say, for example, that our WT3000E power analyzer is the most accurate power analyzer in the world, with proof provided by its accreditation certificate.

Outside of precision making at work, I do admit I’m a self-confessed geek who loves technology. I am an active radio amateur developing and building relay stations. Another passion of mine is a cockpit building. Not so many people can say they have a model built cockpit at home. Rest of my free time I’m enjoying spending with my wife, two children, dog and cat.

Meet Ken Haga

Jan. 25, 2016

Position

General Manager, Strategic Development Department

Yokogawa Meters & Instruments Corporation

Location

Musashino, Japan

My name is Ken Haga and I graduated from the Waseda University Faculty of Science and Engineering in 1988 before joining Yokogawa Electric Corporation.

Over the years I have developed a varied and deep knowledge in Test & Measurement working with Yokogawa's highly experienced research and development organization as well as international experience, gained whilst working in the United Kingdom. My successes include the development of the high precision 12 bit resolution digital oscilloscope DL3100, one of Yokogawa's first series of digital oscilloscopes and the high speed 10 bit digital DL4100/4200 oscilloscope series. I was also deeply involved in Yokogawa's designing of analog devices such as AD converters, probes, and input circuit systems. I am very proud that these products made a significant impact on the oscilloscope market and have given customers a credible alternative to other oscilloscope manufacturers. This has been mainly due to our company's philosophy to be innovative in our approach and my desire to cover every small detail. With unique selling points and well defined benefits to the customers, these products became well-known in the mechatronics and medical electronic equipment markets. The key requirement being precise measurements of low noise waveforms. This requirement for precision ensured customers could rely on high quality results and in turn secure their own product developments.

In order for me to qualify as a ‘Precision Maker’, it was very important for me to work closer with the customer and understand their working environments and needs. From 1999 to 2003, I worked in technical sales support and in sales for Japanese-affiliated companies uncovering new markets and business opportunities for communications/broadcasting related measurement equipment. I enhanced that experience through working as a Business Development/Marketing Manager in Yokogawa Martron Ltd., based in the UK. I returned to the Yokogawa Electric Corporation Engineering Department in 2004 and became responsible for developing the DL9000 and DLM2000 series oscilloscopes as well as developing differential and wide frequency range active probes for these oscilloscopes - Yokogawa's first originally developed probes.

I am recognized by my colleagues as an expert in high frequency wave circuit technology for measurement and I am currently responsible for the Common Technology Department. This involves the next generation embedded CPU systems, innovative software platforms and mechanical design for high quality and cutting-edge technology development for sensors and probes. I also hold several patents.

As well as being a ‘Precision Maker’, at work, I try to be one at home as well. Playing tennis with my daughters and coaching them to make accurate tennis shots and time in the ‘Kitchen’ garden growing and nurturing tomatoes, something that needs precise control, especially on hot summer days.

Meet Takashi Iwasaki

May 7, 2015

Position

General Manager, Development & Engineering Department 2

Yokogawa Meters & Instruments Corporation

Location

Musashino, Japan

Mr. Iwasaki graduated from Musashi Institute of Technology in 1986 in Department of Electronic Communication Engineering, and joined Ando Electric Co., Ltd. Since then, Mr. Iwasaki pursued in the development of optical spectrum analyzers. He participated in the development of AQ-6315 / AQ6317 / AQ6330 series and was mainly responsible for developing monochromator optical system, control hardware, and software. This led to development of unique wideband double pass monochromator technology which dramatically improved optical spectrum analyzer measurement performance. These products have contributed to the R&D and production of DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) optical transmission system, which has been actively developed in optical fiber communication field. He has obtained various optical measurement related patents.

In 2001, Mr. Iwasaki was promoted to General Manager of optical development center in Ando and was appointed General Manager of the optical development department in communication and measurement business headquarters, upon business integration with Yokogawa in 2004. In 2010, he moved to Yokogawa Meters & Instruments Co., Ltd. and continued to lead the development of the optical measuring instrument.

Mr. Takashi Iwasaki outlines the Yokogawa Test & Measurement business in his following remarks:

Introduction of optical communication technology began in the 1980s. Ando has provided fundamental optical measuring instrument from early stage of optical communication technology history and since then, has been in the optical communications market while supporting the development of optical communication technology.

In the 1990s, use of optical wavelength multiplexing and optical amplifier technology became popular, and demand for optical measuring instruments became more and more severe. Iwasaki and his team provided products that meet customer requirements, by dramatically improving the performance such as wavelength resolution and the optical dynamic range of the optical spectrum analyzer. His developments became key products which supported the Ando’s optical business.

We are able to produce high value products by combining the superior production technologies and quality system of Yokogawa with technologies and resources of Ando products. Yokogawa's optical spectrum analyzer and OTDR own the largest global and domestic share.

Today, Iwasaki's department still focuses on the development of optical measuring instruments and continues to provide precision mother tools supports the improving optical communications technology.

Meet Nobuo Koyanagi

Aug. 4, 2014

Position

General Manager, Development & Engineering Department 1

Yokogawa Meters & Instruments Corporation

Location

Tachikawa, Japan

Mr. Nobuo Koyanagi graduated from The University of Electro-Communication in Chofu, Tokyo. He joined Yokogawa Electric Corporation in April of 1986 as a development engineer. After 3 years in the R&D division, he joined various product development projects within the Test & Measurement Division over the next 20 years. He was placed in charge of Product Marketing for the following 3 years.

In 2010, the Yokogawa Test & Measurement business was separated from Yokogawa Electric Corporation and joined the Yokogawa Meters & Instruments Corporation. Mr. Koyanagi was appointed to the Head of Development & Engineering Department in 2013, where he manages the Development and Engineering of multiple products, including Power Analyzers, Digital Oscilloscopes, Scopecorders and Portable Test Instruments.

Mr. Nobuo Koyanagi outlines the Yokogawa Test & Measurement business in his following remarks:

One of the initial products that Mr. Koyanagi developed was the Function Generator FG series. The first model FG100 series were released in 1993. The FG was based on arbitrary waveform generator technology.  They realized a very simple and valuable product. Thanks to very good teamwork, his team achieved the plan of development and delivery in spite of the tight schedule. The group decided to travel abroad by themselves after the first delivery in memory of their work. He believed it became the maximum motivator for them.

Yokogawa Meters & Instruments targets steady growth in the “Electrical Energy” and the “Optical Communications” markets.  These target customers are making an investment in the development of energy saving and new energy products.  The Yokogawa Test & Measurement group develops valuable measurement equipment, such as power analyzers, waveform measuring instruments, signal sources and calibrators, to help in these areas. 

Measuring instruments should continuously be catching up with the technology trend of the era.  Mr. Koyanagi has pledged that the “Precision Makers” at Yokogawa will continue to focus our development to meet the requirements of our target customers and continue our tradition of providing products with the highest quality, reliability and innovation.  Yokogawa Test & Measurement is your most trusted measurement partner.

* The contents of above articles are based on information provided as of then.