Ogura Clutch

What Ogura Clutch does

Ogura Clutch Co., Ltd. (小倉クラッチ株式会社) is a Japanese clutch and brake manufacturer founded in May 1938 and publicly listed on the Jasdaq Securities Exchange (ticker 6122). Headquartered in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, the company designs, manufactures, and sells a portfolio of 5,000+ product models spanning general industrial clutches and brakes, automotive air conditioning clutches (holding approximately one-third of global market share), Roots blower superchargers, powertrain solenoids, PTO electromagnetic clutches, office automation micro clutches, tension control systems, oil mist separators, dust collectors, and disaster prevention equipment. It also markets performance racing clutches under ORC and ARUGOS sub-brands. The company's technology centers on electromagnetic, powder/hysteresis, spring-actuated non-excitation, tooth/multi-plate, and roots-type rotor designs, with proprietary features including shock reduction, resonance reduction, eccentric load absorption, and permanent magnet engagement mechanisms.

The company operates a wholly-owned international manufacturing and sales network spanning 13+ subsidiaries across Japan (Kiryu, Isesaki), the United States (New Jersey, Michigan), France, Thailand, China (Dongguan, Wuxi, Changxing), India (Manesar), and the Philippines (Lipa City, opened December 2023). The business model is B2B direct sales: six domestic sales offices (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyushu, Hokuriku, Hiroshima) serve Japanese customers, while overseas subsidiaries handle local sales and technical support for global OEM and Tier 1 supplier relationships. Customers include Toyota, Ford, DENSO, Aisin, Valeo, Volvo, MAHLE, Sanden, Panasonic, JTEKT, GKN Driveline, John Deere, Toro, and Husqvarna, across automotive, agricultural/outdoor power equipment, industrial machinery, office automation, and motorsport segments. Revenue derives from hardware sales with quote-based pricing tied to specifications, volumes, and contracts; no public pricing or revenue figures are disclosed.

Recent strategic activity centers on Industry 4.0 and robotics-adjacent product expansion, including the 2024 MIC permanent magnet clutch (LEAP Award Gold), 2024 spring-actuated brake variants, and 2025 launches of a Robot Hand with integrated gripping force sensor, Tool Changer, and Brake Diagnosis System for predictive maintenance. The company also operates racing sub-brands (ORC, ARUGOS) through motorsport dealer networks and maintains partnerships with Toyota Gazoo Racing and ROOKIE Racing for motorsport visibility. Family-controlled across four generations, Ogura Clutch remains independent with no parent company, has accumulated 400+ million car A/C clutches in cumulative production, and holds EU regulatory compliance certifications (RoHS, REACH, SCIP).

Name

Ogura Clutch

Legal name

小倉クラッチ株式会社

Website

https://oguraclutch.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Clutches and Brakes

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Brake System Manufacturing (336340), Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Fluid Power Pump and Motor Manufacturing (333996)

SIC

Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories (3714)

akta.pro primary industry

Brakes, Clutches & Couplings (Electromagnetic Brakes, Torque Limiters) (IMAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clutch, Torque Converter & Flywheel Manufacturing (IMACAHAI), Brake-Based Active Safety Hardware Manufacturing (ABS/ESC/AEB Actuators & Modulators) (IMACAMAH)

Keywords

• Industrial clutches brakes
• Automotive air conditioning clutches
• Roots blower superchargers
• Tension control systems
• Racing performance clutches

Headquarters

HQ city

Gumma

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Clutch and Brake Sales: Manufacture and sale of clutches and brakes for general industrial applications including machine tools, printing equipment, and factory automation
2. Automotive Component Sales: Car air conditioning clutches, powertrain solenoids, PTO clutches supplied to automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers globally
3. Roots Blower Supercharger Sales: Superchargers for automotive, marine, and industrial applications including fuel cell air supply systems
4. Racing Clutch Products: High-performance reinforced clutches under ORC and ARUGOS brands for motorsport and aftermarket

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ogura Clutch is a comprehensive Japanese manufacturer of clutches and brakes offering more than 5,000 product models. The company designs, manufactures, and sells electromagnetic, dry single-plate, powder/hysteresis, non-excitation, tooth/multi-plate, and mechanical/hydraulic/pneumatic clutches and brakes for general industry, automotive air conditioning, powertrain solenoids, office automation (OA) equipment, tension control systems, roots blower superchargers, oil mist separators, electric dust collectors, disaster prevention equipment, and racing/motorsport applications under the ORC and ARUGOS brands.

