Sanwa Electric

What Sanwa Electric does

Sanwa Electric (株式会社三和電機 / Kabushiki Kaisha Sanwa Denki) is a privately held Japanese industrial-services firm founded in April 1973 in Ichikawashima-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi Prefecture, with a secondary factory in Iwaki-shi, Fukushima Prefecture. The company manufactures and repairs motor coils for railway vehicles (including Shinkansen bullet trains and conventional rolling stock), industrial motors, power generators, and specialized equipment. Its technical scope spans motors from 0.1kW to 2000kW (up to 7,500 kg) at voltages from 100V to 6,600V, with documented specialization in discontinued Yaskawa DC cup motors (UGCMED series, 0.4kW-7.5kW, more than 100 units serviced) and permanent magnet motor overhauls from 3.7kW to 3MW. The firm operates three interlocking service lines — motor coil repair and rewinding, custom motor coil manufacturing, and the design/build of proprietary labor-saving machinery (winding, taping, and forming machines) used in-house and sold externally.

Revenue is generated primarily through quote-based repair and overhaul services priced between 200,000 yen and over 1,000,000 yen per job, custom coil manufacturing for industrial buyers, and sales of self-developed coil-manufacturing equipment. Customers span railway operators, industrial manufacturers (PET recycling, carpet production, metal processing), government research facilities (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Space Radio Observation Post), and specialty-equipment operators. The company sells through direct relationship-driven engagement — phone-first diagnostic, motor shipment for evaluation, formal quotation, then repair — supported by an active technical content-marketing program on its website (sanwadenki.co.jp). Sanwa Electric is ISO 9001:2015 certified (since 2003), recognized as one of METI's Energetic Manufacturing SMEs 300 (2007), a Monozukuri Japan Award Excellence recipient (2007), and a Tochigi Frontier Company (since 2004, most recently renewed 2022). As of the latest disclosure the firm has 65 full-time employees, 30 million yen of registered capital, no external investors, no public listing, and has not raised institutional funding.

Name

Sanwa Electric

Legal name

株式会社三和電機 (Kabushiki Kaisha Sanwa Denki)

Website

https://sanwadenki.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sanwa Electric is a Tochigi-based Japanese firm founded in 1973 that manufactures and repairs motor coils for Shinkansen railways, industrial motors, generators, and specialty equipment, with niche expertise in discontinued Yaskawa DC cup motors and proprietary in-house coil-winding machinery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Motor Coil Manufacturing and Repair

NAICS

Motor and Generator Manufacturing (335312), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (33632)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621), Railroad Equipment (3743)

akta.pro primary industry

Starter, Alternator & Motor/Generator Rebuild/Remanufacturing (TLAKALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

AC Motors (Induction, Synchronous) (IMAGACAA), DC Motors (Brushed, Brushless DC) (IMAGACAB)

Keywords

• Motor coil repair
• Motor coil manufacturing
• Railway motor services
• Industrial motor rewinding
• Coil winding machinery

Headquarters

HQ city

Tochigi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Motor Coil Repair and Overhaul: Repair and overhaul services for railway vehicle motors, industrial motors, DC motors, and special motors. Services include coil rewinding, bearing replacement, and full restoration. Pricing ranges from 200,000 yen to over 1,000,000 yen depending on motor condition and required work.
2. Motor Coil Manufacturing and Sales: Custom manufacturing of motor coils for various applications including industrial motors, trains, and generators. Products include amateur coils, field coils, rotor coils, and various winding types.
3. Labor-saving Machinery Sales: Design, manufacturing, and sales of proprietary coil winding machines, taping machines, forming machines, and other mechanization equipment for coil manufacturing. Primarily for in-house use with some external sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sanwa Electric manufactures, repairs, and rewinds motor coils for railway vehicles (Shinkansen and conventional trains), industrial motors, and power generators. It also produces proprietary labor-saving machinery—including coil winding machines, taping machines, and forming machines—used in coil production, and provides mechatronics design, assembly, and on-site maintenance services. The company is a specialist in repairing discontinued Yaskawa DC cup motors and high-voltage (3300V+) industrial motors that other suppliers have abandoned.

