History of THK
1970s
April 1971
- Toho Seiko Co., Ltd. established
- Tokyo Branch opened (currently Tokyo Sales Unit I)
Launched the Link Ball, LM Roller, and LM Ball
Link Ball
LM Roller
LM Ball
Sale of ball splines began
Ball Spline
September 1971
Nagoya Branch, Osaka Branch, Fukuoka Office (currently Fukuoka Branch), Shimizu Office (currently Shizuoka Branch) established
April 1972
Production and sales of the first LM Guide Model LSR began
LSR
December 1972
Toho Seiko Co., Ltd. absorbed NISSHIN MFG CO., LTD. and established the Tokyo plant (currently the Yamagata plant's Tokyo Manufacturing Division)
January 1973
Production and sales of the integrated rail LM Guide Model NSR-BC began
NSR-BC
March 1973
THK CO., LTD. established as a joint venture between Toho Seiko Co., Ltd. and MIYAIRI VALVE MFG. CO.
July 1973
Production and sales of cam followers and roller followers began
Cam Follower
Roller Follower
February 1974
Production and sales of robot cylinders began
Robot Cylinder
April 1975
Production and sales of the integrated block LM Guide Model NSR-BA began
NSR-BA
April 1976
Production and sales of slide packs began
Slide Pack
April 1977
Toho Seiko Co. Ltd. acquired the manufacturing division from THK CO., LTD., and established it as the Kofu plant
July 1978
Headquarters relocated (2-13-38 Kamiosaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo)
April 1979
THK Sales Co., Ltd. (Osaka) established
September 1979
Production and sales of precision ball screws began
Precision Ball Screw
1980s
March 1981
THK America, Inc. established in the United States (Chicago)
January 1982
Production and sales of the Four-Way Equal-Load LM Guide Model HSR began
HSR
May 1982
Production and sales of cross-roller rings began
Cross-Roller Ring
July 1982
Production and sales of XY tables began
October 1982
- Toho Seiko Co., Ltd. was absorbed by THK CO., LTD., and its trade name was changed from Toho Seiko Co., Ltd. to THK CO., LTD.
- The Nagoya plant (closed in October 2001) and the Osaka plant (closed in March 1993) become production departments of THK CO., LTD.
- First issue of "THK News" published
- In Germany (Düsseldorf), THK Europe GmbH (currently THK GmbH) was established as a joint venture with Kawasho Corporation
January 1984
- Changed Japanese-language trade names to THK CO., LTD. and THK Sales CO., LTD. Company names registered using Japanese characters.
- Relocated headquarters (3-6-4 Kamiosaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo)
February 1984
Daiko Seisakusho Co., Ltd., was acquired and became the Gifu plant
April 1985
- Toyo Seiko Co., Ltd. was absorbed and continued operation as the Mie plant
- Yamaguchi plant was established (LM Guide manufacturing)
December 1985
THK invested capital into DAITO SEIKI CO., LTD. (currently THK INTECHS CO., LTD.) and entered into a technical tie-up
March 1986
Production and sales of the Radial Type LM Guide Model SR began
SR
July 1987
Technology Plaza established at the Kofu plant
January 1988
THK Yasuda Co., Ltd. (currently THK NIIGATA CO., LTD.) was established as a joint venture with Sabun Industrial Co., Ltd.
April 1988
THK Sales CO., LTD. was absorbed, and the Ueno Branch (currently Tokyo Sales Unit II), Sendai Office (currently Sendai Branch), and Osaka Nishi Office (currently closed) were established
July 1988
After a second phase of construction, a third facility was opened at the Yamaguchi plant
January 1989
THK TAIWAN CO., LTD. was established in Taiwan (Taipei) as a joint venture with FISHION TRADING CO., LTD.
Production and sales of the Rotary Ball Screw Model BLR began
BLR
May 1989
The CNTIC-THK Service Center was co-founded in China (Beijing) with the Spare Parts Supply Division of the National Technical Import & Export Corporation (China) and the Beijing Numerical Control Technical Development Center (China)
Production and sales of the Ball Screw/Spline Model BNS began
BNS
June 1989
In order to strengthen the cooperative relationship with DAITO SEIKI CO., LTD. (currently THK INTECHS CO., LTD.), THK acquired all shares of DAITO SEIKI CO., LTD. owned by former CEO Hiroshi Teramachi (42.2% ownership)
November 1989
THK was listed on the over-the-counter market.
