MinebeaMitsumi used its original yo-yo to set a Guinness World Record of 59 minutes 46.44 seconds in the Long Sleeper, a competition measuring how long a yo-yo continues to spin, and the record was certified on 3 October.
MinebeaMitsumi used an original yo-yo incorporating its ultra-precision machining and small-diameter ball-bearing technologies to challenge the world record for the Long Sleeper. The record of 59 minutes 46.44 seconds was achieved at the Karuizawa Head Office Plant Technology Center and certified on the same day.
The equipment used was an original yo-yo fitted with the company’s ultra-precision ball bearing (size C). It is said to incorporate a specially designed bearing that reduces frictional resistance to an absolute minimum compared with the ball bearings used in competition yo-yos. The company explained that highly precise overall design and the application of a structure that sustains rotation contributed to the record.
This challenge was a cross-functional collaboration project carried out by the Ball Bearing Division, the Technology Headquarters and the Components and Machinery divisions as part of the company’s cross-functional collaboration initiative. The aim was to communicate the appeal of ball bearings and the potential of manufacturing to younger generations by pursuing a world record using a yo-yo as the medium.
The technology rests on the combination of ultra-precision machining and small-diameter ball bearings. The company explained that precision machining drawing on accumulated expertise, together with a design that minimises wobble and energy loss, enabled the yo-yo to sustain rotation for an extended period.