Mabuchi Motor

Mabuchi Motor's head office is located near Matsuhidai station on the Hokuso line linking Narita airport with downtown Tokyo. Shinji Kamei, chairman of Mabuchi Motor Co. Ltd., since March 28, 2013, has served as the chief executive officer and president at Mabuchi Motor Co. Ltd. Kamei also serves as its representative director. Okoshi previously served as an executive officer and general manager of administration headquarters and as general manager of Corporate Planning Department. He has been a director since March 2011. Takahashi has also been general manager of Research & Development Headquarters since March 28, 2013, and he served as executive officer from March 28, 2013, to March 27, 2015. He has been a director since March 28, 2013. Iyoda previously served as general manager of the Corporate Planning Department and was also president of Mabuchi Motor at its headquarters in Mexico. Katayama has been a director since March 27, 2015. He previously served as executive officer at Nagase & Co. Ltd. and president of Nissan Diesel Motor Co. Ltd. of Volvo AB from 2002 to May 11, 2007. He also serves as the chief operating officer of Niigata Power Systems Co., Ltd. and once served as its president. Keiichi Horii serves as an outside statutory auditor. Horii has also been an auditor of Sanwa Soko Co. Ltd. since June 2011. Motohashi served as a representative partner at audit corporation Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC (formerly, Eiko Accountants Office) since May 1976. Tsuyoshi Nakamura serves as general manager of sales & marketing headquarters and executive officer. Nakamura formerly served as deputy general manager of Sales & Marketing Headquarters starting on March 28, 2013. Someya has also served as the general manager of the Accounting and Finance, Dept., Administration Headquarters. Moreover, the company has been able to reduce the percentage of sales devoted to cost of goods sold from 75.23% to 70.94%. This was a driver that led to a bottom line growth from ¥10.5 billion JPY to ¥18.1 billion JPY. Net sales for fiscal year 2014 were ¥122.544 billion. Mabuchi forecasts sales of ¥141 billion for 2015. Gross profit for fiscal year 2014 was ¥35.614 billion. The company expects gross profit to rise to ¥42.7 billion by year-end 2015. China and Hong Kong comprised the largest regional market, at 34.8% of sales by region. This was followed by Asia Pacific at 24.7%, Europe at 20.3%, North and Latin America at 12.3% and Japan at 7.9%. Capital expenditures for 2015 are expected to rise to ¥16.202 billion from ¥9.597 billion in 2014, in part due to the construction of new manufacturing facilities in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The factory is scheduled to begin production in 2016. R&D personnel will rise from 432 in 2014 to 464 in 2015, with R&D expenditures rising commensurately from ¥4.503 billion in 2014 to ¥5.27 billion in 2015. Total assets rose from ¥223.689 billion in June, 2014 to ¥259.129 billion in June, 2015, while inventories rose from ¥23.509 billion to ¥31.473 billion during the same period. Mabuchi's basic dividend policy is to collect funds for research and development and capital investment, which are required for the company's growth and development, from internal reserves, to maintain financial soundness, and actively to carry out paying long-term stable dividends and returning Mabuchi's profits such as dividend increase and stock split according to performance. The ordinary dividend is annually ¥30 per share of common stock as a long-term stable dividend, plus a special dividend based on business results, which is calculated by dividing 30% of consolidated net income by the number of total stocks. In 2012, the cash dividend per share was ¥50. The cash dividend forecast for 2015 is ¥105 per share. As of June, 2015, the composition of shareholders by category is 37.4% foreign companies, 22.5% individuals and others, 21.9% financial institutions, 15.3% domestic (Japanese) companies, 2.1% treasury stock and 0.9% financial instruments firms. == History ==

