History

What is Aichi Steel

Aichi Steel was established in 1934. Based on the principle that high quality iron (steel) was indispensable to produce high quality automobiles, we began R&D activities to improve the quality of steel and enhance the productivity.

In 1933, the Automotive Department was established at Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, and the development of automobiles began in earnest. In the following year, the steel making division, which was the starting point for Aichi Steel, was established, and development of specialty steel for use in automobiles began. At this time, the manufacturing technologies for high-quality steel had yet to be established, and based on the philosophy of our founder Kiichiro Toyoda that "great cars are made with great steel" we furthered research and development and were successful in developing forged parts for use in automobiles.

Today, we leverage our steel manufacturing technologies to deliver materials for use in automobiles, construction, civil engineering, and medical equipment.

At Aichi Steel we leverage our steel manufacturing technologies, and today are engaged in developing materials other than steel, such as stainless steel, titanium and magnetic materials. These products are used in construction materials, including for bridges and buildings, as well as compact sensors and medical equipment. Our advanced material development capabilities and product manufacturing technologies are playing an active role in these fields.

Aichi Steel delivers products which facilitate solutions to societal challenges, including the conservation of the global environment, advanced healthcare, and food problems.

Throughout the world of today, many initiatives are underway toward the resolution of a myriad of challenges, including those involving the global environment, resources, human rights, and food. At Aichi Steel we are also furthering initiatives for automobile lightweighting, recycling, and the transition to electric vehicles. In addition, we are leveraging the technologies and know-how we have accumulated through manufacturing steel to tackle societal challenges such as those involving the use of fertilizer to improve the quality of land where it is difficult to grow crops.

1934—

  Organization, systems, etc. Equipment, technology, product
1934
  • Establishment of steelmaking division at Toyoda Automatic Loom Works (today’s Toyota Industries Corporation)
 
1940
  • Steel section spun off to establish Toyota Steel Works,Ltd (in today’s Tokai City)
 
1943
  • Start of operations at Chita Plant
 
1945
  • Changed name to Aichi Steel Corporation
 
1954
  • Made AIKO CORPORATION a subsidiary
 
1958  
  • Brought stainless steel rolled angle bars to market
1964
  • Start of operations at Forging shop
 
1970
  • Start of operations at Electronic Maticial shop
 
1978  
  • Start of operation of 6,000 ton forging press
1980
  • Received a PM award for excellent workplace
  • Development of untempered steel, mass production for crank shafts
1982
  • Start of operations at the No. 2 Melting shop
  • Start of operations for new steelmaking facilities (80 ton EF-LF-RH-BL/CC)
  • Development of the multiple steelmaking process technology
1985  
  • Start of operation of billet continuous casting equipment (BT/CC)
  • Joint development with partner manufacturers of long-lasting, high-quality bearing steel
1987
  • Received the Deming Prize
  • Established AIKO SERVICE CO., LTD.
 
1988  
  • Development of 3D cut steel, mass production for crank shafts
  • Brought titanium shaped materials to market
  • Start of operation of formed stainless steel line
1989
  • Start of operation of No 2 Bar Mill Shop
 

1990—

  Organization, systems, etc. Equipment, technology, product
1990  
  • Completed the 50 ton furnace multiple steel making process (EF-AR-LD-BT/CC)
1991
  • Received the Ishikawa Award
  • Established Aichi Information System Corporation
 
1992
  • Received a special PM award for excellent workplace
  • Brought MAGFIT600 dental magnetic attachments to market
  • Start of operation of the hot former (rapid forging) line
1993
  • Start of operations at Higashiura Plant
  • Made Aichi Steel Logistics co., ltd. a subsidiary
  • Development of rapid carburizing steel
1994  
  • Start of cold work forging production
  • Development of high strength, high toughness bainite steel
1995
  • Made Philippine forging company a subsidiary (AICHI FORGE PHILIPPINES, INC.)
  • Development of high strength control rods
1996  
  • Brought construction stainless steel to market
  • Brought MAGFINE 17 to market, Anisotropic Nd-Fe-B resin bonded magnet
  • Development of the steelmaking dust recycling technology
1997
  • Established forging joint venture in Kentucky, USA (Louisville Forge and Gearworks LLC 100% subsidiary from 1999)
  • Established Aichi Forge USA, Inc. in Kentucky, USA
  • Development and application of new acid bath technology for stainless steel
1998
  • Completion of ISO14001 certification of all plants (Chita, Kariya, Forging, Higashiura)
  • Completion of ISO9000 certification of all plants (Chita, Kariya, Forging, Higashiura)
  • Made OMI MINING CO., LTD. a subsidiary
  • Brought APTY titanium putter to market
1999
  • Added AICHI CERATEC CORPORATION as a consolidated subsidiary
  • Development of strong crank shafts
  • Development of ACUTO440 stainless steel for blades

