Topics & News Release

Toyo Advanced Technologies Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minami-ku, Hiroshima City, President: Yoshiaki Hongo, hereafter called Toyo Advanced Technologies) recently reached the 20 million mark in aggregate production of AT (automatic transmission, but including continuously variable transmission) oil pumps. It reached this landmark in 28 years and 11 months following the start of production. The landmark 20 millionth unit was an oil pump (FZ oil pump) for SKYACTIV-DRIVE, which is a mainstay AT of Mazda Motor Corporation (Head Office: Fuchu-cho, Aki-Gun, Hiroshima Prefecture, President: Masamichi Kogai, hereafter called Mazda).

Utilizing the hydraulic technology and production technology nurtured in its primary machine tool business, Toyo Advanced Technologies commenced production of AT oil pumps for Mazda in February 1985, and in doing so gained entry to the auto parts business. In August 2002, it expanded the business through starting supply of oil pumps to JATCO Ltd. - a specialist maker of automatic transmissions. Production reached approximately 520,000 units with sales of 3 billion yen in the year ending March 2000, however, 1 million units was exceeded for the first time during the year ending March 2007. In the year ending March 2013, production was approximately 1.1 million units and sales turnover was approximately 6.8 billion yen.

As a result of the steady growth in oil pump production, whereas it took 20 years and 4 months to achieve the first 10 million units, the next 10 million took just 8 years and 7 months.

In order to cope with the additional oil pump production, Toyo Advanced Technologies built its Higashi-Hiroshima plant in February 2012 and started production there in May that year. The current production setup consists of six lines at the head office plant and one at the Higashi-Hiroshima plant. Serving as the production center for FZ oil pumps, and boosted by buoyant sales of SKYACTIV-equipped cars, the Higashi-Hiroshima plant continues to operate at full capacity.

Toyo Advanced Technologies also decided to advance operations overseas in 2013. It established a production company in Thailand in July that year in line with Mazda's decision to construct a new plant for producing the SKYACTIVE-DRIVE there. Toyo Advanced Technologies plans to locally produce oil pumps intended for all the FZ produced by Mazda in Thailand, and preparations are smoothly advancing geared to the start of operation in the first half of fiscal 2015.

Toyo Advanced Technologies will continue to expand the auto parts business from now on and it is building a timely supply system.