1930s-1940s As an elementary school student living in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture in the 1930s, Kenichi Mabuchi, the son of a tin plate factory owner, enjoyed inventing things such as a homemade washing machine, bamboo toy guns, helicopters, and a model boat that ran on alcohol (and which exploded and burned him when he switched out the alcohol for gasoline). In junior high school, Kenichi won the 5th Shikoku Model Airplane Tournament, beating his adult competition by crafting the plane with the longest flight duration. as a joint venture with a major toy manufacturer, and an automatic armature coil winding apparatus was developed, thereby expanding production capacity to 30,000 motors per day. In 1980, a VCR motor was introduced to the market, and Mabuchi Motor fully entered the video equipment market. The women were killed before the fire and a cord was found around each of their necks. The two killers poured petrol around the house In 2006, Tetsuo Odajima, 63, pleaded guilty in Chiba District Court to killing the wife and daughter of the former Mabuchi Motor Co. chairman and two other people in three robbery-murder cases in 2002. According to the indictment, Odajima conspired with Katsumi Morita, 55, who pleaded guilty in February in his trial in the Tokyo District Court, to break into the home of Mabuchi Motor President Takaichi Mabuchi, 73, in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, in 2002. Ethical standards April 2005 saw the creation of the Mabuchi Motor Compliance Manual (now known as Mabuchi Motor Ethical Standards) which provided explicitly the standards to be observed in executing the company's work. That November, the company opened the Mabuchi Motor Historical Center of Technology for the purpose of correctly communicating and passing down Mabuchi's history and "DNA" to the company's employees and contributing to the practice of the Mabuchi Management Philosophy created by its founders. The same month, Mabuchi Motor Korea Co., Ltd. was founded to reinforce Mabuchi's business infrastructure in the Korean market. In April 2006, the company launched the "Hot Line" for the purposes of whistle-blower protection and answering questions regarding the "Mabuchi Motor Ethical Standards" and preventing activities which conflict with the Standards. Later, in August, the company opened Dongguan Mabuchi Motor Equipment Co., Ltd. Motor Research & Development Center in order to carry out activities for designing products and developing production technologies in China in conjunction with the head office. A year later, Mabuchi Motor developed compact high-torque motors for automotive products. And in January, 2008, Mabuchi founded the Mabuchi Motor Trading (Shenzhen) CO., Ltd. in Shenzhen, China, for the purpose of strengthening both customer service and distribution system in southern China. The Dongguan representative office handed over its corporate functions to the new sales office and was dissolved to form a better organization. In June, a new power seat motor was released. In February 2009, Dongguan Mabuchi Motor Equipment Co., Ltd. changed the name of company to Mabuchi Motor (Dongguan) Co., Ltd. and it started motor production in April 2009. That June, Mabuchi Motor Danang Ltd. expanded its facility to optimize motor production. A month later, Mabuchi Motor (Yingtan) Co., Ltd. was established with the aim of enhancing cost competitiveness by creating small and flexible production management. Corporate officer system As of November 2009, Mabuchi introduced its corporate officer system (executive officer system) to respond the change in management climate and enhance corporate governance according to generally accepted management principles. In China that next month, Mabuchi Industry Co., Ltd. established Mabuchi Precision (Dongguan) Co., Ltd. for business succession at the location of Mabuchi Industry Co., Ltd. Ludong factory with the purpose of stabilizing long time business operation for Mabuchi's precision parts production base. By the 21st century, Takaichi Mabuchi had taken over as chairman of Mabuchi Motor, and Shinji Kamei was appointed president. Older brother Kenichi Mabuchi died in 2005. Takaichi determined to carry on his legacy. And so, while listening to an MP3 of Wagner he received as a present from his grandson and riding in a luxury car, Takaichi asked Shinji how progress was going in expanding the company's automobile electronic component field. CD players were losing popularity but the automotive market for small electric motors was booming. In an ordinary automobile, 50 to 60 small motors control everything from door locks and power windows to power seats, steering locks, air conditioner dampers, car mirrors, head lamps, navigation systems and audio visual equipment. But in a luxury car like the one Takaichi and Shinji were riding in, over 100 small electric motors are used. Part of the profits earned through developing low cost motors is used to sponsor crafting workshops, model car events, and robot building competitions. The company also supports education by building elementary schools and sponsoring scholarships in China. Mabuchi Motor contributes to regional grassroots environmental protection activities as well. 2010s In February 2010, Mabuchi received the Corporate