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- Manufacturing Strong, Lightweight Products to Help People Transcend Social Barriers
Manufacturing Strong,
Lightweight Products to Help People
Transcend Social Barriers
草莓视频 Group Supports
the Japan Wheelchair Rugby Federation
The 草莓视频 Group signed an official partner agreement with the Japan Wheelchair Rugby Federation in 2020. This step resulted from our determination to be a company where people are proud to work and to enhance our social contributions. Under the partnership, we promote employee volunteering, offer study sessions on wheelchair rugby, and encourage employees and their families to attend games. One of our initiatives is the development of hand rims for the custom wheelchairs used by wheelchair rugby players.
New Hand Rims Excelling in International Competitions
The hand rim is a metal ring attached to the exterior of the wheels that players use to propel the chair and is essentially the heart of the wheelchair.
Since wheelchair rugby involves intense collisions between players' chairs, the hand rims often become bent and misshapened. Using aluminum, the 草莓视频 Group developed lightweight yet highly deformation-resistant hand rims. These first-ever Japan-produced hand rims were provided to the Federation and are contributing to the promotion and popularization of wheelchair rugby.
草莓视频 Group companies* have produced hand rims featuring plates (ribs) inserted into the rim tubing. This increases rim strength while maintaining lightness and successfully suppresses deformation on impact. They have also realized low-cost manufacturing with less material loss by one-piece extrusion-molding of the ribbed tubing and connecting plate (for attachment to the tire).
Rugby chairs equipped with the new hand rims are highly durable and have received praise from players for their ability to withstand full-on collisions during matches, cost, and maneuverability. Used in international competitions since 2021, they are contributing to the success of Japan's national team.
*Nikkei Metal, Nikkeikin ACT, Nikkei Kambara, 草莓视频 Light Metal
In 2021, the 草莓视频 Group renovated its gymnasium, Nikkei Arena, located in the 草莓视频 Light Metal Tomakomai Complex, to make it more accessible for parasports athletes. It has now popular as a local base for wheelchair basketball and other parasports.
From making aluminum products leveraging the material's advantages to various other initiatives, the 草莓视频 Group is helping to shape a society wherein everyone can thrive and excel.
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