2000—

  Organization, systems, etc. Equipment, technology, product
2000
  • Established Aichi Micro Intelligent Corporation (Dissolved in June 2020)
  • Established Aichi Europe GmbH
  • Opening of the Hall of Forging Technology Museum
  • Brought MAGFINE 18/20 to market, Anisotropic Nd-Fe-B resin bonded magnet
2001  
  • Development of ECOSCUT Steel, lead free cutting steel
  • Brought SUSCON to market, Stainless steel bars for concrete reinforcement
  • Created a lineup of small stainless rolled steel H-shape
  • Established mass production system for Anisotropic Nd-Fe-B resin bonded magnet magnetic powder
  • Development of the high sensitivity amorphous MI (magnetic impedance) sensor
2002
  • Established Shanghai Aichi Forging Co., Ltd. as a joint venture in Shanghai, China
  • Established Asdex Corporation as a forging mold machining business
  • Established AICHI FORGE (THAILAND) CO., LTD.
  • Brought ScreenBar Stainless steel shapes to market
  • Brought MAGFINE 25 and MAGFINE 21H to market, powerful heat-resistant Anisotropic Nd-Fe-B resin bonded magnet for automobiles
2003
  • Established P.T. Aichi Forging Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Development of ASTA, a new titanium alloy
  • Brought MAGFIT DX and MAGFIT IP dental magnetic attachments to market
  • Brought TetsuRiki Agri with Iron ions to market
2004
  • Start of operations at Gifu Plant
 
2005  
  • Development of ANRP slag recycling

    Technology Brought G2(“G-squared”) to market, the world’s smallest motion sensor for motion control

2006
  • Start of operations at the No. 7 Forging shop
  • Made Aichi Techno Metal Fukaumi Co., ltd. a subsidiary
  • Development of highly sensitive MI sensor able to detect nano-Tesla magnetic fields
  • Development of TetsuRiki Agri B10/C10 designed for alkaline soils
2007
  • Established Aichi Magfine Czech s.r.o in Libelec, Czech Republic
    (Liquidation completed in February 2024)
  • Brought TetsuRiki Agri Super Great and TetsuRiki Agri F10 to market
  • Brought AS shot abrasive to market
  • Established briquetting equipment for recycled nickel material
  • Completed installation of small/medium precision facility
2008
  • Established AMIT Inc. in Taipei, Taiwan
    (Liquidation completed in March 2019)
  • Development of navigation technology for underground markets designed for smartphones using 6-axis motion sensors
2009
  • Aichi USA, Inc merged with Louisville Forge and Gearworks LLC and changed names to Aichi Forge USA, Inc.
 

