YSK

What YSK does

YSK (株式会社YSK) is a Japanese precision shaft manufacturer headquartered in Yao City, Osaka, with operations tracing back to 1966 and current corporate form dating to a 1973 merger. The company manufactures and supplies linear shafts (slide shafts), linear bushes, trapezoidal screws, SUS304 stainless steel rotary shafts, parallel keys, and custom-machined special parts, serving industrial machinery manufacturers, printing machinery producers (a segment entered in 1991), and the broader linear motion/automation industry. Its product portfolio includes the proprietary next-generation shaft series GR and YSU-1, developed in 2014 as advanced-technology offerings, along with extra-long shafts manufactured on dedicated long-workpiece equipment introduced in 2006.

YSK operates a vertically integrated build-to-order manufacturing model, producing from raw materials through finished components entirely in-house, including in-house high-frequency hardening (高周波焼入れ) and specialized equipment such as gate-type machining centers, 5-sided machining centers, long-workpiece CNC SVC machines, and INTEGREX compound lathes. The company is ISO 9001 (HQ factory, 2004) and ISO 14001 (company-wide, 2013) certified and was designated in 2009 as a certified R&D enterprise under Japan's Monodukuri Foundation Technology Advancement Law.

YSK distributes through direct B2B sales, with seven facilities: HQ and main factory in Osaka, Kyushu factory (1990), Fukushima factory (2008), Tokyo sales office (1998), Nagoya sales office (2004), Bangkok sales office (2013), and Prachin Buri factory in Thailand (2013). Its heat treatment division was spun off in 1985 as the wholly-owned subsidiary Yamasan K.K. The company is privately held by the founding Yamaguchi family and has approximately 200 employees. Marketing is conducted via a multilingual website (JP/EN/CN/VI/TH), trade show participation, and earned media features in TIME and Newsweek.

Name

YSK

Legal name

株式会社YSK

Website

https://shaft.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

YSK is a Japanese precision shaft manufacturer producing linear shafts, slide shafts, trapezoidal screws, and custom-machined components for industrial machinery and automation customers, with operations spanning Japan and Thailand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 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. Precision shaft component sales: YSK generates revenue through manufacturing and selling precision shaft components including linear shafts, linear bushes, trapezoidal screws, and custom-machined parts. As a manufacturer, they operate a build-to-order model producing both standard catalog products and custom-specified components, suggesting revenue from product sales with direct B2B transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

YSK manufactures and sells precision shaft components including linear shafts, slide shafts, linear bushes, trapezoidal screws, SUS304 stainless steel rotary shafts, parallel keys, and custom-machined parts. The company operates full in-house production from raw materials through proprietary high-frequency hardening heat treatment to finished components, serving industrial machinery manufacturers with standard catalog products and build-to-order custom specifications.

Product overview

YSK (株式会社YSK) is a precision shaft manufacturing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of linear motion components. Its core offering centers on linear shafts (リニア shafts/slide shafts) — precision cylindrical rods for linear motion guidance — complemented by matching linear bushes, trapezoidal screw shafts, SUS304 stainless steel rotary shafts, and parallel keys. The portfolio includes two next-generation shaft series (GR and YSU-1, both developed in 2014) positioned as advanced-technology products, along with long-length shafts for extended travel applications. Beyond standard products, YSK provides custom special-machined parts, manual cutting machines, high-frequency hardening (高周波焼入れ) services, and a custom actuator selection service that sources and configures linear motion components from multiple manufacturers to meet customer-specific requirements. The company operates as a one-stop manufacturing partner, producing components from raw materials through to finished products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YSK BRAND: YSK's main product brand encompassing linear shafts, slide shafts, linear bushes, and related precision shaft components

Products and services

• Linear Shaft (リニアシャフト) YSK's flagship product line of linear shafts (slide shafts), precision-engineered cylindrical rods used for linear motion guidance in machinery and equipment, manufactured for industrial machinery manufacturers.
• Linear Bush (リニアブッシュ) Linear bushings that work in combination with linear shafts to provide smooth sliding motion and support in mechanical systems.
• Next-Generation Shaft GR (次世代シャフトGR) Next-generation linear shaft series developed with proprietary technology, featuring enhanced performance characteristics for demanding industrial applications.
• Next-Generation Shaft YSU-1 (次世代シャフトYSU-1) Next-generation shaft product developed in 2014 as part of YSK's advanced shaft series, offering improved specifications for industrial applications.
• Long Shaft (長尺シャフト) Extra-long linear shafts designed for applications requiring extended travel or longer shaft lengths than standard products, enabled by dedicated SVC machining equipment.
• Trapezoidal Screw Shaft (台形ネジ軸) Trapezoidal lead screws and nuts used for converting rotary motion to linear motion in mechanical power transmission systems.
• SUS304 Rotary Shaft (SUS304回転軸) Rotary shafts made from SUS304 stainless steel for applications requiring corrosion resistance and hygiene standards.
• Special Processing Parts (特殊加工部品) Custom-machined special-purpose components tailored to specific customer requirements, leveraging YSK's diverse machining technologies for challenging custom specifications.
• Parallel Key (平行キー) Machine keys used to secure rotating mechanical components such as gears and pulleys to shafts.
• Actuator (アクチュエーター) Custom actuators designed by selecting appropriate internal linear motion components from various manufacturers to suit customer-specific environments and requirements.
• Manual Cutting Machine (手動切断機) Manual cutting machines for cutting shafts and related mechanical components to required lengths.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NSK Ltd. Major Japanese bearings and linear motion manufacturer with a global production footprint producing ball screws, linear guides, and mechatronic products. Comparable in serving the same Japanese industrial OEM customers with overlapping precision shaft offerings.
• Bosch Rexroth: German linear motion and drive technology provider offering ball screws, linear guides, and mechatronic systems. Comparable in serving industrial automation OEMs with overlapping precision components portfolio.
• Schaeffler Group: German automotive and industrial supplier with INA/FAG linear motion and bearing products. Competes in precision linear components for industrial automation with broader portfolio scale.
• SKF Group: Swedish bearings and linear motion manufacturer with global production and a Lincoln lubrication/linear motion business. Broad incumbent competing in precision linear components for industrial and automation customers.
• NTN Corporation: Major Japanese bearing and constant-velocity joint manufacturer with a linear motion product line; also an existing YSK customer (NTN designated factory since 1989). Overlapping precision shaft products and same industrial customer base.

Direct peers

• PBC Linear: US-based manufacturer of linear bearings, slides, and shafting products for industrial automation. Direct product overlap with YSK's linear shaft and linear bush offerings, primarily serving the North American market.
• Hiwin Technologies: Taiwanese manufacturer of linear guideways, ball screws, and linear motion components serving industrial automation and machinery globally. Direct competitor in precision linear shafts and screws, particularly in Asian export markets.
• THK Co., Ltd. Japan's leading linear motion specialist, manufacturing LM guides, ball screws, and linear shafts for industrial machinery and automation. Directly comparable product portfolio and target customer base to YSK's linear shafts and trapezoidal screws.
• NB Corporation (Nippon Bearing): Japanese specialist in linear motion products including linear shafts, slide guides, and bushings. Most directly comparable peer to YSK with overlapping product range and Japanese SME positioning.

Others

• Misumi Group: Japanese components distribution platform offering linear shafts, bushings, and screws alongside vast catalog of factory automation parts. Indirect comparison as both serve the same customer base of Japanese industrial machinery manufacturers, though Misumi is a configurator/distributor rather than manufacturer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ysk_info
• Facebookfacebook.com/yskshaft
• Instagraminstagram.com/ysk_shaft.monodukuri

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 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 YSK