1990s
February 1990
Production and sales of the Simple Nut Precision Ball Screw Model BIF/DIF began
BIF/DIF
October 1990
Production and sales of the LM Guide Actuator Model KR began
KR
December 1990
Production and sales of the Ball Spline Model LT/LF began
LT/LF
Production and sales of the XY Stage Models AX/BX/DX began
AX/BX/DX
April 1991
THK invested in the Beldex Corporation
June 1991
Yamagata plant was established
October 1991
THK participated in capital investment in Samick Industrial Co., Ltd. (currently Samick THK CO., LTD.) in South Korea and entered into a technical tie-up
Production and sales of the Cross LM Guide Model CSR began
CSR
August 1992
THK acquired PGM Ballscrews Ltd. (UK) and PGM Ballscrews Ireland, Ltd. (Ireland)
October 1992
Production and sales of the Curved Guide Model HCR began
HCR
May 1993
- THK Europe B.V. was established in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) to oversee European operations
- Headquarters relocated(3-11-6 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo)
September 1993
THK BRASIL INDÚSTRIA E COMÉRCIO LTDA. was established in Brazil (São Paulo)
May 1994
THK invested in Toden System Co., Ltd (currently TALK SYSTEM CORPORATION)
August 1994
- Gifu plant relocated to its current address (615 Sekigahara, Fuwa District, Gifu Prefecture)
- THK acquired SHOUZAN CO., LTD. (Hong Kong)
March 1996
DALIAN THK CO., LTD., was established in China (Dalian) as a joint venture with Wafangdian Bearing Group Co., Ltd.
July 1996
Production and sales of the Caged Ball LM Guide Model SSR began
SSR
August 1996
After a second phase of construction, a second facility was opened at the Yamagata plant
February 1997
Production and sales of the Re-Circulating Guide Model CLB began
CLB
June 1997
Production and sales of the QZ Lubricator for the LM Guide began
QZ
August 1997
THK Manufacturing of America, Inc. was established in the USA (Hebron, Ohio)
December 1997
THK Holdings of America, L.L.C. was established in the USA (Chicago) to oversee US operations
April 1998
Production and sales of the Caged Ball LM Guide Model SHS began
SHS
August 1998
Production and sales of the Linear Motor Actuator Model GLM began
GLM
December 1999
Production and sales of the Caged Ball LM Guide Model SRS began
SRS
Production and sales of the Alignment Stage Model CMX began
CMX
2000s
February 2000
THK Manufacturing of Europe S.A.S. was established in France (Ensisheim, Alsace)
February 2001
Listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Production and sales of the High-Speed Caged Ball Screw Model SBN began
SBN
June 2001
THK 30-Year History was published
November 2001
Production and sales of the Caged Roller LM Guide Model SRG began
SRG
May 2002
Production and sales of the Caged Ball High-Load Ball Screw Model HBN began
HBN
October 2002
THK France S.A.S. was established in France (Dardilly) (currently closed)
August 2003
THK (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD. was established in China (Shanghai)
September 2003
Production and sales of the Caged Ball LM Guide Actuator Model SKR began
SKR
March 2004
THK MANUFACTURING OF CHINA (WUXI) CO., LTD. established in China (Wuxi)
April 2004
Production and sales of the Micro LM Guide Models RSR1/RSR2 began
RSR1/RSR2
November 2004
DAITO SEIKI CO., LTD. (currently THK INTECHS CO., LTD.) became a wholly owned subsidiary
February 2005
THK MANUFACTURING OF CHINA (LIAONING) CO., LTD. was established in China (Dalian)
May 2005
THK Basic Policies established
July 2005
The Technology Center (4-9-16, Higashi-kohjiya, Ota-ku, Tokyo) was established to consolidate technical departments
September 2005
THK (CHINA) CO., LTD. was established in China (Dalian) to oversee the management of business in China
February 2006
Production and sales of the Cross-Roller Ring Model RU (with integrated inner and outer rings) began
RU
March 2006
New accuracy standards for the LM Guide announced
April 2006
Production and sales of DIN-standard ball screws began
DIN Standard Compliant Ball Screw
December 2006
THK LM SYSTEM Pte. Ltd. was established in Singapore (Suntec City)
March 2007
Production and sales of the Seismic Isolation Table Model TSD began
TSD
May 2007
THK acquired shares in RHYTHM CORPORATION (currently THK RHYTHM CO., LTD.) and its group companies, turning them into subsidiaries
July 2007
THK RHYTHM (THAILAND) CO., LTD. was established in Thailand (Rayong)
December 2007
Seismic isolation simulation vehicle began operation
June 2008
Production and sales of the Compact Caged Ball Screw Model SDA began
SDA
September 2008
THK MANUFACTURING OF VIETNAM CO., LTD. was established in Vietnam (Bac Ninh)
July 2009
- The business operations of Beldex Corporation were transferred to THK INTECHS CO., LTD. (name changed from DAITO SEIKI CO., LTD. in July 2009) and management was consolidated
- THK invested in Nano Control Co., Ltd. (name changed to THK PRECISION CO., LTD. in September 2019)
2010s
March 2010
Production and sales of the Caged Ball Spline Model SLS/SLF began
SLS/SLF
April 2010
R&D Center established within THK China
July 2010
Production and sales of the Double-Row Angular Contact Roller Ring Model RW began
RW
January 2011
Production and sales of the Caged Ball LM Guide Model SPR/SPS began
SPR/SPS
March 2011
THK RHYTHM CHANGZHOU CO., LTD. was established in China (Changzhou)
April 2011
PGM Ballscrews Ireland, Ltd. changed its name to THK Manufacturing of Ireland Ltd.
