Corporate
Profile

[Company strength]
Our company originally excels at technology development. We have developed many kinds of manufacturing equipment for hairline wires used in optical fibers, computers, and mobile phones, using various new technologies. Our group includes Nitivy, a well-established Japanese plastic pipe and tube manufacturer. It also includes Nihon Vinyl Cord, a sole producer of special electric wires and special cords for electrocardiographs (the conductors are made of carbon fiber).

[Business description]
Our company manufactures machines for making wire rods (mainly plastic extrusion molding machines) for various industries. Our target markets include sheathing extruders (plastic electrical wires and optical fiber cables in the electrical wire field) and extruders for catheters and guide wires (medical device field). We also serve the market for other special tube and pipe extruders (semiconductors and other electronics fields). Our sales efforts were mainly focused on sheathing extruders for telecommunications cables because of our connection with the R&D facilities of NTT. We shifted our target to the market for machines for making medical tubes (e.g., catheters and guide wires) after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. We have gained a high reputation as an extruder manufacturer in Japan. We also have high technological strength in dealing with wire rods (10-µ order), and have been highly evaluated as a manufacturer of machines for making wire tubes. Sales are also gradually increasing in this field. Our group companies include Nitivy and Nihon Vinyl Cord.

[Industry]
Machinery manufacturing

[Strength of products/technologies]
Our company developed Japan's first plastic extrusion molding machine. We have developed and manufactured molding machines for various resins since then. These technologies have allowed us to manufacture molding machines for all kinds of resins, including super engineering plastics (e.g., fluororesin, PEEK, and PI). Our extrusion molding machines for optical fibers show the top level of precision and features in Japan. We manufacture medical tube products with high precision that is not possible with other companies. Our extruder can shield fluororesin-coated electric wires that are used in computers and mobile phones with 2-µm precision (shielded diameter).

[Representative's message]
Our company was established in 1943. My predecessor received a phone call after the war from the director of the telecommunications laboratory at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation. The director advised our president that electric wires would be replaced with plastic wires, since PVC electric wire was used in the US Air Force's B29 bombers. He suggested that our company should develop extruders, and Japan's first extruder was created in 1947 in response to that advice. Our company has been mainly engaged in plastic molding machines since then. However, I think that too many companies in Japan now develop products without actually making them. Japan's postwar growth was made possible by the fact that Japanese people manufactured while thinking. This is why I will try my best as a manager to think and manufacture in Japan. 

[Company structure for market development/overseas expansion]
Our business with major companies has always been with NTT and certain listed companies, so our situation remains almost the same. Our president will be the contact person for new customers. Overseas transactions are conducted through Marubeni because the president has many connections in that trading company, which is where he used to work. The contact person within the organization is the manager of the sales department.

[Market share/Ranking]
The following products have acquired the largest share of the domestic Japanese market:
Sheathing extruders for optical fibers.
Sheathing extruders for fluorine electric wire for computers.
Teflon extruders.

Our market share for the following products is increasing:
Medical tube extruders for catheters and other uses.
Test equipment for medical tubes.


[Awards and media coverage]
[Awards]
Excellent Company, Award of Excellence, Tokyo Association of Shinkin Banks, Shinkumi Federation Bank, and Tokyo Employers' Association (2006). This was awarded in recognition of our sheathing extruder technology for micro Teflon coaxial cables used in laptop computers and mobile phones. 

[Media]


[Joint research and development]
Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics, School of Fundamental Science and Technology, Keio University. 

[Transaction terms]
Based on consultations when making a contract.

[Main Clients / Business History (domestic)]
Sumitomo Electric Industries; Furukawa Electric; Fujikura; Mitsubishi Cable Industries; Showa Electric Wire & Cable; Hirakawa Hewtech; Nissei Electric; Mitsubishi Rayon; Asahi Chemical Industry; Toray; other electric wire and optical fiber related device manufacturers; Fuji Film; Asahi Intecc; Nipro; other medical tube manufacturers. 

[Main Clients / Business History (overseas)]
Samsung, Taihan Electric Wire, Daewoo (Korea), Pacific Electric Wire & Cable, Tatung, Hua Eng Wire & Cable, Walsin (Taiwan), SUCACO (Indonesia), and so on.