Aisin Seiki

Aisin Seiki Corporation

Type	Public (TYO: 7259)
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1949 as Tokai Aircraft Company
Headquarters	Kariya, Aichi, Japan
Key people	Kiichiro Toyoda: Founder Kanshiro Toyoda: Chairman Fumio Fujimori: President
Products	Automotive parts
Revenue	US$24.9 Billion 2013
Net income	US$764 Million 2013
Number of employees	83,378
Parent	Toyota Group
Website	www.aisin.com

Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (アイシン精機株式会社, Aishin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha), also known as Aisin, is a Japanese corporation which develops and produces components and systems for the automotive industry. Aisin is a Fortune Global 500 company, ranked 347 on the 2007 rankings.

Aisin Seiki was founded in 1949 and currently supplies engine, drivetrain, body and chassis, aftermarket, and other main automotive parts for various major OEMs. In addition to partaking in the automotive markets, Aisin also offers life & amenity products (e.g. furniture and sewing machines), energy systems, welfare products, and other products/services.

Aisin is 30% owned by the Toyota Group of companies.

There are various 'brands' in the holding, spawned from the companies which received recognition in their area of specialisation:

• Aisin AW (Formerly Aisin-Warner; Joint Venture with BorgWarner terminated in 1987) — automatic transmissions
• Aisin AI — manual transmissions
• Advics, Hosei — brakes
• IMRA — Femtosecond lasers

Aisin AW

Aisin AW is a major automotive technology manufacturer. Established in 1969, it developed the Prius transmission and the world's first speaking navigation system.

It is based in Anjō, near Nagoya, Japan. Another major division is located in Okazaki.

Other global locations: Headquarters for Europe : AW Europe & AW Technical Center Europe which is located in Braine l'Alleud (Belgium) for Research and Development and in Baudour (Belgium) for the re-manufacturing of automatic transmissions/transaxles and production of electronic products.

Aisin AI

Aisin AI is an independent company under Aisin Seiki. It was spun off in July 1991, moving its headquarters to Nishio City. Aisin AI supplied only Toyota through 1996, when DaimlerChrysler and Isuzu began using their products. The company later added Mazda Motor Company, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Motors, General Motors, Daihatsu, Hino Motors, FIAT, Volvo, Jeep, Porsche, and Luxgen.

Aisin USA

Aisin constructed a factory in the United States of America in 1986, with production beginning in 1989. This factory, in Seymour, Indiana has since been expanded and supplies components for Honda, General Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan and Toyota. The company also operates in Marion, Illinois.

On October 5, 2005, Aisin USA opened an 878-acre (3.55 km²) testing facility near Fowlerville, Michigan. Officially named FT Techno of America (FTTA), but known as Aisin’s Fowlerville Proving Ground, the new venture is a member of the Aisin Group, a Tier One worldwide automotive components supplier with global sales of more than US$15 billion in 2004. In Michigan, Aisin Group companies employ 554 associates, with annual payroll of US$40 million and total investments of US$102.7 million. FTTA is Aisin’s fifth group company in Michigan.

The new proving ground, Aisin’s first in North America, and third worldwide, is research and development based supporting test surfaces of various lengths and lane widths used to develop and evaluate a variety of Aisin products and applications, such as transmissions, brakes, drivetrains, and chassis and body systems and components.

Alternative propulsion products

Aisin Seiki Co products includes:

• Front-wheel drive 2-motor hybrid system.
• Shaft rotor for Hybrid vehicles.

Solar cells

Aisin Seiki has worked with Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc. to develop dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC).

See also

• 1997 Aisin fire
• List of Aisin transmissions
• Toyota Group

External links

• Aisin Japanese site
• Aisin English site
• Aisin Worldwide site
• Aisin Europe site
• Aisin AW
• Aisin Aftermarket Europe