June 2011
THK acquired shares of Malaysian company TRW Steering & Suspension (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (currently THK RHYTHM MALAYSIA Sdn. Bhd.)
July 2011
Production and sales of the Seismic Isolation Module Model TGS began
TGS
November 2011
THK published its 40-year history, Providing Innovative Products to the World - THK at 40: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
February 2012
THK RHYTHM MEXICANA S.A. DE C.V. and THK RHYTHM MEXICANA ENGINEERING, S.A. DE C.V. established in Mexico (Guanajuato)
March 2012
Manufacturing and development of ball joint products for the automotive and transportation equipment business were split off and integrated into THK RHYTHM CO., LTD.
April 2012
THK MANUFACTURING OF CHINA (CHANGZHOU) CO., LTD. was established in China (Changzhou)
July 2012
A robot hand equipped with a compact ball screw actuator developed by THK contributed to the success of the REX-J experiment on the International Space Station demonstrating the use of an EVA support robot
REX-J
November 2012
THK India Pvt. Ltd. was established in India (Bengaluru, Karnataka)
December 2012
Production and sales of the Press Series Model PC/PCT began
PC/PCT
March 2014
ASEAN Customer Support was established
April 2014
THK RHYTHM KYUSHU CO., LTD. merged with THK RHYTHM CO., LTD. and changed its name to the THK RHYTHM Kyushu plant
August 2014
Production and sales of the Compact Series Model KSF began
KSF
Production and sales of the High-Speed Rolled Ball Screw Model BTK-V began
BTK-V
February 2015
DALIAN THK CO., LTD. was expanded and relocated to the Dalian Economic and Technological Development Zone, China
July 2015
Production and sales of the High-Speed, Compact Caged Ball Screw Model SDA-V began
SDA-V
August 2015
Acquired European and North American linkage and suspension business from TRW Automotive Inc. (currently ZF Friedrichshafen AG); established THK RHYTHM AUTOMOTIVE MICHIGAN CORPORATION, THK RHYTHM AUTOMOTIVE CANADA LIMITED, and THK RHYTHM AUTOMOTIVE GmbH; and acquired TRW-DAS a.s. (now THK RHYTHM AUTOMOTIVE CZECH a.s.) in the Czech Republic
October 2015
A new plant for SAMICK THK CO., LTD. was established in South Korea (Daegu)
November 2015
Automotive & Transportation Headquarters was established
January 2016
Production and sales of the General-Purpose Gripper Model TRX began
TRX
November 2016
THK CAPITAL UNLIMITED COMPANY and THK FINANCE UNLIMITED COMPANY were established in Ireland (Dublin)
January 2017
Optimal Product Selection Tool was launched
February 2017
Production and sales of the Model WLS Low-Torque Shaft Unit for Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines began
WLS
March 2017
Omni THK was launched
April 2017
Production and sales of the DB Structure LM Guide Model HDR began
HDR
October 2017
- TRA Holdings Co., Ltd. was established (Minato, Tokyo)
- The headquarters moved to its current address (2-12-10 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
- Smart sensing chair "ARGUS CHAIR" was announced
Production and sales of the Caged Ball High-Load Ball Screw Model HBN-V began
HBN-V
January 2018
The "ATMOS" sensoroid and "ARGUS MOVA" smart sensing seat were exhibited at CES 2018 (Las Vegas)
March 2018
Shipments of the Ball Screw DK for automotive use began
DK
October 2018
THK developed the Airy Jacket for humanoid service robots in collaboration with Mizuno Corporation
Airy Jacket
August 2019
Production and sales of the Low-Inertia Ball Screw/Spline Model BNS-V/NS-V began
BNS-V/NS-V
September 2019
Production and sales of the Roller Type LM Guide Model HRX began
HRX
2020s
January 2020
Official launch of "OMNIedge," an IoT service for manufacturing
OMNIedge
July 2020
Production and sales of the Autonomous Transfer Robot SEED-Mover with Lifter began
SEED-Mover with Lifter
September 2020
Production and sales of the autonomous transfer robot SIGNAS began
SIGNAS
Sales of the Pick and Place Robot PPR for assembling electronic components began