2010—

  Organization, systems, etc. Equipment, technology, product
2010
  • Start of operations at Seki Plant
  • Established the Silicon Valley Office in the USA
  • Established AICHI Korea Corporation in Korea
  • Development of AMI306 compass for smartphones
  • Development of new Dy-free MAGFINE powder
2011  
  • Development of magnet production technology using MAGFINE powder with 30% less alloy
  • Brought TetsuRiki Aqua F14 to market with Sakata Seed Corp.Completed
  • The No. 3 Bloom Continuous Casting Machine
2012
  • Established Aichi Magfine Technology (Pinghu) Co., Ltd.
  • AICHI FORGE (THAILAND) CO., LTD. moved to Pinthong
  • Brought small diameter stainless steel reinforcing bar ASCON-D4 to market
2013
  • Adopted our Executive Director system
  • Completed repairs around the front gate of the Kariya Plant
  • Brought the high-strength and alloyings-saving steel, MSB20, to market
  • Newly established mass production equipment for high strength abrasive AS shot
  • Development and sales of stainless steel for high pressure hydrogen "AUS316L-H2"
2014  
  • Stainless steel "AUS316L-H2" for high-pressure hydrogen applications used for fuel cell automobile "MIRAI."
  • Start of sales of magnetic field simulator PalmGauss S for MI sensors and start of sales of MAGFIT MIP material for implants
  • Established a 4500 ton press for forging crankshafts at our head office forging plant and forging subsidiary (AFT)
2015
  • Completed acquisition of metallic fibers business from Unitika Ltd.
  • Achieved monolithic extrusion forming technology for MAGFINE Dy-free bonded magnets
  • Steel for high-strength control rods adopted for the new turbo engine the Toyota Auris
  • Start of provision of home gardening fertilizer to Earth Chemical Co., Ltd.
2016  
  • Commercialized Dy-free bonded MAGFINE magnets using innovative integrated injection molding method
  • Began sales of ASCON-CD6 small diameter stainless steel reinforcing bar in order to expand product lineup of stainless steel reinforcing bars
  • Start of Production of Metallic Fiber (Amorphous Wire)
  • Joint development with OAT Agrio Co., Ltd. to develop TetsuRiki-TrePlus liquid compound fertilizer with trace elements
2017
  • Completed new main building. Start of operations at main building
  • Adopted Company System management structure
  • Automated Driving Demonstration Testing Starts for a Magnetic Marker System Using the Ultra-Sensitive MI sensor
  • Joint development with NHK SPRING Co.,LTD. of High Strength Leaf Spring Steel for Tracks to improve fuel effeciency
  • Operation of the CVT hot-forging press line, a world-class high-speed automatic forging machine
2018
  • Construction completed for new administration building
  • Joint development with Mizuno of an Internal Baseball Sensor Module applying MI sensor
  • Completes new power card lead frame production line at Gifu Plant
2019
  • Construction on the new Ai-Terrace welfare building completed. Opened to the staff and public
  • Started supply of MAGFINE Dy-free bonded magnets for drone motor use
  • World’s first successful practical demonstration of a heat storage system using a calcium-based material
  • Installation of hot rolling mill line for ring gears completed in anticipation of global expansion
  • Construction completed on a new [steel furnace] as a strategic investment for next generation reduced CO2 emissions vehicles

2020—

  Organization, systems, etc. Equipment, technology, product
2020
  • Conversion of Zhejiang Aichi Mechanical & Electrical CO., LTD. into a consolidated subsidiary.
  • Use of newly developed stainless steel "AUS305-H2" in high-pressure hydrogen applications for new fuel cell automobile "MIRAI."
  • Reduction of CO2 by converting and using exhaust heat energy of electric furnace (first in Japan)
  • Completion of No. 2 power card lead frame production line at Gifu Plant.
2021  
  • Launch of "MAGFIT M", a new insurance-covered product that meets the needs of dentures in a super-aging society.
  • Establishment of the Co-Creation Research Center with Tohoku University under the Cooperative Cooperation Agreement.
  • Development and introduction of rotating bending fatigue test apparatus under high-pressure hydrogen environment.
  • Success in Developing a Next-Generation Fertilizer that Enables Agriculture in Poor Soil
  • Aichi Steel Develops World's First 34,000RPM, 40% Downsized Electric Axle
2022  
  • Installation of No. 3 PC lead frame production line at Gifu Plant
  • Installation of new production line for forged parts at U.S. subsidiary
  • Success in technological development of wide-range MI sensors for security and medicine fields
  • Approval obtained for "Development of compact, light-weight, resource-saving, high-efficiency electric axle" as one of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) project in "Green Innovation Fund Projects/Next-Generation Storage Battery and Motor Development"
  • Success in technological demonstration of world’s-first high-speed rotation/rapid deceleration next-generation electric axle
  • Installation of new parts production line for “e-Axle” electric drive unit
2023  
  • Upgrade of electric furnace for stainless steel
  • Introduced a burner that combines hydrogen and city gas
  • Introduced solar power generation systems at Gifu Plant (achieved CN at 5 out of 7 plants)