Activity Award from the Tokyo Stock Exchange in recognition of its pioneering corporate activities for corporate code of conduct in listing rules. Then, in October, the company terminated production at Guandong Factory No.2 and converted Guandong Factory No.1 into a wholly foreign-owned enterprise. Mabuchi Motor Dongguan Daojiao Co., Ltd. was established. The following month, Guandong Factory No.3 was converted into a branch firm of Mabuchi Motor (Dongguan) Co., Ltd. In May 2011, to pursue cost competitiveness for surviving against international competition, Mabuchi established Mabuchi Motor (Jiangxi) Co., Ltd, which became its second production base in Jiangxi Province, China. To enhance customer service and sales structure for growing domestic markets in China, Mabuchi launched its China Sales Promotion & Support Dept. in August 2011, and established Mabuchi Motor (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Chongqing Branch in Chongqing, China in November. China Business Unit Then, in January 2012, Mabuchi inaugurated its China Business Unit (CBU), in which three factors, namely production, sales and technology, are combined with each other, and started product development, mass-production and sales to meet local needs. In line with the second phase of production base reorganization, the company launched a new base to strengthen the existing bases. In November, Mabuchi Motor (Jiangxi) Co., Ltd. started its operations. In November, the second factory of Mabuchi Motor (Yingtan) Co., Ltd. was completed. In December, a new factory specialized for a motor for power window lifters and power seats was completed in Jiangsu. Printer/scanner/copier motors December saw the release of an inner-rotor-type brushless motor, and Mabuchi entered the market of an application for driving all-in-one devices, each of which is capable of functioning as a copier/fax/printer. In January 2013, a sales division was established at Mabuchi Motor (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. and cumulative production and sales quantity of all the motors since the company establishment exceeded 40 billion units. Building Mexico Mabuchi In August 2014, the company established Mabuchi Motor Mexico S.A. de C.V., wholly owned by Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd., so as to be closer to clients in North America. From 2010 to 2015, net sales increased from approximately 80 billion JPY to 108 billion JPY. == Company strategy ==

Mabuchi Motor is pursuing a strategy of developing motors with quieter operation and longer operating life, using better materials and processing accuracy. Manufacturing plants Its factories are located in China (Dalian, Dongguan, Jiangsu, Yingtan, Jiangxi and Wafangdian), Vietnam (Biên Hòa and Danang), and Taiwan (Hsinchu and Kaohsiung). The company has 2 plants in Aguascalientes, Mexico (Mabuchi México SA de CV, est. 2014) The first plant is currently in operation and is planning to start operations at its third recently built plant, in this city, production is focused on the local, national and international automotive market. Foreign interns have contributed to the company's research and development, quality assurance, sales contracts and antitrust compliance measures. ==Manufacturing and product lines==

Mabuchi Motor currently manufactures small electric motors in 10 factories located in Asia, with an 11th factory in Mexico under construction. such as: • Power window lifters (including model GD-558 RC/LC, a new generation power window motor achieving lower mass and weight reduction) • Power seats (including model RZ-46BWA, a low mass and high torque motor contributing to weight reduction of power seats) • Parking brakes (including model RS-656WA, a motor pursuing low vibration, long life and high rigidity) • Window washer pumps • Engine peripheral equipment (including model RS-4F5WA, a motor adapted for use in the extreme conditions of engine intake and exhaust systems) • Automatic cruise control • Sunroofs • Seat belt pretensioners • Steering column adjusters • Door closers • Lumbar supports • Door locks (including model FC-280SC, a standard motor for door lock actuators with a strong track record) • Car mirrors (including model SF-266SA, a motor achieving low mass and noise reduction, providing quieter operation of power folding mirrors) • Air conditioning damper actuators (including model SF-266SH, a motor achieving low mass and noise reduction, effective for use of multiple dampers) • Headlight level adjusters • Idle-speed controllers • Quarter vents • Active grille shutters • Steering locks • Trunk opener • Fuel-tank lid opener • Built-in car CD/DVD players Consumer and industrial products Sales