What Tube Forming Company does

Tube Forming Company (株式会社チューブフォーミング) is a Japanese specialty metal pipe processor founded in 1960 and headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa. The company designs, prototypes, and mass-produces cold-formed metal pipe components using tube hydroforming (bulge processing) as its core technology, complemented by an integrated suite of 16+ pipe forming processes including swaging, expand, uneven wall thickness, caulking/crimping, profile forming, beading, flanging, curling, closing, bending, bottom attachment, gear forming, and electric forging. Operations span three Japanese factories (Yokohama headquarters, Shizuoka established 1973, Nagano established 1992 and expanded 2007), with a combined footprint of over 40,000 sqm of land.

The company is one of only approximately 10 firms in Japan and roughly 10 worldwide with hydroforming capability, and is a co-developer (with Tokyo Institute of Technology) of a world-first Origami Engineering Pipe for energy absorption. It serves primarily automotive manufacturers (engine, exhaust, steering, drivetrain, and structural components), with a growing industrial robotics application (cold-crimped drive and arm shafts), plus industrial machinery (paper, printing, fluid systems) and office equipment (copier/printer rollers). Since 2013, it has operated as a subsidiary within the Technoflex Group, enabling international reach via parent production bases in China and Vietnam. The company holds ISO 9001:2000 (2003) and ISO 14001:2004 (2008) certifications.

Revenue is generated through B2B custom manufacturing under quote-based pricing tied to specification, volume, and complexity. GTM is enterprise technical sales (提案-based proposal selling) where engineers directly solve customer manufacturing problems; ISO certifications and 60+ years of reputation drive inbound inquiries from OEMs and Tier 1s. In June 2026 the company launched a complementary ultrasonic degreasing/cleaning service, signaling incremental service-revenue diversification beyond pure component production. No external funding rounds have been disclosed; the company is privately held with 100 million yen registered capital and approximately 110 employees.

Name

Tube Forming Company

Legal name

株式会社チューブフォーミング

Website

https://tube-forming.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tube Forming Company is a Japanese specialty metal pipe processor (founded 1960, Yokohama) that designs and mass-produces cold-formed components using tube hydroforming and 16+ complementary processes, serving primarily automotive OEMs with growing industrial robotics applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Metal Pipe Forming and Manufacturing

NAICS

Fabricated Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (332996), Iron and Steel Pipe and Tube Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (33121)

SIC

Steel Pipe & Tubes (3317)

akta.pro primary industry

Pipes & Tubing (Metal, Plastic & Composite) (IMADALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hoses, Tubing & Fittings (Hydraulic/Pneumatic Lines & Connectors) (IMAHAGAH), Sheet Metal Machinery (Laser/Plasma/Waterjet Cutting, Punching) (IMAHADAD), Mechanical Piping & Pipefitting (Process/Utility Piping, Supports, Valves) (EUAEAFAD)

Keywords

• Tube hydroforming
• Metal pipe forming
• Cold plastic forming
• Precision pipe components
• Automotive pipe manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 冷間塑性加工品製造販売: Design, prototyping, and mass production of cold-formed metal pipe products. Revenue generated from manufacturing and selling custom cold plastic deformation products to automotive and industrial machinery sectors.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tube Forming Company manufactures custom cold-formed metal pipe products through specialized processes including tube hydroforming, swaging, expand forming, eccentric wall thickness forming, and cold crimping. The company designs, prototypes, and mass-produces pipe components such as exhaust manifolds, steering columns, engine cooling pipes, propeller shafts, and industrial robot drive shafts for automotive, industrial robotics, and industrial machinery manufacturers. It also offers ultrasonic degreasing and cleaning services at its Nagano Factory.

