NHK Spring Co

What NHK Spring Co does

NHK Spring Co., Ltd. (日本発条株式会社 / ニッパツ), founded in 1939 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TYO: 5991), is a Japanese precision components manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama with 10,000+ employees. The company is organized around three product pillars: (1) Automotive Components — suspension springs (coil, leaf, stabilizer), automotive precision springs (valve, transmission, injector), seats and interior parts, EV/HEV motor cores, battery cushions, and insulated metal substrates (IMS); (2) Information & Communications Components — HDD suspensions (TSA and CLA series), top covers, disc clamps, semiconductor process parts (shower heads, cooling plates, stage heaters), and microcontactors for semiconductor test; and (3) Industrial & Life Components — piping supports, anti-counterfeit products (Trustgram, PTAS), marine remote controls, golf shafts, mechanical parking systems, and rail components.

The technology base spans precision metal forming, heat treatment, brazing, solid-phase diffusion bonding, materials development, and FEM-based simulation, with proprietary assets including the world's only ceramic spring, ultra-fine springs for semiconductor probe applications, multi-layer shower heads, and tempering-free stabilizers. The automotive segment represents over 60% of revenue, with named OEM customers including Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen Group, BMW, and Tier-1 Denso; HDD suspension assemblies are found in approximately 97% of HDDs worldwide (Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba). Motor cores are produced at three global sites (Japan, China, Mexico) under a unified quality standard.

The business model is direct B2B precision components manufacturing with no public list pricing; products are sold via customer-specific quotations through regional sales branches in Japan and direct OEM account management internationally, supplemented by major trade-show presence (SEMICON, PCIM, Japan Mobility Show). GTM is enterprise field sales with multi-year contracts, supported by trade-show-driven lead generation and IR/ESG communications. Three global motor core production sites, world-leading share in suspension springs (approximately 1 in 5 vehicles globally) and HDD suspensions, and a vertically integrated tool-and-die capability underpin the operating model.

Name

NHK Spring Co

Legal name

日本発条株式会社

Website

https://nhkspg.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

NHK Spring Co., Ltd. is a Japanese precision components manufacturer founded in 1939, supplying suspension springs, EV motor cores, seats, HDD suspensions, and semiconductor process components to global automotive OEMs, HDD makers, and industrial customers under direct B2B contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Spring and Metal-Formed Components for Automotive, Data Storage, and Semiconductor Applications

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing (33633), Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing (3326), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (336320), Other Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (336390)

SIC

Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)

akta.pro primary industry

Passenger Vehicle Interior Systems Manufacturing (ICE) (IMACAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Passenger Vehicle Electrical & Electronics Manufacturing (ICE) (IMACAAAK)

Keywords

• Precision springs manufacturing
• Automotive suspension components
• HDD suspension assemblies
• EV motor cores
• Semiconductor process parts

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Automotive Components: Suspension springs (coil, leaf, stabilizer), automotive precision springs (valve, transmission, injector), seats, interiors, EV motor cores, battery cushions, metal substrates (IMS) — sold directly to automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. Represents >60% of total company revenue. Customers include Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen Group, BMW, and other global OEMs.
2. Information & Communications Components: HDD suspensions (TSA, CLA), top covers, disc clamps, base plates; semiconductor process parts (shower heads, cooling plates, stage heaters); microcontactors and test sockets for semiconductor inspection. Sold to HDD manufacturers (Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba) and semiconductor equipment makers. Growing demand driven by data center HDD capacity expansion and 5G/AI semiconductor demand.
3. Industrial & Life Components: Precision springs for industrial machinery, plant piping support systems, anti-counterfeit products (Trustgram, PTAS), marine remote controls, golf shafts, metal bats, mechanical parking systems, rail products. Diverse B2B sales to industrial, plant, marine, and consumer goods companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NHK Spring manufactures and sells precision spring and metal-formed components globally across three segments: Automotive (suspension springs, valve/powertrain springs, EV/HEV motor cores, automotive seats, EV power-electronics metal substrates), Information & Communications (HDD suspensions and components, semiconductor process parts such as shower heads, cooling plates and stage heaters, microcontactors and test sockets for semiconductor inspection), and Industrial/Life (pipe supports, mechanical parking systems, railroad components, marine remote controls, anti-counterfeit Trustgram/PTAS, golf shafts, metal bats). Supply is direct B2B to global automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers, HDD makers, semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers, and industrial customers.

