Cast metal is manufactured by pouring molten metal into a mold. Cooking utensils made of cast metal inevitably have the image of being thick and heavy. Whether it is a frying pan or a pot, women in particular often find it difficult to handle due to its weight, and often feel stressed when washing it. Sanjo Special Foundry, located in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture, is a foundry that specializes in the manufacture of thin and light products.
A Turning Point from Machine Parts Manufacturing
Sanjo City, located roughly in the center of Niigata Prefecture, along with the neighboring city of Tsubame, developed from the production of Japanese nails in the Edo period, and the skills of blacksmiths who smelt metals to create products have traditionally been cultivated. The area is known for its manufacturing of cutlery, metal, and Western tableware. Sanjo Special Foundry was established in 1961. Sanjo Special Foundry also inherited the local culture and began its factory history by manufacturing machine parts and other casting products. For many years, the company’s main business has been the manufacture of parts for various machines, including automobile parts, which require strength and precision, and its strength lies in manufacturing lightweight, easy-to-handle parts. In the world of castings, where prices are determined by weight, the reputation of lightweight parts was not very satisfactory. A turning point was needed.
New Light Found in Cooking Utensils
The turning point came in 2010. A kitchenware brand asked him to produce cast cooking utensils on an OEM basis. The company was asked to create a lightweight, durable, and ultra-thin frying pan, and it did so by combining the technological expertise and pride of its craftsmen. The result was a product that met expectations.
The frying pan turned out so well that we decided to try our own product, a light and easy-to-handle enameled cast iron frying pan,” said Teruyoshi Uchiyama, CEO of the company. We decided to try our hand at cast metal enameled pans, which are light and easy to handle,” said Teruyoshi Uchiyama, CEO of the company. In his own life, he has seen his family members using cast iron pots and pans struggling with their weight. That is what prompted him to take on the challenge.
A subcontractor company launching its own brand like this is a hurdle we will have to overcome someday in our own growth,” he said. The strength of this company is its technology for achieving thinness, the resulting lightness, and its ability to make products with good thermal conductivity.”
Utilizing this know-how, the company launched its own brand in 2014. The brand name is UNILLOY, a combination of “unique” and “alloy. The design team was led by Komin Yamada. Yamada is widely known for his product designs, which have won prestigious product design awards in Japan and abroad, and his work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. For about two years until the completion of the product, the craftsmen took pride in their challenge to create the best product in the world. More than 200 prototypes were made, starting with the enameled cast iron pot. In 2015, they won the “Red Dot Award: Product Design 2015,” a design award held in Germany, from among about 5,000 entries from 56 countries around the world, In 2015, Uniloy cast iron enameled pots and pans won the top prize at the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2015, a design award held in Germany, from among some 5,000 entries from 56 countries around the world.
Craftsmanship that has created a lightness that defies common sense
In order to achieve lightness, it was necessary to create a thin design, which is unthinkable with ordinary cast metal. In the process of pouring liquid metal melted at high temperature into a mold (casting), the mold is narrow because of the thin design, and the speed of pouring is slowed down, resulting in rapid cooling of the metal in the process. This causes problems such as solidification before the material reaches the end of the mold. The biggest obstacle was to cast the entire mold while maintaining the thin structure, and the trial production was extremely difficult. However, the high technology and pride of the factory and craftsmen enabled them to meet the thinness requirement.
It is difficult to make thin products. At first, when we made 100 pieces, 80 of them were defective,” said Uchiyama.
For example, most frying pans on the market are 4 to 5 mm thick, but Uniloy’s frying pan is only 2.5 mm thick, which is the thickness with the best heat conductivity and high heat storage capacity. It is ideal for cooking meat and fish, with its savory surface and juicy interior.
Because they are thin and light, they are easy to handle and can be used every day. Enameled pots and pans take advantage of the one-piece molding process that is one of the features of cast metal, enabling a seamless and beautiful design from the pot body to the handle. The key point of this product is not only its durability, but also its ergonomics and ease of use, making it less stressful to use. The most popular product is the matte black enameled pot, and the frying pan is the best-selling one.
Never stopping the challenge of new products
Sanjo Tokushu Kogyosho’s “Uniroy,” which is packed with technical expertise, dares not to apply for a patent. This is because they are confident of their unrivaled technical capabilities without obtaining a patent. The company has no hesitation in developing new products that take advantage of this technological strength.
In addition to frying pans and enameled pans, the company currently offers a wide range of products characterized by lightness and ease of use, including cast iron gear for use in camping (camping tool brand “SSCamp! The recent camping boom has also helped to attract the attention of camping enthusiasts.
Mr. Uchiyama is enthusiastic, “I hope that the value of cast metal will be known around the world through the development of products that make the most of our technology. Mr. Uchiyama is enthusiastic.
Women are also active in the Sanjo Special Foundry factory. It is hot in summer and cold in winter. It can be said that it is a dangerous and harsh workplace where high-temperature metals are handled. Even so, each and every one of the craftsmen work hard every day with pride, believing that their mission is to enhance the value and attractiveness of cast metal and to spread the word about it. The pride in preserving local traditions and the joy of being a part of a new page in history are what make their work so rewarding.
The kitchen items, which are the crystallization of the casting technique born of tradition and innovation, are thin and light, but they are also filled with the passion of the craftsmen.
