History

1964 Founder Gizaburo Kondo established SEIBU JIDO KIKI CO., LTD. in Osaka, Japan, in cooperation with Seibu Electric & Machinery Co., Ltd. (formerly Seibu Electric MFG Co., Ltd.), with a mission to design and manufacture special machines for the production of steel tubing used for bearing manufacturers. (Capital: JPY 5 million)
1965
  • Started manufacturing of Model TSG-300, a compact double-disk surface grinder, as requested by bearing manufacturers.
  • Developed and released for sale Model STK-80, a fully automatic centerless stone lapping machine with a single axis for raceways of inner and outer rings of radial ball bearings.
  • AEROLIDE (with air bearings) stone lapping unit is completed. Began sales to bearing manufacturers as Model ASM-500.
    Registered more than 30 patents, including SEIBU's unique stone lapping unit. Machines were supplied to leading domestic manufacturers in the fields of bearings, automobiles, aircraft, heavy electric machinery, home appliances, watches, and optical devices. (1964-)
1967 Model ASC-500 (present-day CN series), a center-type machine, is fully developed and delivered to automobile manufacturers.
1971 Model TSG-300F, a double-disk grinder, realized thru-feed machining of the hoop material of watch parts. Acquired a patent for the machining method of watch main plates, the grinding of which was conventionally difficult. The model was provided to large leading manufacturers.
1982 Maintained more than an 80% share of the domestic market for centerless cylindrical stone lapping machines. Signed a large contract with The Timken Company, USA.
1984 Relocated Headquarters within Osaka, Japan.
1987
  • Model TSG-455NC was developed; an unprecedented, precision double-disk surface grinder which realized fully automatic NC operation.
  • Model ASM-500ZR, a through-feed cylindrical roller outer diameter stone lapping machine, was developed to profile machine cylindrical rollers (partial and full crowning technology).
1988 STK-50FST, a stone lapping machine, was developed for machining the lift component of injector valve assemblies used in gasoline engines.
1993 Established own Research Center in Osaka for the development of unique high-precision machining methods and technologies.
1994 Developed a slant-type auto-slide stone head for the ASM-500 series. Completely eliminated the backlash between stone and guide to exert 100% of the machining effect and enable consecutive machining for long periods of time.
1997 Model FSP-100 was developed to achieve stone lapping on the flat face of workpieces with profiles that are difficult to rotate by cutting with a rotating stone in an orbital motion.
1999 Relocated Headquarters within Osaka, Japan.
2000
  • Model TSG-300ZNC realized the grinding of one face of a ferrule.
  • Completed a pre-dome machining method for the end face of ferrules within an 8-second cycle time, with roundness accuracy below 0.5μm. Sales of Model STK-50SR-A, using this method, started. Recorded sales results for high-precision machining is unsurpassed by other makers.
  • Obtained ISO9001 Certification.
  • Model STK-20FSD stone lapping machine achieved superior precision and high efficiency performance in machining the flange faces of shafts for FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearings) in HDD (Hard Disk Drives). The downsized Model STK-20FSDM was developed in 2003.
2002
  • Model STK-20SR, a ferrule end face stone lapping machine was introduced, representing a reduction in machine size while maintaining high accuracy. It is applicable to SC, MU, and LC ferrules.
  • Model EL-180Z, a through-feed type spherical end lapping machine was developed. It enabled the machining of the taper roller large end faces with high productivity and accuracy.
2003 Headquarters was moved to Nanko in Osaka and the Engineering Center also opened there, poised to offer proposals and test machining, while realizing the company motto "Achieve High Accuracy, More Speedily, and More Economically". More than 20 stone lapping machines have been installed for Research and Development. With creative ideas, we are striving to develop valuable and leading technologies, that we might continue our broad contribution to the industrial world.
2004 Model EGL-180B, a through-feed type spherical end grinding and lapping machine was developed. It enabled the machining of the taper roller large end faces with high productivity and accuracy in one-pass machining from forged materials.
2005 Obtained ISO 14001 Certification.
2007
  • Model EGL-270Z, a through-feed type spherical end grinding and lapping machine, was developed. It enabled the machining of taper roller large end faces with high productivity and accuracy in one-pass machining from forged materials.
  • Expansion of the site area 3,432㎡, bringing its total area to 6,050㎡.
2008 Expansion of 1,200㎡ to Technical Center No. 2, bringing its total area to 3,487㎡.
2009 Received a major contract for TSG-455NC-RM machines for mobile phones.
2011 Model BL-50C, a fully automatic stone lapping machine for a single ball, was developed to finish large-sized balls in a short time with high precision. This model enabled single ceramic ball machining.
2013 Received a major contract for stone lapping machines for common-rail parts of diesel engine high pressure pumps.
2014 Received a major contract for stone lapping machines for gasoline direct-injection parts.
2017 EExpansion of 546.65㎡ to Technical Center No. 3, bringing its total area to 4,033㎡, reinforcing machine assembly and mechanical parts inspection capabilities.
2018 Awarded 2018 Regional Top Performance Award from DENSO.
2019 Established Sakai Factory to enhance procurement of high-precision products.