Main Manufacturing Sites in Japan

Soja Plant

Access by Train

10minutesbytaxi from the Shin-Maebashi Station.

Access by automobile

10 minutes from Maebashi IC, Kan-etsu expressway

Akagi Plant

Access by Train

20 minutes by taxi from the Isesaki Station.

Access by automobile

10 minutes from Isezaki IC, Kita-kanto expressway

NSK Steering Systems develops and manufactures steering components that are essential for the steering operation of vehicles.

Steering system components

Soja Plant

1961	Started operation in the Toba region, Maebashi City, as Kita Nippon Seiko (Gunma, Japan).
1967	Kita Nippon Seiko merges with NSK Ltd. and becomes Maebashi Plant.
1975	Soja Plant No.1 Building constructed in Soja area, operating as branch factory of Soja Plant.
1980	Soja Plant Buildings No.2 and No.3 constructed simultaneously.

Akagi Plant

1989	Started operation as branch factory of Soja Plant.

Soja Plant/Akagi Plant

1993	Maebashi, Soja and Akagi Plants consolidated to operate under a single administrative organization.
1999	Maebashi and Soja Plants splits off to oversee the production of specific products.
2001	Production, design and development sections for EPS splits off to form NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd.
2002	Operation of NSK Soja and Akagi Plants transferred to NSK Steering Systems.
2005	Technology sections transferred from NSK Steering Systems to NSK.
2008	Administrative and production departments reorganized, and production departments transferred to Soja and Akagi Plants.

Summary of the environmental and social initiatives implemented at the Soja and Akagi Plants of NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd.

1. Environmental Initiatives

Both the Soja and Akagi Plants engage in diverse initiatives to manage chemical substances and reduce energy consumption. The plants are directing considerable effort into initiatives aimed at using materials more efficiently and reducing resource waste.

Reducing Steering Column Components and Joint Shaft Materials

NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd. has succeeded in using tube hydroforming* technology for the forming of components for automotive steering columns, so that a single component can replace several components that were previously welded and assembled. The change enables a 10% reduction in steel used.
NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd. has also developed a process to manufacture joint shafts from hollow materials for mass production. Joint shafts are conventionally made using solid rod materials, but the innovation reduces the amount of steel used and enables a 30–50% reduction in the shaft weight.

* Tube hydroforming shapes materials by enclosing tubular materials in a die, using pressurization of water inside the tube to form shapes.

Reducing Waste from Materials for Electric Power Steering Parts

A part called a core plate is incorporated into the plastic gear used in the reduction gear in EPS to strengthen the section that fixes the central shaft in place. The core plate is produced using a press to punch out round pieces from sheet steel. Previously, the round pieces of metal were punched out from the steel material in a single line. By changing this to a double line, NSK reduced the waste portion by 30–40%.

2. Contributing to the Local Communities

(As of January 31, 2010)