Product overview

NHK Spring Co (ニッパツ/日本発条株式会社) is a world-leading comprehensive spring manufacturer offering an extensive portfolio of precision components across three main sectors: Automotive (suspension springs, motor cores, seats, interior parts), Information & Communications (HDD suspensions, semiconductor process parts, microcontactors, metal substrates), and Industrial/Life (plant products, parking systems, railroad components, marine products, sports equipment). The product lineup centers on spring technology as a core competency, complemented by metal processing, heat treatment, and joining/bonding technologies. Key product families include: suspension and precision springs (coil springs, leaf springs, stabilizers, valve springs), automotive motor cores for EVs/HEVs, automotive seating systems, HDD components (suspensions, top covers, disc clamps), semiconductor manufacturing equipment (shower heads, cooling plates, stage heaters), semiconductor inspection probes (microcontactors in SCP/HCP/NIC series, test sockets), metal substrates (aluminum, copper, iron, and heat sink integrated types), anti-counterfeit products (Trustgram, PTAS), and plant/industrial products (pipe supports, clamps, parking systems, railroad components). The company also provides engineering services including drone-based plant inspections, design services, and technical calculation services for vibration analysis and seismic analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Trustgram: Anti-counterfeit hologram label for brand protection, used in electronics, automotive parts, apparel, sports goods, and various other products
• PTAS (Product Tracking and Authentication System)
• TERA (高応力皿ばね)