PPR
October 2020
Sales of display robots jointly developed by THK and Yoshichu Mannequin began
Display Robot
January 2021
Production and sales of the Utility Slide Model ATG began
ATG
February 2021
- Launched OMNIedge global service
- Implemented OMNIedge connectivity with FIELD system
March 2021
Added actuator compatibility to OMNIedge
OMNIedge
April 2021
LM Guide Model LSR registered in National Museum of Nature and Science’s Database of Materials on the History of Industrial Technology
LSR
May 2021
Production and sales of the Cross-Roller Guide with Cage Alignment System Model VRG began
VRG
June 2021
Officially launched OMNIedge service in China
Production and sales of the SEED-R7 Series of SEED Solutions Platform Robots began
SEED-R7 series
July 2021
Added two bonus peace-of-mind features to OMNIedge: the no-wait manufacturing ticket and IoT risk coverage
November 2021
- Expanded OMNIedge global service
- Transitioned to the Prime Market segment on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
- THK India Pvt. Ltd. Sri City plant began operations in India (Sri City) as the manufacturing division of THK India Pvt. Ltd.
Production and sales of the Adaptive Hand Series Model TNH began
TNH
December 2021
Production and sales of the Miniature Roller Type LM Guide Model HRG began
HRG
February 2022
Added rotary components to OMNIedge lineup
OMNIedge
March 2022
Updated company advertisement to say "The cutting edge of automation"
April 2022
Began production and sales of High Rigidity Cross-Roller Ring Models RB-H/RE-H/RU-H
RB-H/RE-H/RU-H
June 2022
Launched OMNIedge private cloud support
July 2022
Began offering OMNIedge AI Diagnosis Service (ADV) for linear components
Began production and sales of Rotary Module Model RMR
RMR
Began production and sales of Cross-Roller Ring Model RBU
RBU
August 2022
Opened THK Solution Center in Fukuoka
October 2022
Published the 50th anniversary book Make Each Moment Count: Doing Our Best in What We Need to Do Today in Order to Achieve the Goals of Tomorrow
Began production and sales of Picking Robot Hand System Model PRS
PRS
Began production and sales of High-Speed Double-Row Angular Contact Ring Model BWH
BWH
November 2022
- Preemptively renovated the Product Information category on the corporate website
- Began offering OMNIedge Tool Monitoring AI Solution
December 2022
Began production and sales of high-performance, non-magnetic, and extremely corrosion-resistant products for use in special environments
High-Performance, Non-Magnetic, and Extremely Corrosion-Resistant Products
January 2023
Supported the 2023 World Baseball Classic as a global sponsor
March 2023
- Renovated the entire corporate website
- Began offering OMNIedge AI Diagnosis Service (ADV) for rotary components
- Issued a statement on the UK Modern Slavery Act
Began production and sales of Cylindrical Coordinate Module Model MLS
MLS
June 2023
Began production and sales of Cross-Roller Guide with Cage Alignment System Model VRG-W
VRG-W
July 2023
Established partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) in Japan
August 2023
Began production and sales of Utility Slide Model AWG
AWG
October 2023
Began production and sales of Seismic Isolation Table Model VIT for Display Cases
VIT
Debuted the prototype four-seat EV crossover coupe LSR-05
LSR-05
November 2023
- Renovated the entire Global English version of the corporate website
- Combined the content and services provided for users of the Technical Support Site and Omni THK into THK Online Services
- Opened THK Manufacturing of Vietnam CO., LTD. sales office in Hanoi
- Began offering OMNIedge Centralized Maintenance Management Tool
- Began offering OMNIedge Skill Management AI Solution
January 2024
Transitioned to new president for the first time in 27 years, with President Akihiro Termachi assuming the representative role of chairman and Takashi Teramachi becoming the new president
