Koyo is a bearing brand of JTEKT

Message

Hello everyone.
My name is Kazuhiro Sato, the president of JTEKT Corporation.

On behalf of the company, I would like to thank you for your support
of the Koyo brand over the years.

We sincerely appreciate it.

The Koyo brand was first introduced in 1921,
and this year we have reached the milestone anniversary of 100 years.

This is thanks to our predecessors’ continuous efforts to seek
better performance,
better quality,
and more competitive prices.
In other words, provide "quality products at affordable prices",
which enables us to stay competitive against foreign products.
We also owe our success to the support provided by our dealerships and the patronage of our customers.

The Koyo brand remains an important brand to our company
and continues to play a key role.

It is said that we are undergoing a “once in a century transition” these days,
with the rapid evolution of information technologies leading to dramatic changes in people’s lifestyles and industrial structures.

One-hundred years is a true milestone.

We must swiftly respond to these dramatic changes
to achieve our vision of No. 1 & Only One.

For society and for customers,
our focus is on “Tree-Ring Management”,
that means gradual and steady growth built on all employees’ efforts for continuous kaizen.
Please join us in looking forward to the future of Koyo and the next 100 years.

We humbly request that you will continue to provide us with your patronage of the Koyo brand.

President

History

01

Growing into a global bearing company with unsurpassed Japanese quality

1921

Founded as Koyo Seiko Co. (brand name "IKF")

Beginning of full bearing production

1933

Full production of double-row ball bearings and tapered roller bearings began

1935

Established as Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.

1937

Production and sale of Koyo sawing machine (later rolling bearings) began

1943

Four-row tapered roller bearings for rolling mill work rolls developed

1949

Four-row tapered roller bearings for rolling mill backup rolls developed

1952

Developed water pump bearings

With advanced motorization, the market required rolling bearings designed specifically for vehicles. Koyo successfully developed a double-row bearing with a shaft, which is highly reliable and easy to assemble. This product led to the development and launch of many other performance improving automotive bearings from Koyo.

1957

Mass production of cylindrical roller bearings for multi-roll mill backup rolls began

1958

AMERICAN KOYO CORPORATION (presently Koyo Corporation of U.S.A.) established

1959

Development of bearings for the Shinkansen bullet train high-speed train-cars began

1961

Registered trade mark changed from IKF to Koyo

1962

Kokubu Plant Central Research Laboratory established
Achieved the largest total sales in the bearing industry

1963

Europe Koyo Import & Export GmbH established

1964

Australian Koyo Ltd./Deutsche Koyo Walzlager VmbH established

1966

Canadian Koyo Co., Ltd./Thai Koyo Co.,Ltd. established

1967

Koyo de Mexico, S.A. established

1968

Production of tapered roller bearings (HI-CAP) began

1969

Production of drive shafts for construction machinery began

1972

Koyo (U.K.) Ltd./Koyo Singapore Pte. Ltd.Koyo Rolamentos do Brasil Ltda. established
9 sales bases established in Japan

Four-row cylindrical roller bearings for rolling mill backup rolls developed

1975

Koyo France S.A./Philippine Koyo Bearing Corporation established

1978

Koyo Espanola, S.A. established

Developed Ball bearings under vacuum conditions

02

Developing innovative products to satisfy unique customer needs

1979

Koyo (Holland) B.V. established

1981

Koyo Kullager Scandinavia A.B/Koyo Corporation of USA established

1982

Ball bearings for high-speed alternator developed

As vehicles began using more electricity, smaller, higher speed alternators were required. Koyo developed ball bearings for high speed alternators with a longer life under high RPM and high temperature conditions.

1983

Koyo Latin America, S.A. established

Low-friction torque tapered roller bearings (LFT®) developed
The 2nd generation ball hub unit bearings developed

1984

Ceramic bearings developed

Koyo launched the world’s first ceramic bearings in 1984. Offering excellent performance in high temperature, corrosive, and vacuum environments, ceramic bearings led to the commercialization of many other extreme special environment series (EXSEV®) bearings.

1988

Split type bearing unit for continuous casting equipments developed

1989

Technical center at Kokubu Plant completed

1990

Koyo Italia S.R.L. established

Hub unit bearings with built-in ABS sensors developed

Koyo hub units integrated components including double-row bearings, seals, and ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) sensors. Not only did they provide space and weight savings without sacrificing performance, Koyo hub units with built-in ABS sensors helped make driving much safer.

03

Expanding R&D and production globally

1992

Delivered ultra-large size slewing rim bearings (7.2m diameter) for the tunnel-boring machine for the Tokyo Bay Aqua Line

Ultra-large size slewing rim bearings (7.2 meter diameter) were installed into the tunneling bore machines that built the world’s largest tunnel (14.14 meter diameter) at that time. This large tunnel was constructed under the sea floor without impacting large ship traffic or aircraft take-off and landing at Tokyo international airport. To overcome transportation challenges, split-type slewing rim bearings were developed, later.