Product overview

Sanwa Electric (三和電機) is a motor coil repair and manufacturing company founded in 1973, serving railway Shinkansen and industrial motor customers. Its portfolio consists of three interlocking service pillars: (1) Motor Coil Repair and Rewinding — covering stator coil rewinds, full rewinding repairs, and overhaul for motors from 0.1kW to 2000kW at voltages from 100V to 6600V, including specialization in YASKAWA DC cup motors (UGCMED) and Hi-Cup motors (UGHMED), and PM motors from 3.7kW to 3MW; (2) Motor Coil Manufacturing and Sales — custom coil production from prototyping through delivery, using in-house coil winding, pull-out forming, taping, and varnish processes; and (3) its proprietary Labor-Saving Machinery product line — self-developed coil winding machines (巻線機), forming machines (成形機), intermediate forming machines (中間成形機), and taping machines (テーピングマシン) designed using the company's own coil manufacturing expertise. These three offerings are integrated: the company uses its own labor-saving machinery to manufacture coils, and applies its coil manufacturing know-how to develop and continuously improve that machinery. Mechatronics design, assembly, and maintenance services round out the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Motor Coil Repair (モーターコイル修理) Rewinding and repair of motor coils for Shinkansen, conventional railway, industrial, and specialty motors, including stator coil rewinds, coil replacement, varnish treatment, and full restoration of burned or failed coils.
• Motor Coil Manufacturing and Sales (モーターコイル製造販売) Custom manufacture and sale of motor coils for industrial motors, railway vehicles, and generators, from prototyping through completion, including design consultation, optimal coil shape, winding tooling, and insulation methods.
• Motor Coil Maintenance (モーターコイルメンテナンス) Regular scheduled maintenance for motor coils including inspection, bearing replacement, rotor magnet testing, stator coil integrity checks, and re-varnishing to extend motor service life.
• Labor-Saving Machinery (省力化機械) Self-developed machinery for motor coil manufacturing, including winding machines (巻線機), forming machines (成形機), intermediate forming machines (中間成形機), and taping machines (テーピングマシン), designed and built using the company's own coil-manufacturing expertise.
• DC Cup Motor Repair (DCカップモーター修理) Specialized repair and overhaul of YASKAWA DC cup motors (UGCMED series) and Hi-Cup motors (UGHMED series), including carbon dust cleaning, bearing replacement, magnet replacement, rewinding, and insulation restoration. Capacities from 0.4kW to 7.5kW.
• PM Motor Overhaul (PMモーターオーバーホール) Overhaul of Permanent Magnet (PM) motors, including bearing replacement, rotor magnetic force verification, stator coil inspection, re-varnish impregnation, and coil rewinding. Handles capacities from 3.7kW to 3MW.
• Mechatronics Design, Assembly and Maintenance (メカトロニクス設計・組立・メンテナンス) Design, assembly, and maintenance of mechatronics systems, including on-site maintenance visits and scheduled preventive maintenance for DC and specialty motors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Motor lifespan extension through proper repair and glass fiber reinforcement technology
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• 三韓電機株式会社 (Samhan Electric)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2000Joint venture company established in June 2000 in Pochon-gun, South Korea. Historical partnership for market expansion in Korea.
• モンゴル共和国minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 1997Technical guidance and forming machine delivery to Mongolia in November 1997. Historical export of expertise and equipment.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Oriental Motor Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer specializing in small and fractional horsepower motors with strong service and customization capabilities. Comparable as a Japan-based motor specialist with a strong aftermarket focus, though serving a different size segment than Sanwa.
• Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems: Hitachi's industrial equipment arm manufacturing motors, transformers, and industrial systems. Serves similar industrial customers in Japan and competes in the same motor repair/replacement value chain that Sanwa operates in.
• Meidensha Corporation: Long-established Japanese manufacturer of industrial motors, generators, and power systems, including large AC/DC machines similar to those Sanwa services. Meidensha's motor portfolio and service capabilities make it a directly comparable Japanese incumbent operating at much greater scale.
• Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of industrial motors, generators, and power electronics. Comparable to Sanwa in industrial motor manufacturing and large-motor service capabilities, operating as a broad incumbent across Japan's industrial base.
• TMEIC (Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems): Joint venture of Toshiba and Mitsubishi Electric producing large industrial motors, generators, and drive systems globally. Overlaps with Sanwa in large industrial motor manufacturing and aftermarket services for industrial customers in Japan and internationally.
• ABB Ltd. (Motion / Motors & Generators): Global manufacturer of industrial motors and generators with extensive service networks. Competes broadly with Sanwa in large industrial motor manufacturing and aftermarket services, particularly for customers in the metals, mining, and process industries.
• Yaskawa Electric Corporation: Yaskawa originally manufactured the DC cup motors (UGCMED/UGHMED) that Sanwa now specializes in repairing after Yaskawa discontinued them. As the OEM of Sanwa's most distinctive niche and a major Japanese industrial motion and motor manufacturer, Yaskawa is the closest strategic comparable — both in terms of product overlap and competitive dynamics.
• Siemens AG (Large Drives Applications / Motion Control): Global manufacturer of industrial motors, generators, and drive systems with a strong installed base in process industries. Comparable to Sanwa as a major supplier of large industrial motors and provider of service/repair for installed equipment worldwide.
• WEG S.A. Brazilian global manufacturer of industrial motors, generators, and transformers. Directly comparable as Sanwa has serviced WEG motors in customer facilities (110kW unit in PET recycling), establishing it as a real-world overlapping equipment supplier.

Direct peers

• Marelli Motori S.p.A. Italian manufacturer of industrial motors and generators offering both new equipment and repair/rewinding services. Closely comparable to Sanwa's combined manufacturing-plus-overhaul business model and a similar specialization in large industrial motor refurbishment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sanwa Electric