Okuma's ECO suite, a power control system for machine tools that helps to achieve stable accuracy, won the METI Minister’s Award at the 2016 (37th) Energy-Efficient Machinery Awards sponsored by the Japan Machinery Federation.

The Energy-Efficient Machinery Awards are given to individuals, companies or other groups recognized for their contribution to promoting efficient energy use through the development and commercialization of superior energy-efficient machinery, and for their efforts to spread the use of superior energy-saving machines and to promote the development of energy-saving machinery. This was the second time an Okuma product has won this award.

ECO suite monitors total energy consumption in machining and pursues thorough energy savings by reducing both power during machine operation and power during idling. It is a comprehensive energy-saving system incorporating Okuma's Intelligent Technology and advanced control technology.

The ECO suite consists of ECO Idling Stop, which combines energy-saving technology and Intelligent Technology to stop machine idling; ECO Hydraulics, a hydraulics unit with servo control; the ECO Power Monitor that raises awareness of energy usage with visual control; and ECO Operation, which operates only the necessary peripheral equipment at the necessary time. It achieves significant cuts in energy consumption while maintaining high accuracies.

Awards received for ECO suite

• 2016
  ECO Idling Stop MM-AWARD AMB 2016 (Handling/Automation category)
• 2015
  Excellence Award (Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award) at Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun’s 45th Machine Design Awards

Energy-Efficient Machinery Awards received

• 30th Awards (2010)
  PREX motor (permanent magnet interpolation reluctance motor with a multilayer slit structure)