In 1971, THK was established in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, initially as Toho Seiko Co., Ltd..
In 1972, THK became the first company in the world to develop a method for achieving linear motion through rolling contact, and began manufacturing and selling the commercialized result: Linear Motion (LM) guides.
In 1977, THK’s Kofu factory (the first full-fledged LM rolling guide production factory) was established. This is the first step for THK to expand its production facilities.
THK America Inc. was established in the United States in 1981, and THK Europe in Germany the following year, laying the foundation for the expansion of the international sales network.
The Gifu Factory was established in Japan in 1984, and the Mie Factory and the Yamaguchi Factory were established in Japan in 1985 to further expand production capacity.
In 1996, THK developed the “Ball Cage Type LM Guide” which significantly outperformed conventional products.
Today THK has four production and sales bases in one: Japan, Europe, America and Asia.
THK’s product development approach is based on our unique technology roadmap and the extensive data we collect on user needs through our industry-leading position. We develop new products by taking full advantage of the accumulated experience and the technical know-how of our developers.
THK’s R&D department is based on the Technology Center established in Tokyo in 2005, and has R&D bases in Yamanashi, Yamaguchi and Yamagata in Japan. In total, around 150 employees work in research and development. Engineering and Development play a central role in the product development process, and our project-oriented development system enables product development to reach unprecedented speed. We have also formed organizations like business development to help with product development and new frontiers.
THK will also expand our product lineup to meet the current needs of our customers. In addition, while continuing to improve and develop our global manufacturing and sales system, we will also develop our product development system in appropriate regions, including the United States, Europe and Asia, so that we can make more effective responses to our customers’ needs. response.