Product overview

Tube Forming Company is a metal pipe processing specialist offering tube hydroforming as its core technology alongside multiple complementary forming processes including swaging, expand, uneven wall thickness, caulking, profile forming, beading, flanging, curling, closing, bending, bottom attachment, gear forming, and electric forging. With over 60 years of experience, the company manufactures cold plastic formed metal pipe products for automotive, industrial robotics, and industrial machinery sectors. Its flagship Origami Engineering Pipe represents a world-first technology developed in partnership with Tokyo Institute of Technology. The company operates three factories in Japan (Yokohama, Shizuoka, Nagano) and provides ancillary services including ultrasonic cleaning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bulge Processing / Hydroforming (バルジ加工/ハイドロフォーミング) Tube hydroforming service that uses high internal pressure and axial load to deform pipe materials along a mold cavity, enabling complex hollow shapes that reduce welding points and enable lightweighting. Used by automotive and industrial machinery manufacturers for exhaust manifolds, steering columns, and engine components.
• Swaging Processing (スウェージ加工) Pipe end or partial diameter reduction forming service using dies to compress material in the thickness direction. Available in taper swaging, parallel swaging, and intermediate swaging variants. Serves automotive and industrial machinery customers.
• Expand Processing (エキスパンド加工) Pipe end expansion forming service that widens tube ends into various shapes using roll, cylindrical punch, split-type punch, rotary forming, or bulge methods for automotive and industrial applications.
• Eccentric Wall Thickness Processing (偏肉厚加工) Plastic deformation service that varies pipe wall thickness along the length direction using swaging, rolling, extrusion, drawing, pilger mill, electrical upset, or partial heating compression methods for precision pipe-formed components.
• Riveting/Caulking Processing (カシメ加工) Welding-free plastic deformation assembly service for attaching shafts, gears, and other components with high strength. Enables cold joining of aluminum shafts with stainless steel parts for high-friction-resistance applications in industrial robot drive shafts and copier/printer rollers.
• Other Processing Technologies (その他の加工技術) Integrated suite of pipe forming services including special profile forming (for automotive steering column cases, air conditioning parts, and paper manufacturing equipment), beading (for engine piping, steering shafts, printer rollers), flanging, curling, closing, bending (oil piping, high-pressure piping, cooling piping), bottom attachment, gear forming (for steering rack bars), and electric forging (for piston rods and crankshafts).
• Origami Engineering Pipe (折紙工学パイプ) Advanced pipe product featuring a 3D origami structure that absorbs compressive energy with superior characteristics. The collapsible inverted-spiral pipe structure collapses without twisting or axial rotation, enabling smooth load-displacement behavior for automotive crash protection, construction impact absorption, and satellite solar panel applications. Produced using hydroforming technology.
• Degreasing and Cleaning Services (脱脂洗浄) Ultrasonic degreasing and cleaning service using three-tank automatic equipment at the Nagano Factory. Capable of cleaning parts up to W550mm × D450mm × H500mm basket size. Offered to industrial customers as an ancillary service alongside pipe-formed component manufacturing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Welded exhaust manifolds reduced through integrated tube hydroforming
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature15 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• テクノフレックスグループ (Technoflex Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Tube Forming became part of the Technoflex Group in 2013. Technoflex is a flexible hose manufacturer, enabling accelerated international expansion through Technoflex's China and Vietnam production bases.
• 東京工業大学 (Tokyo Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of the world's first Origami Engineering Pipe application for cylindrical pipes. This is a co-development partnership creating a unique energy-absorbing pipe technology applicable to automotive and construction impact absorption components.
• 株式会社 テクノフレックス (Technoflex Co., Ltd.)coreOthersParent company of Technoflex Group. Flexible hose manufacturer.
• 天津天富軟管工業有限公司 (Tianjin Tianfu Hose Co., Ltd.)minorOthersSubsidiary in Tianjin, China. Part of Technoflex Group overseas operations.
• 天孚真空機器軟管（上海）有限公司 (TF Vacuum Equipment Hose Shanghai Co., Ltd.)minorOthersSubsidiary in Shanghai, China. Part of Technoflex Group overseas operations.
• TF(VIETNAM)CO.,LTD.minorOthersSubsidiary in Vietnam. Part of Technoflex Group overseas operations.
• 株式会社 TFエンジニアリング (TF Engineering Co., Ltd.)minorOthersRelated company within Technoflex Group.
• ニトックス 株式会社 (Nitox Co., Ltd.)minorOthersRelated company within Technoflex Group network.
• 株式会社 中野製作所 (Nakano Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)minorOthersRelated company within Technoflex Group network.
• 株式会社 スペースケア (Spacecare Co., Ltd.)minorOthersRelated company within Technoflex Group network.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Metalsa: Mexican-founded automotive structural components manufacturer with global presence and hydroformed chassis and powertrain components. Comparable on technology and automotive customers but primarily North American operations.

Broad incumbents

• Nemak: Mexican-headquartered global automotive aluminum and steel component supplier with significant engine and structural part manufacturing including complex forming processes. Broader portfolio but overlapping metal forming technology and automotive customer base.
• Cosma International (Magna): Magna's metal forming division producing body structures, chassis, and hydroformed components for global automotive OEMs. Larger and broader portfolio but overlapping core technology and customer segments.

Direct peers

• Shiloh Industries: US-based automotive lightweighting specialist with substantial hydroforming, laser welding, and engineered metal products for chassis and body structures. Direct comparable on hydroforming technology and automotive customer overlap.
• Gestamp Automocion: Spanish-headquartered Tier-1 automotive metal components specialist with extensive hydroforming and chassis tube forming capabilities serving global OEMs. Closely comparable on technology portfolio, automotive customer base, and lightweighting focus.
• F.tech Inc. Japanese automotive chassis and suspension parts manufacturer with tube forming and hydroforming capabilities supplying Honda and other OEMs. Similar size and Japanese automotive Tier-2 profile to Tube Forming.
• Yorozu Corporation: Japanese automotive suspension and chassis component maker using tube forming, hydroforming, and stamping for OEMs. Comparable Japanese Tier-2 supplier serving similar automotive applications with overlapping hydroforming expertise.
• Hirotec Corporation: Japanese automotive parts manufacturer specializing in exhaust systems, manifolds, and door frame components produced through stamping and tube forming. Highly comparable on automotive focus, Japanese operations, and hydroforming-adjacent capabilities.
• Benteler International: Global automotive supplier with significant hydroforming and tube-forming operations for chassis, exhaust, and structural components. Highly comparable to Tube Forming's automotive hydroforming business, with broader scale and international footprint.

Others

• Technoflex Group: Parent company of Tube Forming since 2013, specializing in flexible hoses and related fluid system products with operations in Japan, China, and Vietnam. Comparable as a sister entity within the same group serving adjacent fluid/pipe system markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 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 Tube Forming Company