Mabuchi Motor
Encyclopedia
of Chiba Prefecture
, Japan is the world's number one manufacturer of small electric motor
s.
The company holds 70% of the market for motors used with automotive door mirrors
, door locks, and air conditioning damper
actuator
s.
Shanghai
(China
), Shenzhen
(China),
Hsinchu
(Taiwan
),
Seoul
(South Korea
),
Singapore
,
Frankfurt am Main (Germany
), and
Troy, Michigan
(USA).
Its factories are located in
China (Dalian
, Dongguan
, Jiangsu
, and Wafangdian
),
Vietnam
(Biên Hòa
and Danang),
Taiwan (Hsinchu
and Kaohsiung
),
and Hong Kong
(Kowloon
).
On January 18, 1954, Kansai Rika Kenkyusho established Tokyo Science Industrial Co., Ltd. for the production of small electric motors for toys and scientific apparatus. By August, 1955, an automatic armature
winding apparatus was developed, thereby expanding production capacity. Export operations began in September, 1957 with the creation of Mabuchi Shoji Co., Ltd.
1963 saw the development of two of Mabuchi's most important motors. The first, released in April, was the FT, which became a popular choice for use in slot cars. The second major development, released in October, was the RS series. This motor put Mabuchi not only in the home appliance market but in the radio control
market as well. RS motors like the RS 380 and RS 540 are still used today in car, boat and aircraft models.
By the dawn of the 1970s, Mabuchi became one of the world's leading producers of original equipment motors for consumer electronics, toys and model aircraft. A second production facility in Taiwan
was built at that time while North American operations were added in New York City
which later moved to Detroit, Michigan
. A third Taiwanese production facility was added in 1979.
In the early 1980s Mabuchi entered both the VCR and battery-operated power tool market. The development of a heavy-duty printer motor in 1985 led to Mabuchi's entry into the office equipment market. The Mabuchi Technology Center was created in 1992 for in-depth research and development of small electric motors. Operations in Europe
and China
began in 1993.
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, Japan is the world's number one manufacturer of small electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
s.
The company holds 70% of the market for motors used with automotive door mirrors
Wing mirror
A wing mirror is a mirror found on the exterior of motor vehicles for the purposes of helping the driver see areas behind and to the sides of the vehicle, outside of the driver's peripheral vision .Although almost all modern cars mount their side mirrors on the doors, normally at the "A" pillar,...
, door locks, and air conditioning damper
Damper
A damper is a device that deadens, restrains, or depresses.Damper may refer to:* Dashpot, a type of hydraulic or mechanical damper,* Shock absorber , a mechanical device designed to dissipate kinetic energy...
actuator
Actuator
An actuator is a type of motor for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. It is operated by a source of energy, usually in the form of an electric current, hydraulic fluid pressure or pneumatic pressure, and converts that energy into some kind of motion. An actuator is the mechanism by which...
s.
Locations
In addition to its headquarters, the company has sale offices inShanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
(China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
), Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
(China),
Hsinchu
Hsinchu
Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate.Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan . The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait...
(Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
),
Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
(South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
),
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
,
Frankfurt am Main (Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), and
Troy, Michigan
Troy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...
(USA).
Its factories are located in
China (Dalian
Dalian
Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's...
, Dongguan
Dongguan
Dongguan is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong province, People's Republic of China.An important industrial city located in the Pearl River Delta, Dongguan borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, Shenzhen to the south, and the Pearl River to...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, and Wafangdian
Wafangdian
Wafangdian is one of the three "Northern Cities" of Dalian, located in the south of Liaoning province in Northeast China. The city is famous for its ball bearing industry. Wafangdian Bearing Factory is the largest bearing manufacturer in Asia and was initially built by the Japanese during World...
),
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
(Biên Hòa
Bien Hoa
Biên Hòa is a city in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, about east of Ho Chi Minh City , to which Bien Hoa is linked by Vietnam Highway 1.- Demographics :In 1989 the estimated population was over 300,000. In 2005, the population wss 541,495...
and Danang),
Taiwan (Hsinchu
Hsinchu
Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate.Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan . The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait...
and Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
),
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
).
History
The company traces its roots to 1946 when Kenichi Mabuchi (now the company's honorary chairman) founded "Kansai Rika Kenkyusho," a scientific research institute. They created the world's first high performance horseshoe-shaped magnetic motor in 1947.On January 18, 1954, Kansai Rika Kenkyusho established Tokyo Science Industrial Co., Ltd. for the production of small electric motors for toys and scientific apparatus. By August, 1955, an automatic armature
Armature (electrical engineering)
In electrical engineering, an armature generally refers to one of the two principal electrical components of an electromechanical machine–generally in a motor or generator, but it may also mean the pole piece of a permanent magnet or electromagnet, or the moving iron part of a solenoid or relay....
winding apparatus was developed, thereby expanding production capacity. Export operations began in September, 1957 with the creation of Mabuchi Shoji Co., Ltd.
1963 saw the development of two of Mabuchi's most important motors. The first, released in April, was the FT, which became a popular choice for use in slot cars. The second major development, released in October, was the RS series. This motor put Mabuchi not only in the home appliance market but in the radio control
Radio control
Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...
market as well. RS motors like the RS 380 and RS 540 are still used today in car, boat and aircraft models.
By the dawn of the 1970s, Mabuchi became one of the world's leading producers of original equipment motors for consumer electronics, toys and model aircraft. A second production facility in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
was built at that time while North American operations were added in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
which later moved to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. A third Taiwanese production facility was added in 1979.
In the early 1980s Mabuchi entered both the VCR and battery-operated power tool market. The development of a heavy-duty printer motor in 1985 led to Mabuchi's entry into the office equipment market. The Mabuchi Technology Center was created in 1992 for in-depth research and development of small electric motors. Operations in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
began in 1993.