It sure is! ShinMaywa’s built‑in DD Motor is hard at work inside Japan’s next‑generation H3 launch vehicle.

Our built‑in DD Motor was chosen as a critical fuel‑control valve actuator for the LE‑9 engine—the first‑stage main engine of the H3 rocket. Each rocket uses a lot of them, usually between eight and twelve units!

The H3 rocket carries two to three engines,  and each one needs four of ShinMaywa’s motors. 

DD Motors are used for things like machining, measuring, and control.  To put it simply, a motor is a device that spins something and adjusts its rotation speed.

Motors are often hidden away where people can’t see them, but they quietly support our everyday lives in all kinds of places. but they quietly support our everyday lives in all kinds of places.In fact, you can find motors in familiar things like washing machines, vacuum cleaners, automatic doors, and elevators—anywhere something moves to make life more convenient.

What makes ShinMaywa’s DD Motor special is its incredible precision—it can control speed and position with extremely fine accuracy.That’s why it was chosen for various control valves, including the fuel‑control valves of the H3 rocket.

The rocket’s engines need liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, and the DD Motor plays a key role in precisely controlling how much of these propellants are sent, and when.By switching to electrically driven valves powered by DD Motors, the H3 rocket is now known for achieving much more precise thrust control.​

Yeah, it was! Compared to other products, there were many special challenges.

My teammates in design told me about things like the intense acceleration during launch, the vibration during flight, the huge swings in temperature, and even the vacuum of space—we had to choose parts that could survive all of that.Quality requirements were extremely strict too, so we even had to rethink how we sourced some of the components.

Those of us on the manufacturing side also faced many special challenges. We had to work with materials and specifications that were completely different from what we usually use. Even in the very first process of motor production—the winding—we had to be extra careful not to scratch anything when removing it from the jig, because the standards were far stricter than for ordinary products. Since a rocket launch gives you only one precious chance, we all felt a huge sense of responsibility. We worked with full focus to make sure nothing we did would ever cause a failure. And when the motors were finally finished, we wrapped them gently—almost like works of art—so they wouldn’t be damaged during transport.

When I saw the H3 rocket launch for the first time, all I could think was, “Amazing!”
I was more shocked than anything—was our motor really being used in that rocket? It was such an unbelievable moment.
 When the H3 rocket launched successfully, we all felt relieved. It meant that the motors we built here at the Takarazuka Plant had done their job just right.

Seeing the rocket on the news—and knowing our motors were working inside it—made us truly happy!

Well… maybe you could go see one, MayMay,but in everyday life it’s pretty hard to actually spot a DD Motor at work. Even so, you can definitely feel its impact all around you.

For example,  DD Motors are used in machines called electric servo motors, which control the amount of electricity produced at hydroelectric power plants. Hydropower plants generate electricity by letting water flow through a turbine, and our DD Motor helps adjust exactly how much water flows in. By controlling the turbine’s rotation speed and the amount of power it produces, the DD Motor plays a very important role.

DD Motors are also used in many other places where high precision and advanced technology are needed. or example, they help run equipment that inspects semiconductors and hard disk drives, and they’re used in factories that make and test the electronic parts found in smartphones, computers, and even cars. You can even find them in cutting‑edge research and development labs.   Wherever accuracy and reliability are essential, DD Motors are quietly doing their job.

One thing we’re especially proud of is  One thing we’re especially proud of is how ShinMaywa’s DD Motors can be custom‑made to match exactly what each customer needs.​

Whenever we can solve a customer’s challenge with our technology and craftsmanship, it makes us really happy — and it gives us a strong sense of purpose.

You can’t usually see DD Motors in everyday life,but they quietly help keep the world running smoothly for everyone.