Products and services

• Suspension Springs (Coil, Laminated Leaf, Tapered Leaf, Mono Leaf, Hollow & Solid Stabilizer, Torsion Bar) Coil, laminated leaf, tapered leaf, mono leaf, hollow/solid stabilizer and torsion-bar springs used in automotive suspension systems.
• Automotive Precision Springs (Valve, Transmission Wave, Damper, Return, Laminated Holding, Tapered Holding Leaf, Grid, Injector) High-precision springs for automotive powertrain (valve springs), transmissions (wave, damper, return springs), and clutch systems (laminated holding, grid springs).
• EV/HEV Motor Cores (Integrated and Split Types) Rotor and stator iron cores for EV/HEV electric motors, manufactured in-house using precision stamping at three global production sites.
• In-Wheel Motor Module In-wheel motor module designed for compact EV platforms, offering packaging flexibility and improved ride characteristics.
• Automotive Seating Systems (Sporty, Compact SUV, Air Suspension, Thin Suspension, Light One-box Wagon, Front Seat Frame, Fatigue Reduction, High Function, Car Sickness Reduction) Automotive seats including sporty seats, compact SUV seats, air-suspension seats, thin-suspension seats, light one-box wagon seats, front seat frames, fatigue-reduction seats, high-function seats, and car-sickness-reduction seats for OEM platforms.
• Automotive Interior Parts (Door Sunshade, Tonneau Cover, Screw & Bolt) Door sunshades, tonneau covers, and screw/bolt fasteners for automotive OEM programs.
• HDD Suspensions (TSA and CLA Series) Ultra-precision stamped suspension assemblies (TSA with tip+center micro-actuators, CLA tip-only) controlling read/write head positioning in hard disk drives used in data centers.
• HDD Components (Top Cover, Disc Clamp, Base Plate) Top covers, disc clamps, and base plates for HDD assembly, supplied to HDD manufacturers.
• Semiconductor Process Parts (Multi-Layer Shower Head, Cooling Plate, Stage Heater) Multi-layer shower heads, cooling plates, and stage heaters for semiconductor thin-film deposition and etching equipment, manufactured using proprietary brazing and diffusion bonding.
• Microcontactors (SCP, HCP, NIC Series) and Test Sockets Microcontactors in SCP (coiling probe), HCP, and NIC variants plus test sockets for semiconductor wafer-level test, supplied to semiconductor inspection OEMs.
• Metal Substrates (Aluminum, Copper, Iron) and Heat-Sink Integrated Substrate (DB-I/C) Aluminum, copper, iron, and heat-sink integrated Insulated Metal Substrates (IMS) for automotive power electronics (EV inverters, IGBT/SiC modules) with proprietary dielectric insulation layer; the DB-I/C heat-sink-integrated variant supports up to 2.0mm thick copper circuits.
• Trustgram Anti-Counterfeit Label Hologram-based anti-counterfeit label using a special polymer layer, authenticated with a card-sized viewer for brand protection of consumer electronics, automotive parts, apparel, sports goods, and industrial goods.
• PTAS Product Tracking & Authentication System QR-code-based smartphone authentication and product traceability system allowing consumers to verify authenticity and brand owners to monitor distribution channels.
• Plant Pipe Supports and Pipe Clamps Pipe supports and pipe clamps for industrial plant piping including LNG, petrochemical, and power plant applications.
• Mechanical Parking Systems (SD Park, UD Park, EV Charger with Parking) SD Park and UD Park mechanical parking systems, plus a parking system integrated with EV chargers for building operators.
• Railroad Components (Tension Balancer, Turnout, Rail Fastening Device, Synthetic Sleeper, Grid Sleeper Turnout, Bullet Train Spring) Railway components including tension balancers, turnouts, rail fastening devices, synthetic sleepers, grid-sleeper turnouts (co-developed with JR East), and bullet-train springs.
• Marine Electronic Remote Control and SM Damper Electronic marine remote control boxes for pleasure boats (forward/reverse/sideways movement and rotation) and SM dampers, produced by group subsidiary NHK Spring Mec.
• Sports Equipment (Golf Shaft, Metal Bat) Precision-manufactured golf shafts and metal baseball bats sold to sports goods OEMs.
• Specialty Springs and Mechanisms (TERA Disc Spring, Ceramic Spring, Ultra-Fine Micro Wire, Robot Arm Spring, FPK Disc Spring, Flexible Joint, Metal Bellows Accumulator, Medical Bellows, Flat Spring, Special Disc Spring, Totsu Spring, Wire Spring, Bendable Variable Stiffness Micro Wire) Specialty precision springs and mechanisms including TERA high-stress disc springs, the world's only ceramic coil spring (1,000°C rated), ultra-fine 15μm-diameter micro springs, robot-arm springs, FPK disc springs, flexible joints, metal bellows accumulators, medical bellows, flat springs, special disc springs, Totsu springs, wire springs, and bendable variable-stiffness micro wire.
• Other Automotive/Industrial Components (Brake Disc, Control Cable, Chain Tensioner, Lock Hinge, Assist Balancer, Punch Tool) Brake discs, control cables, chain tensioners, lock hinges, assist balancers, and screw-tool punches for automotive and industrial applications.
• Plant Equipment Inspection Service (Drone Inspection) Drone-based inspection services for plant equipment maintenance, supporting industrial plant operators.
• Design and Technical Calculation Services (Plant-related Vibration/Seismic Analysis) Engineering design services covering plant-related vibration analysis and seismic analysis, supporting industrial plant operators.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered key development partner, flagship / strategic adoption, key investment, group subsidiary, established long-term and minor.

