History ｜ Corporate Information | AIKOKU ALPHA

1940

1943	・AIKOKU Kogyo Co., Ltd. established with capital of ¥180,000
1946	・Began manufacturing metallic materials for construction and agricultural machinery
1947	・Began manufacturing pedals, free-wheeling mechanisms, and other bicycle parts

1950

1954	・Disclosed financial status to the employees
1957	・Began manufacturing scooter handle bearing parts for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
1958	・Received the Aichi Prefectural Governor’s Award for excellence in plant streamlining ・Began manufacturing cold-formed parts
1959	・Began manufacturing motorcycle transmission parts for Honda Motor Co.

1960

1962	・Built new cold-forming plant and, increased capital to ¥50 million
1963	・Completed first-phase construction on main plant
1965	・Increased capital to ¥100 million
1966	・Abolished position-oriented personnel system and began using ML system
1967	・Created an R&D Division for in-house products
1969	・Constructed a new plant to begin manufacturing airplane parts and introduced NC machine tools ・Obtained patent for spline shaft cold-forming method

1970

1970	・Balancer Division established to sell original AIKOKU products
1971	・Increased capital to ¥195 million ・Received the Director’s Award from the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation for cold-formed spline shafts
1972	・Began exporting cold-formed shafts to the US ・Received the 1972 Quality Award from NTN
1974	・AIKOKU representatives sent to the US to begin full-scale cold forming sales ・Aircraft Division began supplying Boeing 747 parts
1975	・Obtained basic patent (control methods) for Free Balance Arm ・Established Japan’s first 5-axis machining center
1976	・Began working with Hardy Spicer in the UK and Lohr & Bromkamp in Germany ・Developed precision forming method for BJ inner races
1978	・Increased capital to ¥213.5 million
1979	・Established AMERICAN AIKOKU ALPHA, Inc. ・Expanded press plant

1980

1980	・Expanded Aero Product Division plant ・Commissioned by Nissan Motor Co. to make inner races
1981	・Increased capital to ¥760 million ・Commissioned by GKN (US) to make inner races
1982	・Began supplying parts for nuclear power plants ・Received Quality Award from the UK’s Hardy Spicer Ltd.
1983	・Began working with GM and providing inner races to Toyota Motor Corporation ・Received Q1 Preferred Quality Award from Ford Motor Company
1984	・Introduced CADAM CAD/CAM software ・Received Technological Development Award from the Japan Society for Technology of Plasticity for cold-forged spline shafts
1985	・Renamed Balancer Division the Raku Raku Hand Division ・Signed licensing agreement with GM
1986	・Began working with Aisin AW ・Developed a unique 5-axis post-processor ・Began mass producing cold-formed hollow shafts
1987	・Established Manufacturing Solutions Division
1988	・Began supplying V2500 engine components ・Began supplying spline shafts to Toyota Motor Corporation
1989	・Increased capital to ¥1.2 billion ・Developed a new SAE4-grade precision cold-formed spline processing technology with CAWAS

1990

1990	・Established a cold-forming materials research lab
1991	・Aero Product Division re-established as the subsidiary AIKOKU Engineering Co., Ltd. (AEC)
1992	・Changed company name to AIKOKU ALPHA CORPORATION and revised corporate logo
1994	・Began mass producing pinion shafts and UF inner races
1995	・Defined“corporate mindset”and“employee-partner mindset” ・AEC Aero Product Division obtained ISO 9002 certification ・Began supplying complete pinion shafts to Delphi Saginaw
1996	・Set up the Technology Grand Prize award program ・Successfully developed VL inner race forming process and began mass production
1997	・AEC Aero Product Division obtained D1 9000 Rev. A certification and started dealing directly with Boeing ・Cold Forming Division obtained QS 9000 certification
1998	・Received first Supplier of the Year award from GM
1999	・Received Supplier of the Year award from GM for the second year in a row

2000

2000	・Built construction on the Cold Forming Division’s Yamazaki Plant
2001	・Completed the AIKOKU ALPHA Acacia Lounge ・Began shipping machined impellers to Europe ・AEC Aero Product Division obtained BQMS(Boeing Quality Management System) certification
2002	・Began selling G-Navi package software ・Obtained ISO14001 certification
2003	・Held the first Employee-Partner Dream Cup event ・Successfully developed BJ inner races with grind-free truck grooves ・Awarded Best Supplier from Eclipse Aviation Corporation in the US
2004	・Established Yumeoya ・Opened golf practice course for employee-partners ・Began mass producing sun gear shafts for GM
2005	・Aero Precision Division obtained JS Q9100 certification
2006	・Built headquarters with Acacia Lounge and Technology Lounge ・Began manufacturing crowned sun gears
2007	・Raku Raku Hand Division authorized to use CE marking ・Aero Precision Division obtained TS16949 certification
2008	・Completed Ayumi (Pathways), a history of the past 25 years of AIKOKU ・Began selling Handy Hand, a new RH product with a hand sensing device

2010

2010	・Received orders for pinion shafts designed for next-generation electric power steering systems
2011	・Launched expert system for the Technology Lounge ・Began processing MRJ components
2012	・Received the General Motors Company Supplier Quality Excellence Award ・Updated the company overview and the entire website
2013	・The trial production components of MRJ were all supplied ・Began selling cForce and Simple Modeler package software ・Built construction of Aero Precision Division's new Plant (9th plant)
2014	・Raku-Raku Hand that corresponds to the next-generation assembly line was completed ・ Website cloud system started
2015	・Received order from Ford Motor Company for the first time in ten years ・Began selling Digital-Auto-Balance Control, a new RH product ・Completed the first stage construction of Cold Forming Division's 10th Plant
2016	・Received quality award from Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Mazda Motor Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation and Hino Motors, Ltd ・Began selling full model change machine (SH, SC type) of pneumatic Raku-Raku Hand
2017	・Received the 64th “Okochi Memorial Production Prize” ・Completed the second stage construction of Cold Forming Division's 10th Plant ・Built of Aero Precision Division's 11th Plant
2018	・Completed development of G-Navi V2.7 / V2.8 combination version ・Created a new accounting system
2019	・Awarded the “Quality Excellence Award : No defects for 11 consecutive years” from Aisin AW Co. LTD. ・Merged the Cold Forming Department and our affiliated heat treatment company ・The 10th Plant's third/last period of construction complete

2020

2020	・Started machining Rolls-Royce's prototype BLISK for next-generation engine ・2,000 orders achieved for “Kantan Hand” used in agriculture since its release in 1994
2021	・Received The 56th “Japan Society for the Promotion of Machine Industry Chairman’s Prize” ・Opend “ Hida Seiji's Memorial Hall & Park”at the company's birthplace ・Declaind Initiatives for Carbon Neutrality
2022	・Aero Precision Division certified by Rolls-Royce the SABRe DCP Supplier Management System Requirement ・Manufacturing Solution Division launched “G-Navi” V3.2 ・Skill Inheritor System inaugurated
2023	・Raku-Raku Hand was exhibited at The Battery Show North America ・Annual Co₂ emissions was 30,798t, achieved 50% of Y2030 goal

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