Product overview

Ogura Clutch is a comprehensive manufacturer of clutches and brakes offering over 5,000 product models. The product portfolio spans five core categories: (1) General Industrial Clutches/Brakes including dry single plate, non-excitation operation, powder/hysteresis, tooth/multi-plate, and mechanical/hydraulic/pneumatic types; (2) Automotive Products including car air conditioner clutches (holding one-third global market share), powertrain solenoids, and PTO electromagnetic clutches; (3) OA Machine Components including micro electromagnetic clutches for printers and copy machines; (4) Tension Control Systems comprising modular controllers (CTA, CTP, CTF types), tension sensors (DTH series), and tensioning units (ATT/ATI/ATB); and (5) Specialty Products including Roots blowers/superchargers, oil mist separators, dust collectors, disaster prevention equipment, and robot peripherals (Robot Hand, Tool Changer, Brake Diagnosis System). The company also markets performance racing clutches under ORC and ARUGOS sub-brands. Recent expansions include Industry 4.0 products like the MIC permanent magnet clutch for robotics and various IoT-ready industrial brakes with monitoring capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ORC (Ogura Racing Clutch): High power/high torque clutches for racing vehicles, exemplifying the company's racing technology. Used in various competitions including Super GT and Super Taikyu Race.
• ARUGOS

Products and services

• General Industrial Clutches and Brakes A family of clutches and brakes for industrial machinery including dry single-plate, non-excitation operation, powder/hysteresis, tooth/multi-plate, and mechanical/hydraulic/pneumatic types for machine tools, printing equipment, factory automation, robots, and material handling.
• Car Air Conditioner Clutch Electromagnetic clutches for automotive air conditioning compressors controlling engagement and disengagement, holding approximately one-third of global market share for mobile A/C clutches and exceeding 400 million cumulative units produced.
• Roots Blower Supercharger Twin-rotor positive displacement blowers used in automotive performance applications (Toyota/Lexus kits via Tom's Racing and Blitz), marine diesel engines (Volvo Penta KAD42 since 1990), Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 250X, Carlsson Mercedes-based performance vehicles, and industrial air supply including fuel cell systems.
• OA Machine Clutches Micro electromagnetic clutches for office automation equipment including printers, copy machines, and peripherals, featuring compact size, bi-directional rotation, high-speed, multi-gear, and reversing drive designs.
• Tension Control System Modular tension control systems combining powder/hysteresis clutches and brakes with constant current supply controllers (CTA, CTP, CTF types), tension sensors (DTH series, 0.5N to 30N), and tensioning units (ATT/ATI/ATB) for precise web tension control in filament winding, wire, and textile processes.
• Powertrain Solenoid Solenoids for automotive powertrain applications including transmissions and drivetrain systems, supplied to global OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
• PTO Electromagnetic Clutch Electromagnetic clutches for Power Take-Off (PTO) applications in agricultural tractors, riding lawn mowers, and industrial machinery.
• ORC Racing Clutch High power/high torque clutches for racing vehicles under the ORC (Ogura Racing Clutch) brand, including the RC Series using chromium molybdenum steel flywheels for ultra-light, low-inertia performance. Used in Super GT, Super Taikyu, and other motorsport competitions; OEM adopted for Toyota GR Yaris.
• ARUGOS Carbon Fiber Clutch Carbon fiber reinforced high-performance clutches for imported sports cars and high-end tuning applications under the ARUGOS brand.
• ORC Slipper Clutch Slipper clutches for motorcycles under the ORC brand, designed to prevent rear-wheel hop during aggressive downshifting.
• Oil Mist Separator Industrial air filtration equipment that collects oil mist at 99.9% efficiency using a centrifugal mechanism combined with a high-performance filter, intended for machine tool and factory environments.
• Electric Dust Collector Electrical dust collection equipment used for industrial air cleaning in factories and manufacturing environments.
• Disaster Prevention Equipment Labor-saving firefighting and rescue equipment including fire hose handling/washing devices and battery-charged hydraulic rescue tools (cutters) for firefighter and disaster prevention use.
• Power Supply Units Power supply units designed to operate Ogura industrial clutch and brake systems.
• Robot Hand Robot end-effector with a built-in gripping force sensor designed for handling soft and fragile objects, intended for collaborative robot applications.
• Tool Changer Robot tool-change connector that enables quick exchange of end tooling and supports multiple operations from a single robot arm.
• Brake Diagnosis System (Brake Life Forecast System) Real-time monitoring system for non-excitation operation brakes that enables predictive maintenance and brake life forecasting on industrial machinery.
• Ogura MIC Permanent Magnet Clutch Permanent magnet clutch that delivers high torque in a compact form factor; the permanent magnet completes the magnetic circuit when de-energized, enabling energy savings suitable for battery-powered robotic applications.
• Low Friction Co-Efficient Spring Actuated Brake Spring-actuated brake that achieves highly stable torque output by using a low friction coefficient, for industrial automation applications.
• Spring Actuated Brake for Hollow Shaft Spring-actuated brake with the industry's highest ratio between inner diameter and outer diameter, optimized for hollow shaft applications.
• CTA Type Tension Controller Constant current control tension controller with internal/external variable resistor and voltage signal input for remote control, used in modular tension control systems.
• CTP Type Tension Controller Pulse counting tension controller that calculates roll diameter from rotational pulse and automatically adjusts braking torque.
• CTF Type Tension Controller Feedback control tension controller using a dedicated DTH type tension sensor for closed-loop tension control.
• DTH Type Tension Sensor Tension sensors for feedback tension control with capacities from 0.5N to 30N, available with digital or analog output.