of motors for consumer and industrial products is expected to comprise 32.7% of total motor sales by year-end 2015. Mabuchi Motor also supplies consumer goods manufacturers in a number of industries with motors used numerous types of finished products, such as: Personal care products • Electric shavers • Electric tooth brushes • Hair dryers (including model RS-365SV, the latest model of Mabuchi's standard motor for dryers with an extensive track record) • Styling brushes • Hair removers • Hair clippers Power tools • Impact wrenches • Screwdrivers • Drills (including model RZ-735VA, a motor with lighter weight, contributing to the lower mass of power tools) • Hedge trimmers • Circular saws • Lawn mowers Health and wellness • Blood pressure meters (including model FF-M10VA, a motor providing small home healthcare equipment with low mass and high controllability) • Vibrators • Massagers Bikes, toys and household goods • Electrically assisted bicycles (light electric vehicles) • Walking assists • Coffee makers • Small sprayers • Small pumps • Electric locks (including model FF-N20WA, a motor achieving low mass, high output, and quiet operation) • Vacuum cleaners • Room fresheners • Electric reels • Toys • Miniature models Precision and office equipment • Ink jet printers (including model ID-529XW, a brushless motor achieving more energy conservation, quieter operation, and lighter weight) • Multi function printers (including model RK-370VB, a motor achieving low mass and higher output, contributing to the downsizing of office equipment) • Laser printers (including model RS-645VA, a motor achieving high controllability together with high torque and light weight, with optical encoder) • Vending machines (including model RK-370CA, the standard model widely usable for ejector and conveyor commodities, processing bills, coins, etc.) • Digital cameras • Photo printers Audiovisual equipment • Car CD players • DVD players • Car navigation systems • Heads-up displays Technical specifications Mabuchi motors are designated by a seven-digit type code, followed by three to six digits designating the armature winding specifications. Motor housing is either flat, round or square. Housing length varies according to intended application. Brushes are either metal, precious metal or carbon in construction. The main types of magnet used are C-shape isotropic magnets, ring shape isotropic magnets, anisotropic or rare-earth magnets, or rubber magnets, with a magnet wire diameter ranging from 0.11mm to 1.1mm. Armature poles vary in number from 3 poles to 12 poles, while the number of turns of armature winding per slot can vary from figures of 2 to 4 digits. Motor parts A completed Mabuchi motor consists of 23 separate parts: endbell; shaft support; spacer; bearing; brush holder; terminal; damper; brush; oil stopper; varistor; commutator segment retainer; commutator segment; commutator core; insulating lamination; laminated core; magnet wire; more insulating lamination; shaft; rotor brush; another oil stopper; magnet; bearing; and, finally, the motor housing itself. Theory behind motors Each motor ships with a torque based performance chart showing the relationship between torque and speed, which is the most important performance indicator for a motor. The no-load speed is the number of rotations per minute of the motor shaft when voltage is applied between the terminals with no load to the motor. No-load current is the current discharged when voltage is applied between the terminals with no load to the motor. Stall torque is when the motor rotation stalls upon increasing the load to the rotating motor, while stall current is when the motor rotation stalls upon increasing the load to the rotating motor. The physics formula E = M (electrical energy input equals mechanical energy output) demonstrates the conservation of energy principle at work in a Mabuchi motor (voltage x current) divided by (efficiency expressed as a percentage) equals (speed in revolutions per minute x torque mN.m g.cm). Factors affecting motor performance Motor performance depends on three elements such as voltage across terminals, resistance across terminals, and magnetic force. These are influenced directly by such factors as voltage and type of power supply, number of turns per winding slot and diameter of magnetic wire, environmental temperature, type of magnet, flux yoke and phase. If only the voltage of the power supply changes, the change in motor performance is in direct proportion to that change in voltage. Unlike the constant-voltage power supply, the power supply with resistance will have a voltage drop due to its internal resistance, causing the stall current and, therefore, the