Nikon Production Floor
Nikon production facilities are off limits to all but high-level VIPs and world leaders if they so choose to
make a site visit. There is strict security present at all digital camera factories around the world to protect
technological secrets and thwart corporate espionage. That is why these photos provide only a blurry glimpse of
the inside of a modern, high-tech production operation.
A Clean Room in the Nikon Sendai Camera Factory
In these pictures, you see clean rooms fitted with air hoses to provide filtered, clean air for ventilation and to
pressurize the room above the ambient, outside pressure. This slightly higher pressure insures that when a door is
opened, dust cannot enter the room. Instead, dusty air outside the room is pushed away by the outflow from the
room. The reason for the elimination of dust and particles in a manufacturing room is that the very small, delicate
electronic parts could be contaminated by even the tiniest smoke particle in the air.
Workers, themselves, can carry small particulates into a room, so they must wear special outer garments to prevent
particulate contamination of the room. These garments are a light color. Nikon workers at this plant wear pink or
blue, depending on their job description. In addition to a full-length coat, workers wear plastic hats and
shoe covers. One VIP who was honored with a factory tour said that the facility was so incredibly clean that you
could "eat off the floor!"
Although modern production methods can be totally automated, end to end, with little or no human presence,
Nikon prefers to hand-assemble pre-built subassemblies in the final build for a camera. This methodology
permits a greater degree of quality control and continuous inspection during the manufacturing process.
Nikon is famous for its quality control, and these pictures show assembly workers and inspectors ensuring that
every camera made meets the highest standards of manufacturing excellence.
Workers, themselves, can carry small particulates into a room, so they must wear special outer garments to prevent particulate contamination of the room. These garments are a light color. Nikon workers at this plant wear pink or blue, depending on their job description. In addition to a full-length coat, workers wear plastic hats and shoe covers. One VIP who was honored with a factory tour said that the facility was so incredibly clean that you could "eat off the floor!"
Although modern production methods can be totally automated, end to end, with little or no human presence, Nikon prefers to hand-assemble pre-built subassemblies in the final build for a camera. This methodology permits a greater degree of quality control and continuous inspection during the manufacturing process.
Nikon is famous for its quality control, and these pictures show assembly workers and inspectors ensuring that every camera made meets the highest standards of manufacturing excellence.