Mani, Inc. — From our hands to yours, “The Best Quality in the World, to the World”

Mr. Kazuaki Kato offers insight into Mani’s history and high standards

Figure 1: Mani Headquarters, Kiyohara Factory, Utsunomiya, Japan

Established in 1956 in Takenzawa, Japan (north of Tokyo), by our Founder, Masao Matsutani, Mani is a manufacturer and supplier of medical instruments to over 120 countries worldwide. We are very proud of our long history of research, innovation, and manufacturing quality. Our singular goal is “Contributing to people’s happiness in the world through developing, manufacturing, and delivering the product that can help doctors and patients.” In addition, we strive to improve the quality of people’s lives by providing “The Best Quality in the World, to the World.” More than a slogan, this is our passion at every level of Mani (Figure 1).

Mani has a storied history. Highlights among many innovations since our founding include producing the world’s first “18-8” stainless steel surgical needle in 1961. In 1991, Mani introduced the world’s smallest drilled eyeless needle (27μm) for trial and developed a skin stapler for medical use in the same year. In 2013, Mani developed state-of-the-art metal skeletons for stent grafts. To date, Mani holds 310 patents (including 221 non-Japanese patents) and has 148 patents pending (including 126 non-Japanese patents). Mani meets and exceeds the highest manufacturing and quality assurance standards and is ISO 13485, and MDD 93/42/EEC (CE Marking — EC Medical Device) certified, among other certifications.

Mani has received numerous awards since our founding, including the coveted Porter Prize in 2008, which recognizes outstanding Japanese companies.

A truly global company, the surgical, ophthalmic, eyeless (needles), and dental divisions of Mani have consolidated subsidiaries in Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, and the People’s Republic of China. Mani has been traded on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange since 2012. Mani dental products are sold and represented worldwide through a group of carefully chosen dealers selected for their clinical and product knowledge.

A market leader in many parts of the world, Mani is not yet well-known in North America. We seek to make Mani Dental a “household” name in North America with the introduction of our existing products (listed below) as well as with our exciting new anatomy-based NiTi rotary instrumentation system, Mani Silk.

Figure 2: Mani Silk NiTi Instrumentation System

Mani Silk was launched at the American Association of Endodontics meeting in Seattle in May of 2015. Heat treated in the apical 10 mm of its cutting flutes, Mani Silk features a teardrop cross section, providing a smooth tactile feel, a feature which prevents the “screwing in” effect common with other instrumentation systems. Anatomy-based, Mani Silk has “Simple” packs for relatively straight and uncomplicated canals, “Standard” packs for canals of moderate curvature and calcification, and “Complex” packs for canals of severe curvature and calcification.

 

Mani Silk was designed to provide a safe, predictable, and efficient instrument system that is both simple to learn and simple to use. Each pack has three files and can be used either “Crown Down” or “Step Back.” We believe the “Silky Smooth Feel” and predictable results from using Mani Silk are a winning combination for both the specialist and general dentist alike. We encourage you to try Mani Silk.

Figure 3: Clinical case instrumented with the Complex Pack configuration of the Mani Silk NiTi Instrumentation System

Aside from Mani Silk, Mani offers an unmatched variety of stainless steel hand files, including K, H, Reamer, “K Flex” type — Flexile, .05 tapered — Flare, stiff — D Finders, flexible yet cutting — RT, among many other varieties. The hand file line also includes a complete offering of nickel-titanium options. Many of the above instruments are available in medium sizes (12, 17, 22, 27, etc.) and also safe-ended options.

In addition to its rotary and hand files, Mani manufactures posts, gutta-percha removal instruments (GPR files), Gates Glidden Drills, Peeso Reamers, NiTi Flare Finger Spreaders, NiTi Pluggers, Stainless Steel Finger Spreaders and Finger Pluggers, micro K, H, and micro Flare files (.05 tapered) among other micro-endodontic file designs and products. Mani also sells a wide variety of accessories to sterilize and store burs and endodontic files.

Figures 4A and 4B: Clinical course with participation by Mani given in Des Moines, Iowa for the Iowa AGD Mastertrack class (lecture and hands-on by Dr. Richard Mounce)
Figures 4A and 4B: Clinical course with participation by Mani given in Des Moines, Iowa for the Iowa AGD Mastertrack class
(lecture and hands-on by Dr. Richard Mounce)

Aside from the endodontic products above, additional dental products include diamond, carbide, surgical, finishing, and polishing burs, sutures, and surgical needles.

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Our aim is to always develop the highest quality product possible and improve each product in successive generations. Toward this goal, twice each year, we hold a conference called “The best quality in the world or not?” where we perform various tests on Mani products compared with our competition. A ranking chart is then created to see if our products are ranked the highest. If a product fails to reach the top rank, engineers are required to put together an action plan to improve the product so as to be ranked number one by the time of the next conference.

In addition, we place a high value on skilled work performed by human hands. Although optical and mechanical quality control systems are installed to achieve efficiency and ensure quality, we do not rely solely on mechanical inspections. We believe that inspections carried out using the five human senses are key to ensuring “The Best Quality in the World, to the World.” For example, we supply more than 10,000 types of surgical needles, which are used on different parts of the human body by surgeons with various tactile preferences. Additionally, we manufacture over 2,000 types of dental instruments, all of which are subjected to human visual inspections in the production process. In essence, no product leaves our factories without having been inspected both mechanically and visually by a human being.

Figure 4C: Mani staff being given gifts at the Iowa AGD Mastertrack class (left to right): Mr. Koichi Arakawa, Mr. Akihiro Shiozaki, Mr. Hiroyuki Ogiwara, and Mr. Daiki Kawaguchi

Aside from world-class, patient-centered product development, and state-of-the-art manufacturing, Mani is deeply committed to clinical education and advancement of the specialty of endodontics both in North America and across the world. Mani has sponsored and participated in numerous hands-on courses in the United States. For example, among other courses, Mani was proud to be a part of the 2014 Iowa Academy of General Dentistry™ (AGD) Mastertrack endodontic course given by Dr. Richard Mounce and will be helping Dr. Mounce again with the 2015 Nebraska AGD Mastertrack endodontic course. Events such as these are one of the many ways that Mani obtains direct customer feedback to both understand our customers’ needs and help identify needed future products to move the specialty forward.

In addition to the above commitment to our customers, we exhibit at all of the major trade shows in North America, including, but not limited to, the American Association of Endodontists, Greater New York Dental Meeting, Chicago Midwinter Meeting, and the CDA (North and South) meetings.
We encourage you to visit with our representatives at these meetings to get to know us better.

And finally, the Mani team is a company made up of individuals dedicated to a common goal: helping improve the quality of people’s lives globally. Regardless of the country worked in, Mani employees are selected for their honesty, manual dexterity, and desire for continuous improvement. Such crucial personal qualities ensure that both Mani’s labor and product quality are of the highest standard.

Given our proud history and constant effort to improve our products, we can truly and humbly say from our hands to yours, “The Best Quality in the World, to the World.” Thank you. For more information about Mani and Mani Silk, we welcome you to visit https://www.mani.co.jp/en/

This information was provided by Mani, Inc.

kazuaki-kato-mani-incKazuaki Kato is Senior Director, Dental Products Department at Mani, Inc.

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