Quantifiable outcome

• World leader with 1/3 global market share for mobile air conditioning clutches
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TOYOTA GAZOO RacingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2025Support for GR86 in Toyota Gazoo Racing Rally Challenge and GR Supra in Super Endurance Race. Joint participation in racing events showcasing Ogura clutches.
• ROOKIE RacingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2025Motorsport team supported by Ogura featuring Toyota GR86 in Super Endurance Race and various rally events.
• Toyota Motor CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2020OEM adoption of Ogura reinforced metal clutch and clutch cover set as optional GR parts for GR Yaris. Racing team ROOKIE Racing participation with Morizo (Toyota President Akio Toyoda) as driver.
• AB Volvo PentaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1990, Volvo Penta has used Ogura superchargers for their marine diesel engine KAD42, highly regarded worldwide.
• Kawasaki Motors Corp.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKawasaki uses Ogura superchargers for Jet Ski Ultra 250X, enabling 1.5L engine to produce 184kW (250hp).
• Carlsson Autotechnik GMBHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman car company uses Ogura superchargers in high-performance Mercedes-based vehicles.
• Tom's RacingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese tuning company produces compressor kits for Toyota and Lexus using Ogura superchargers.
• BlitzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese tuning company produces high-performance kits using Ogura superchargers for Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, and Honda vehicles.
• ALPS Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGold award recipient in Ogura's 2025 Superior Supplier Award ceremony.
• SKK Co., Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSilver award recipient in Ogura's 2025 Superior Supplier Award ceremony.
• Hagiwara Juko Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBronze award recipient in Ogura's 2025 Superior Supplier Award ceremony.
• NFG Co., Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBronze award recipient in Ogura's 2025 Superior Supplier Award ceremony.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eaton Corporation: Eaton is a global power management company with a Vehicle Group that manufactures clutches and related drivetrain components for commercial vehicles and industrial applications. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping industrial clutch and motion control products.
• Knorr-Bremse AG: Knorr-Bremse is a global manufacturer of braking systems and other components for rail and commercial vehicles. It is a broad incumbent in braking technology, comparable to Ogura's industrial brake business for commercial vehicle and industrial applications.
• ZF Friedrichshafen: ZF is a global Tier 1 automotive supplier with broad drivetrain, chassis, and clutch product lines serving OEMs worldwide. As a broad incumbent with clutch and drivetrain overlap, ZF competes with Ogura on larger OEM programs and integrated systems.

Direct peers

• Warner Electric (Regal Rexnord): Warner Electric is a leading manufacturer of electromagnetic clutches and brakes for industrial automation, motion control, and mobile equipment. It is the closest direct peer to Ogura in industrial electromagnetic clutches and brakes, competing in similar product categories and customer segments (machine tools, factory automation, mobile equipment).
• Aisin Corporation: Aisin is a major Japanese Tier 1 supplier producing automotive clutches, drivetrain components, and brake systems. As one of Ogura's customers and a competing clutch manufacturer, Aisin is a direct peer in the automotive powertrain component space.
• Exedy Corporation: Exedy is a Japanese manufacturer of clutches and drivetrain components primarily for automotive OEM and aftermarket applications. It is a direct peer in automotive clutches with overlapping customers and similar product portfolios (manual transmission clutches, torque converters, racing clutches).
• F.C.C. TSR Honda France: F.C.C. is a Japanese clutch manufacturer specializing in motorcycle and powersports clutches with strong OEM relationships. It is a direct peer in the automotive clutch segment, particularly for two-wheelers and OEM supply chains.
• Valeo Group: Valeo is a global automotive supplier with thermal management and powertrain product lines that include electromagnetic clutches for HVAC compressors. As a customer of Ogura and a competitor in thermal management components, Valeo is a relevant direct peer in automotive A/C clutches.

Regional players

• Mando Corporation: Mando is a Korean automotive parts manufacturer specializing in brake systems, steering, and suspension components. It is a regional player with comparable brake system product lines and overlapping automotive OEM customers.
• Nisshinbo Holdings: Nisshinbo is a Japanese manufacturer of friction materials, brake systems, and other automotive components. It is a regional player with overlapping Japanese OEM customer base and brake product overlap with Ogura's industrial and automotive brake offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCEtvSyYko-1WqQxjFBxV6w/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ogura-clutch-co-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries15 records

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 Ogura Clutch