Raising the level of skill among technicians
Mr. Yamagishi says that higher-performance objectives necessitate a higher standard of polishing.
He plays a leading role in the training and guidance of accomplished technicians, in order to meet the rigorous precision standards for polishing that are necessitated by higher-precision objectives. Bettering the already considerable skill levels of technicians is no easy task.
In addition, technicians trained by Mr. Yamagishi are in charge of instructing younger staff members. High-level technicians are able to instantly determine the best method to use by feeling with their fingertips, and to put that into practice. The conventional wisdom is that 10 to 15 years training and experience are required in order to reach this level of expertise. However, due to a lack of technicians, faster training is required, and the current aim is to train technicians in around five years—no more than half the stated period.
Throughout the entire Nikon Group, very few people possess the skill of hand-polishing. However, this skill continues to be passed on in a reliable fashion.