Corporate
Profile

[Company strength]
Our company applies our original technologies to develop, manufacture, and distribute various precision machining and cutting whetstones and electroplated diamond wires. We quickly respond to various customer needs regarding quality, delivery, after-sales service and other matters. A specialist on the topic always responds to customer inquiries, from development to after-sales service. We acquired ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification as part of our corporate activities. We have started to promote environmental measures in addition to product quality management, as these measures are have been becoming increasingly important in recent years.
 


[Business description]
Our company was established in 1973 as a diamond tool developer, manufacturer, and distributor and provider of ultra-precision machining services. Our company’s motto is simply “What’s next?” This implies that we should commit ourselves to realizing our corporate vision, policy, desires, and dreams. We accelerated global expansion to support technological innovation for manufacturers around the world when we entered the then-unknown field of ultra-precision diamond whetstone machining (for magnetic heads). This effort helped us become a pioneer and a leading company in the field. We now have a share of around 80% of the global whetstone market for machining magnetic heads. 



[Industry]
Manufacturing (various diamond tool manufacturing and sales)

[Strength of products/technologies]
Our company is committed to product development by making the most of our original technologies and development technologies, under quality management that satisfies requirements in the world’s most advanced field. This is based on creativity, the latest technologies, our know-how from nano-level precision machining, and a customer service mindset. We already have quality policies in place to realize the highest quality level. Our plants have already acquired ISO certification (ISO 9001:2000) and have established an across-the-board quality management program. We will make improvements every day under the philosophy that our company is all about quality, and we will not be complacent about quality. We possess Japan’s best manufacturing methods for ceramic cutting blades (minimum thickness, 30 µMT) and electroplated diamond wire (machining five to ten times faster compared to the loose abrasive method). 

[Representative's message]
All our divisions will take up the challenge of entering the global market, and not only the sales department. We must overcome all the obstacles in the global standards, laws, regulations, frameworks, customs, and cultures to appeal to both domestic and overseas companies. We plan to expand globally by actively increasing our expatriate staff, developing human resources, and improving technologies and services. 

[Company structure for market development/overseas expansion]
We usually suggest a single integrated manufacturing process that covers both upstream and downstream processes when we manufacture for a customer. We intend to enhance our technical support and listen to our customer’s voices. This will be done by making use of the sales forces and engineers in our domestic Japanese and overseas sites.



[Market share/Ranking]
We have an 80% share (largest share) of the market for cutting blades for magnetic head sliders,
and a 22% share (second-largest) for diamond wire for slicing solar panel wafers. 


[Awards and media coverage]
[Awards]
Precision Measurement Technology Promotion Foundation, Takagi Award (October 1997); excellent tax reporting commendation from Kanagawa Prefecture, four times in 20 years (December 2006); Hard Disk Drive Expo 2010, Silver Award (July 2010); Monozukuri Nippon Award, Excellence Award (February 2012). 

[Media]
Fukushima Minpo (September 26, 2014); Fukushima Minyu Shimbun (September 29, 2014); Koho Shinchi publicity website (October 5, 2014); many other newspapers and industry papers. 


[Authorization/Certification]
ISO 9001 (for our Niigata plant and R&D laboratory, February 1999); ISO1 4001 (Niigata plant, Sendai plant, and R&D laboratory, September 2001); ISO 9001 (Sendai plant, February 2004).

[Joint research and development]
JST Center for Revitalization Promotion: High-efficiency polycrystal DW slicing (since October 2012).
Yamagata Research Institute of Technology: Development of carbon nanotube composite whetstone (since December 2011).
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology: Discussion on a new diamond whetstone manufacturing method through the application of particle deposition technology (2002 to 2005).
Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, National Industrial Research Institute of Nagoya: Manufacturing method for high-toughness hard sintered bodies for cutting tools (1991 to 1994).