[Planning and Draft] Kikusui Electronics
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your positive reviews of the first part of Haikawa!
I was concerned that this project might not be taken seriously and could receive negative comments.
The overwhelmingly positive feedback was a pleasant surprise, and the production team was thrilled to have completed this project.
After publishing the previous comic, we received numerous requests for a sequel. However, due to various circumstances, it was not easy to create one. Then the pandemic hit, and I retired, making it impossible to publish a sequel.
However, five years after the first part was published, the sales promotion manager contacted me enthusiastically, stating, “We want to respond to numerous requests for a sequel.“
I was a bit perplexed. The realization of the previous project was not an easy task, and in many aspects, we were lucky.
However, the manager would not back down (laughter). In the winter of 2023, I finally said, “If you insist, I’ll do my best.”
And now, finally, we are pleased to present “Haikawa Returns“!
This sequel features three types of products: withstanding voltage testers (hipot testers), electronic loads, and AC power supplies.
Compared to the previous comic, which focused on DC power supplies, topics covered in the second part are likely less familiar to readers, especially people without experience and young engineers. Furthermore, numerous technical details make explaining these products in a comic book format significantly more difficult.
Why did we deliberately choose three difficult-to-explain products? To paraphrase a famous quote, we climbed the mountain because it was there.
Our goal was not to focus on a single product but to provide a rough explanation for readers unfamiliar with the topic.
So, please don’t expect to be able to use the equipment after reading this manga.
We hope you will treat this comic not as an introduction but as a pre-introduction, a preparatory step before acquiring more in-depth knowledge.
The story is set at Zero One Robotics, the same robotics company featured in part one. It follows a confident and knowledgeable senior engineer (Utsugi) and an easygoing junior engineer (Kikunaga). Together, they explain the fundamentals of withstanding voltage testers (hipot testers), electronic loads, and AC power supplies. We hope you’ll enjoy their journey!
The title is a mouthful, so please feel free to call it “Haikawa Returns” or “Haikawa R” for short. Thank you!
Minami KikunagaMinami Kikunaga is a UI (User Interface) engineer in the Communication Robot Development Department. She has a background in information engineering and is skilled in programming, but her understanding of electrical and electronic engineering is limited. As a result, when it comes to product development, she often relies on the support of a senior employee, Utsugi. Kikunaga has a great personality, although she sometimes frustrates her senior colleague. She also has a cat named Dango.
Naoto UtsugiNaoto Utsugi is a firmware development engineer in the Functional Module Development Department with a background in hardware design. He often claims that, in recent years, he has become a “jack of all trades.” His junior colleague, Kikunaga, frequently turns to him for guidance because they used to work together. Although Utsugi appears cool and composed, he can be pretty sharp-tongued when talking with Kikunaga. His hobby is coffee roasting.
Minami KikunagaMinami Kikunaga is a UI (User Interface) engineer in the Communication Robot Development Department. She has a background in information engineering and is skilled in programming, but her understanding of electrical and electronic engineering is limited. As a result, when it comes to product development, she often relies on the support of a senior employee, Utsugi. Kikunaga has a great personality, although she sometimes frustrates her senior colleague. She also has a cat named Dango.
Naoto UtsugiNaoto Utsugi is a firmware development engineer in the Functional Module Development Department with a background in hardware design. He often claims that, in recent years, he has become a “jack of all trades.” His junior colleague, Kikunaga, frequently turns to him for guidance because they used to work together. Although Utsugi appears cool and composed, he can be pretty sharp-tongued when talking with Kikunaga. His hobby is coffee roasting.
Writing and Planning
Kikusui Electronics Corporation Sales Promotion Team
Translated
Polanski Adrianna
Comic Production
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This comic is fact-based fiction.
Episode 2: Withstanding Voltage Testers (Hipot Testers) – Part 2
How to Verify Safety
Episode 2 Column
Episode 2 focuses on the underlying framework of quality assurance, rather than practical knowledge of testing equipment. When manufacturing companies grow to a certain size, it’s common to organize work based on different functions (so-called “division of labor”) to improve productivity and efficiency. For example, departments such as sales, development, production, and general affairs are established. Some theories suggest that, in companies with many multi-skilled employees capable of handling end-to-end tasks, the division of labour may be unnecessary. However, in reality, everyone has their own strengths, weaknesses, and preferences for what they want to do. Therefore, unless the company exclusively hires superheroes, clear job definitions and the division of labor are needed for smooth operations.
In the story appeares Mr. Kamiji, who is a section chief at the Quality Assurance Department. Company operations are broadly divided into “line (direct operations)” and “staff (indirect operations).” The Quality Assurance Department functions as staff, carrying out responsibilities with a comprehensive view of the entire organization. Quality Assurance, as the name implies, makes sure that products are free of defects. Although departments like Development and Production understand the importance of quality, they tend to focus more on new technologies or improving processes, which, in itself, is not a bad thing. Unfortunately, sometimes, this comes at the expense of quality. Therefore, the primary role of Quality Assurance is to establish various operational rules, systems, and environments, monitor daily operations, and guide line departments to ensure they stay on track.
Quality Assurance is very important, yet often misunderstood by other departments and sometimes even perceived negatively. Its role can be seen as overly strict or authoritative, which may lead to resistance or frustration among production line staff. This is a story from way back when I was a new hire. I had a meeting with the Quality Assurance manager at Kikusui to discuss a customer complaint. I knew absolutely nothing, so he was completely flabbergasted and treated me quite harshly. Personally, I thought my lack of knowledge was understandable considering I was inexperienced, but that excuse didn’t fly with a stubborn old-school guy… Nowadays, that would probably be considered power harassment. This experience has left me thinking that Quality Assurance is scary. Surprisingly, the manager actually started taking a liking to me (probably thinking I was such a clueless person he needed to help me out) and taught me quality assurance basics. He seemed intimidating at first, but after talking to him more, I realized this impression just came from his serious attitude towards work. Mr. Uechi, the section chief, is probably that kind of person as well. On the other hand, he says harsh things, so it’s hard to let your guard down. He also got angry over the “maximum current value,” but we’ll talk more about that in the next episode.
Coffee is a recurring side theme in this story, and it’ll continue to appear from time to time. You might wonder why a personal hobby is discussed in a professional context, but it often happens in real life. Nowadays, the line between work and personal life is often blurred. Sometimes, personal interests may benefit our work in unexpected ways. I hope the examples shown in this manga prove both useful and inspiring.