stall torque to drop with the speed line bottomed to the left. The winding specifications affect motor performance the most. Changing the number of turns per slot or the diameter of magnet wire produces results that differ greatly from each other. Environmental temperature affects the magnetic forces of magnets and the winding resistance, and so indicates changes in motor performance. Changing anisotropic magnets from wet to dry results in decreasing stall torques and increasing no-load speed due to the magnetic force being weakened. Magnets are held in a housing for their full capability, while using a thin-wall housing will result in magnetic force leaking through the housing wall. That is where magnet yokes are used to prevent magnetic leakage, thus maintaining the full capacity of the magnets. Phase refers to positional relations between the center line of each polar magnet and the switching position of commutator segments and brushes. Lagging in phase causes inefficiency, electrical noise, and shortened life. To avoid these situations, improved motors are assembled with forward brush-shifting that offsets the armature reaction during load operation to keep them on neutral electrically. == Environmental record ==

Mabuchi Motor identified global warming as a major issue and, therefore, committed to use resources more efficiently, reduce waste, and conduct environmentally friendly manufacturing operations, including green procurement. Starting from the headquarters obtaining ISO 14001 certification in December 1999, an international standard for environmental management, all overseas production sites at that time obtained this certification by 2001. Mabuchi describes pollution by corporations as "suicidal behavior" that "endangers our existence." The company has sworn that, if the natural ecology of waterways or the atmosphere is negatively impacts by its manufacturing operations, the pollution prevention measures in place at that particular plant are to be judged inefficient and new measures shall be implemented immediately. With respect to working conditions at a plant, employee safety is Mabuchi's primary consideration. Those responsible for plant operations work on location and are held responsible for safety standards in the workplace. Once a health hazard is identified, action is to be taken immediately to remedy the situation. Mabuchi does not tolerate holding back funds required to implement safety measures in order to improve a plant's balance sheet. Energy conservation, recycling and waste reduction The Mabuchi Group changed the layout of its factories and the production process aiming to improve productivity and energy conservation, while reducing electricity and water usage and emissions at the same time. In addition, Mabuchi has improved the yield percentage of material for efficient use of resources. The company is also analyzing the content and volume of waste across the group and working on reduction as well as improvements in the recycling rate toward zero emissions. In terms of environmentally hazardous substances, Mabuchi is rolling out production activities based on the motto "do not include, do not mix, do not emit" hazardous substances. Mabuchi Motor's procurement is conducted globally, and in purchasing various types of materials, the company promotes green procurement, giving priority to purchasing products from business partners who are working on environmental preservation. On the production and shipment front, Mabuchi aims to minimize use of fuel and resources at storage locations by locating its warehouses close to its customers. Environmental activities The Mabuchi Group conducts periodic environmental education activities, including greening factory grounds by planting trees, as part of operations in its environmental management system. The company also shares environmental information through a company newsletter and intranet while holding environment-related events such as a "Poster/Photo Contest Promoting Environmental Consideration," providing opportunities for employees to think about the environment on a daily basis. Community clean-up and greening activities by Mabuchi employees are held on an ongoing basis. Volunteering employees are participating in community-oriented environmental activities in business offices at home and abroad. == Corporate social responsibility (CSR) ==

Mabuchi Motor engages in certain specific corporate citizenship activities. Third, the company educates local employees as leaders, regardless of their nationality, provides skill improvement training, and human resource development and benefit packages tailored to each region where Mabuchi operates. == See also ==