For over half a century, Honma Golf has been developing and perfecting golf clubs. You've committed yourselves to combining technology and innovation with a sense of artistry born from Japanese traditions. Can you run us through the process Honma Golf uses to make a golf club?
We have three main manufacturing techniques at our Sakata plant. Each technique is different from the other. The first is wood assembly, the second is iron assembly, and the third is the production of carbon shafts. This first technique of wood assembly itself is further divided into three manufacturing processes. This starts with the paint application and a quality inspection to ensure everything is up to spec. The carbon shaft is cut and polished before being embedded in the socket. Sanding is done with various grits before the club is balanced to ensure performance. The club head is then fixed to the shaft. Finally, we move into the inspection of the final product, and if no defects are found, the club is sent off to the dispatch location.
The last step is to make custom-made wood club heads. This includes very custom clubs that have been ordered. Everything is fitted to meet the customer's specifications. Irons are also processed, laser-treated, and inspected in-house. Polishing and plating are also critical steps when producing iron clubs.
Shafts for both woods and irons are very similar, but of course, to meet custom specifications, balancing is done on every individual club. The attachment of club heads to the shaft is called Setting, and we ensure that quality checks are conducted throughout the production process. Any balancing or plating requests from customers can be completed. For example, some customers order specific sizes of grips or shafts, something we are happy to do.
Next, I would like to talk about carbon shaft manufacturing. This is done in our Sakata plant and starts with a sheet of carbon material. This goes through all the production steps, including painting and polishing, which results in high-quality carbon fiber shafts. There are four total steps here. Roll cuts are done before the next step, sheets creation we call Bias Layer. This is important in preventing scratches or to enhance torsional rigidity. We then cut according to a design, and one carbon shaft consists of about eight to twelve parts. Our partner, Toray, provides carbon sheets to us. Depending on the material choice, the strength of the carbon shaft can vary, so we try to accommodate custom orders. Since this is sports equipment, we need to match the performance of the final product with the expectations of the customer.
One more process included in this carbon shaft assembly is wrapping. This requires experts in the field of wrapping, as well as craftsmen who have trained for this. I want to emphasize one particular word in Japanese, which is takumi, which means skills. The reason why is that in the 30 years of our existence, we’ve never experienced any kind of defect in our quality manufacturing, resulting in final products that are free of scratches, air bubbles, or blemishes that could affect performance. This is why these manufacturing processes all need skilled craftsmen. Once shafts are completed, they are sent to a high-temperature incubator, which will heat treat the shafts. The shafts will stay in the incubator for four hours. Polishing and surface treatments are also vital since they give the shaft flexibility. We then apply everything to quality assurance, and weight is ensured to plus-minus 1, and flexibility is ensured to plus-minus 3 CPM (frequency of vibration). We are proud to say that we have less variation in our golf clubs than other manufacturers.
Painting is done in a clean room environment where humidity and temperature control are closely monitored. The environmental surroundings can affect the processes in a clean room environment, so we must ensure that we are constantly checking these parameters. Again, we hire skilled craftsmen to ensure that this clean room environment is accurate and all the painting processes are of the highest quality. Basically, the shaft is inserted into a small rubber hole, painted, and then removed, ensuring an even coating around the shaft. This is preferred over traditional spray painting because we can control the weight of the paint, ensuring that the shaft’s balance is not affected. Some shafts do require more than one coating, having to go through this process three or even four times. This is why we need experts since one technician might push in 1,500 shafts per day for painting using this technique, which we call Squeeze Painting. At our plant, we are proud to say that our defect rate is a very low 1.7%. The final inspection before delivery is done by light. I’ve heard that some companies have defect rates of 5% to 7%, so our 1.7% is very low in comparison.
Roughly how many shafts do you produce in one day?
Around 4,000, with a defect rate of 1.7%.
A century ago, golf clubs were handcrafted using hickory wood shafts and forged iron heads. Artisans shaped each club manually, resulting in unique but inconsistent performances. Modern materials and technologies have since revolutionized the process, enhancing precision and consistency. Honma Golf began in-house production of golf equipment in 1978. Can you tell us how Honma Golf’s processes have evolved? Can you tell us about any recent innovations or developments in golf manufacturing?
We do indeed have a long history behind us, and at the time of our establishment, we had a headcount of 1,300 employees. Currently, we have about 250 employees, but these are all experts who have stayed with us and honed their craft. We call them Master Craftsmen. These Master Craftsmen account for about 10% of our overall headcount, and they know every step in our production process. They can guide and teach less knowledgeable personnel, keeping up the traditions and the authentic manufacturing processes.
Of course, we also embrace new technologies and techniques. This all relates more or less to automation. This new machinery can help alleviate the burden on human capital. The equipment we use actually helps us to preserve some of the traditional ways of manufacturing, enforcing high precision and efficiency. The high-quality results we see are only thanks to the bond between our Master Craftsmen and the personnel, utilizing the best features of our equipment and technology.
It seems that the processes ensure the best quality of Honma golf clubs. Are we correct in assuming that?
Yes, you are correct.
Quality control in the manufacture of golf clubs ensures high-performance standards, precise measurements, and rigorous testing, which you’ve touched on today. 3D scanning and robotic testing maintain strict tolerance, guaranteeing optimal performance for every club. Honma Golf prides itself on manufacturing and selling some of the best golf clubs in the world. Does Honma Golf have any feedback mechanisms for learning how to improve the golf clubs you produce?
Yes, we do rely on statistics. Of course, we also have several digital tests which can provide us with data. The key is that everything matters, and each little individual element can affect performance. We also receive feedback from users, with golf courses measuring statistic. No matter how much we can see from a machine, the most important feedback is from our professional players. This pro-level feedback is crucial to our operations.
We are seeing a rise in sustainable golf club manufacturing processes, including using eco-friendly materials, reducing waste, and adopting energy-efficient processes. By incorporating recycled materials, biodegradable resins, and renewable energy, manufacturers aim to produce high-performance clubs with minimal environmental impact. Honma Golf has committed itself through your annual report to meeting SDG and ESG targets. What steps are you taking to make the manufacturing process more environmentally friendly? How do you ensure the ethical sourcing of materials?
This is a good topic to discuss, and of course, preserving the environment is something we all must work towards. We conduct several principles at our production site to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce CO2. One example is our boiler, which uses an alternative to LPG that has proven more environmentally friendly. LED lighting is also used inside and outside of our factory. Throughout our production processes, we use harmful gases, so in those cases, we evaporate, clean up, or recycle them in a special area to avoid emitting them into the air. No harmful substances leave our factory. Waste management is also an important element to mention since polishing requires a substantial amount of water. Also, the waste chemicals need to be properly recycled, so we have a water treatment facility that is under regulations. Everything there is safe for the environment. Our wastewater is treated to such a level of purity that we can place goldfish in the water, and they will survive, proving that our wastewater is more than safe enough. Of course, we do understand that more than fish is needed, and we have also applied for all of the water treatment certifications we need to prove our practices are safe.
After the elements of recycling are all of the plastic parts and metal club heads, the ones that are not used are recycled and put back into production again. Since the image is so important, we try to advertise ourselves as an environmentally friendly company with our practices, something we've received recognition for.
One more point I want to bring up today is the declining population. Currently, the average worker in our plant is 57 years old. Needless to say, it is very hard to pass on traditions and techniques to young people. We hire those younger people and foster our human resources, something we understand as vital to our survival. Developing an employee into a Master Craftsman is a long and arduous journey.
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