• Daido Special Steel (大同特殊鋼)key development partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026NHK Spring and Daido Special Steel co-developed two products contributing to EV drive motor performance improvement and environmental load reduction. This partnership leverages NHK Spring's precision forming and metal processing technologies with Daido Special Steel's materials expertise for EV motor applications. Announced May 2026.
• Denso (株式会社デンソー)flagship / strategic adoptionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2026NHK Spring's world's first mass-produced 'EV drive-oriented resin-insulated metal substrate' was adopted by Denso for its new inverter. This is a significant EV electrification component supply relationship where NHK Spring's thermal management substrate technology (IMS) is integrated into Denso's automotive power electronics.
• India (motor core investment)key investmentStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025NHK Spring decided to invest in India to expand motor core manufacturing capacity, announced November 2025. This represents a strategic manufacturing investment to serve growing EV demand in the Indian market and support local automotive OEM customers.
• NHK Spring Mec (ニッパツ・メック)group subsidiaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2025NHK Spring Mec (established 1973) designs, develops, manufactures, imports, and sells marine remote control systems. Participated in Japan International Boat Show 2025 as an NHK Spring group company. Products include remote controls for pleasure boats enabling forward/reverse/side movement and rotation.
• Topura (トープラ)group subsidiaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 July 2024Topura is a group company of NHK Spring specializing in screws and bolts. It produces screws from 3mm self-tapping screws to bolts exceeding 16mm, as well as resin-integrated molded bolts, serving automotive, home appliance, marine, and other industries. It is presented as a group company at NHK Spring exhibitions.
• Yonex (ヨネックス株式会社)established long-termStrategic or Co-development PartnerYonex uses NHK Spring's anti-counterfeit products (Trustgram and PTAS) for brand protection of its sports equipment. Implemented since around 2000 with ongoing use. Yonex publicly credits NHK Spring's technology and reliable products for helping eliminate counterfeit goods from the market.
• Tokuhatsu (トクハツ)group subsidiaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroup company specializing in high-precision press products with micro-hole machining technology. Presented as a group exhibitor at NHK Spring's automotive technology exhibition booth.
• XYLEM (英)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNHK Spring Mec handles distribution of XYLEM brand bilge pumps and electric marine toilets in Japan. Products include high-capacity bilge pumps applicable not only to marine vessels but also to flood drainage in disaster situations.
• SUMIHATSU (スミハツ)group subsidiaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroup company producing rail components including grid-sleeper turnout, synthetic sleepers, bullet train springs (with surface machining and 100% magnetic particle inspection), and rail fastening devices. Co-developed grid-sleeper turnout with JR East.
• NHK Precision (日発精密工業)group subsidiaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroup company producing brake discs for motorcycles (Japan, Thailand, Indonesia), precision press parts, and screw header punch tools. High-precision machining technology producing world-class quality punches used in smartphone to automotive fasteners.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lear Corporation: Major Tier-1 supplier of automotive seating and electrical systems, with strong Japanese OEM relationships. Comparable to NHK Spring in seating and competing for similar global seat programs.
• TDK Corporation: Direct competitor in HDD suspension assemblies and co-defendant in HDD price-fixing class actions. TDK's HDD head/suspension business directly overlaps with NHK Spring's dominant HDD suspension franchise.
• Mubea: German global leader in automotive chassis components including suspension springs, stabilizers, and torsion bars. Direct competitor to NHK Spring in the global automotive spring market, serving similar European and global OEM customers.
• Adient plc: Global leader in automotive seating with major Japanese and global OEM customer base. Directly comparable to NHK Spring's automotive seat business (sporty seats, SUV seats, fatigue reduction seats).
• Chuo Spring Co., Ltd. Japanese direct competitor in automotive suspension springs and precision springs, with similar customer base among Japanese OEMs. Closest like-for-like peer to NHK Spring's core automotive chassis business.
• Toyota Boshoku Corporation: Japanese automotive seat and interior systems manufacturer with deep Toyota Group ties. Direct competitor for seat and interior business at Toyota and other Japanese OEMs, overlapping significantly with NHK Spring's seat portfolio.
• Mitsui High-tec, Inc. Japanese manufacturer of precision motor core laminations for EV traction motors, directly competing with NHK Spring in the EV/HEV motor core market. Comparable in serving global automotive OEMs with motor core subassemblies.
• Rassini S.A.B. de C.V. Major North American leaf spring and suspension component manufacturer with a strong position in light truck and commercial vehicle markets. Directly comparable to NHK Spring in leaf springs and suspension components, especially serving North American OEMs.

Emerging players

• NGK Insulators, Ltd. Japanese ceramics and industrial components maker with significant presence in semiconductor process equipment components. Comparable to NHK Spring's semiconductor process parts and ceramic spring technologies, with stronger scale in semiconductor-related ceramics.

Others

• Daido Steel Co., Ltd. Strategic co-development partner for NHK Spring's EV motors (announced May 2026) and supplier of specialty steel for spring manufacturing. A materials and adjacent-technology partner with strong overlap in the automotive spring value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nhk-spring-co-ltd-nhk-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about NHK Spring Co