1993

ISO9002 acquired (7 plants in Japan)

Koyo Extra-life (KE) bearings developed

1995

Koyo Sales Co., Ltd. established

1996

ISO9001 acquired

Clean Pro bearings for semiconductor manufacturing equipment developed

1997

European Technical Centre in the Netherlands established

Ceramic bearings for turbochargers developed

Koyo successfully launched the world’s first ceramic ball bearings for automotive turbochargers. With heat resistant materials for inner, outer rings and cages, these ceramic bearings provided excellent performance under high RPM and high temperature conditions. Additionally, ceramic needle roller bearings were developed for racing motorcycles.

Delivered tapered roller bearings for the Shinkansen bullet train( N500 series)

The Shinkansen bullet train introduced the world to a new standard for high speed trains by reaching a maximum speed of 300 km/h. After providing bearings for the first generation of Shinkansen train cars, Koyo continuously pursued size and weight savings as well as low temperature elevation. The bearings are subject to 6 month endurance tests to validate their performance, contributing to higher speeds and more reliable Shinkansen operation.

1999

ISO14001 acquired

Tapered roller bearings for N700 Series Shinkansen bullet train delivered

2001

Niigata Koyo Ltd./Shizuoka Koyo Co., Ltd./Koyo Nichijiku Co., Ltd. established

2002

Delivered quarter-split type ultra-large size (8.37m) slewing rim bearings

Developed High Ability Angular Contact Ball Bearings for machine tool spindles

High Ability Angular Contact Ball Bearings contribute to the performance of multi-operational, high volume, and high-speed machine tools. Combined with grease lubrication, these bearings better resist environmental degradation through oil diffusion at high speed and help produce higher precision parts.

2003

Clutch pulley for alternator developed

2005

Chinese local affiliate established

2006

JTEKT Corporation founded

Developed long-life needle roller bearings for planetary gears

Developed Low-friction torque tapered roller bearings (LFT®-III)

Designed with optimum internal dimensions and lubrication oil inward flow control, the LFT®-III bearing drastically reduced rolling friction torque while provide a long-life and high rigidity. The LFT®-III won the METI (Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan) Minister’s award as an excellent energy saving product. Koyo continuously improved lubrication oil inward flow control, leading to the development of LFT®-V tapered roller bearings.

2007

Developed large-size insulated ceramic bearings for wind power generators

2009

Long-life & high-corrosion resistant roll neck bearings for rolling mills developed

Koyo was first to produce four-row tapered roller bearings for rolling mill work rolls in Japan in 1943. Their long-life and high corrosion-resistance rolling bearings help to improve the productivity and operational stability of rolling mills, which operate under heavy loads, high-speeds, and severe environments. These bearings lead to the launch of the JHS (JTEKT Hyper Strong) series of long-life and high corrosion-resistance products for the rolling mills.

Developed excessive-torque protectors for steel rolling mill driveshafts (hyper coupling)

Abnormal rolling operation causes excessive-torque, which can damage not only the drive shaft itself but also peripheral devices, such as electric motors and reduction gears. Koyo hyper couplings are designed to release excessive torque transmission improving operational accuracy and durability. They help provide operational stability and reduce maintenance.

2010

The needle bearing business acquired from THE TIMKEN COMPANY in the U.S.
High-performance sealed cylindrical roller bearings for multi-roll mill backup rolls developed
Ultra high-speed angular contact ball bearings that cope with high-speed rotation of 4,000,000 dmn developed

2012

Large Size Bearing Engineering Development Center/JTEKT Iga Proving Ground opened

04

Accepting the challenge for the future

2014

Merged with Koyo Sales Co., Ltd.

Developed caged needle roller bearings for high speed planetary gears

2016

Tag line established
JTEKT EUROPE S.A.S Proving Ground opened

High-rotation speed ball bearings (with high-rigidity resin cage) developed

Developed ultra thin section ball bearings (high load capacity type)

2017

Launched bearing product information on the JTEKT website

Developed new Clean Pro bearings

The manufacturing process of high density products like semiconductors require bearings that resist microscopic dust particles. Koyo Clean Pro beatings minimize dust build-up enhancing output and quality. Their long-life also helps increase production.

2018

High-performance cylindrical roller bearings for multi-roll mill backup rolls developed

2019

Next-generation long-life bearings (NK bearing) developed

2020

Ultra-high precision bearings (PRECILENCE) developed
Developed low-friction torque tapered roller bearings (LFT®-V)

100th MOVIE

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