What Union Tool does

Union Tool Co., Ltd. (TYO: 6278) is a Tokyo-headquartered, Japanese precision tool manufacturer founded in 1960 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market. The company commands an estimated ~30% global market share in ultra-small diameter PCB drills, having been the first in Japan to manufacture PCB drills in 1963, and produces a broader portfolio spanning carbide end mills (V-Series, UDC diamond-coated, CBN, HMGCOAT, UTCOAT, DLC), rolling dies and forming tools, ultra-high precision digital measuring instruments (Digital Passameter DS-2000 at 0.01 micron resolution), the Road Tiger road-surface measurement vehicle, and the myBeat bio-sensor line (WHS-1, WHS-3, RRI Analyzer 2). Its competitive position rests on proprietary in-house manufacturing equipment developed over six decades, a vertically integrated coating technology stack, and production capacity of approximately 30 million PCB drills per month across Nagaoka and Mitsuke factories.

Revenue is generated primarily through unit-priced hardware sales across four product streams (PCB drills/routers, carbide end mills, rolling dies and forming tools, and digital measuring instruments and bio-sensors), with pricing actions of +15-20% announced for PCB tools effective January 2026 and +15%+ for rolling tools from December 2025. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales via domestic sales offices and wholly owned overseas subsidiaries (Singapore, Shanghai, Dongguan, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Germany) with authorized distributors and an e-commerce storefront at online.uniontool.co.jp serving SMBs and individual researchers. Primary customers operate in electronics and semiconductor manufacturing (PCB fabs, semiconductor packaging), precision mold and die shops, automotive and aerospace component machining, and research/healthcare organizations using bio-sensors. The company employs 1,530 consolidated staff as of 2025, with 75% male / 25% female composition and a 60% science/engineering skew in new graduate hires, and operates the Mishima Research Institute for ongoing coating and tooling R&D.

Supporting infrastructure includes ISO 14001-certified manufacturing at Nagaoka and Mitsuke, a global subsidiary network spanning seven countries, and a public-sector profile elevated by 2020 METI Global Niche Top (GNT) Company 100 selection and multiple Japan Tool Industry Association awards (2016, 2021, 2022, 2024). Strategic emphasis in 2023-2025 has been on domestic sales office expansion (Shizuoka 2023, Fukuoka 2025), continuous end mill line extensions, channel-partner build-out (e.g., Rainford Precision in the UK), and selective divestiture of non-core assets (myBeat Home ECG to JMS in August 2022), alongside cultural sponsorship programs such as the Union Tool Classic Program.

Name

Union Tool

Legal name

UNION TOOL Co.

Website

https://uniontool.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Union Tool (TYO: 6278) is a Japanese precision tool maker holding ~30% global share in ultra-small diameter PCB drills, supplying carbide end mills, rolling dies, digital measuring instruments, and myBeat bio-sensors to electronics, semiconductor, mold, and research customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Cutting Tools

NAICS

Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515), Machine Tool Manufacturing (333517), Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing (332991), Forging and Stamping (3321)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Screw Machine Products (3451)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM)

Keywords

• PCB drilling tools
• Carbide end mills
• Precision cutting tools
• Digital measuring instruments
• Wearable heart rate sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PCB Drills and Routers: Core product line — electronic circuit board drilling tools including ultra-small diameter carbide drills and routers for printed circuit boards. The company holds approximately 30% global market share in PCB drills.
2. Carbide End Mills: Carbide end mills including V-Series, UDC series (diamond coated), CBN series, and various coated/uncoated series for machining different materials from aluminum to hardened steel.
3. Rolling Dies and Forming Tools: Thread rolling dies, cold heading dies, and coating rods for fastener and precision parts manufacturing.
4. Digital Measuring Instruments: High-precision digital instruments including digital passameters (DS-2000 with 0.01 micron resolution) and the Road Tiger road surface measurement vehicle.
5. Bio-Sensor Products: myBeat wireless heart rate sensors (WHS-1, WHS-3), RRI Analyzer 2 software, electrodes, and accessories for research, sports, and health monitoring applications. Both medical and non-medical device variants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Union Tool manufactures and sells ultra-precision cutting tools — PCB drills and routers (world ~30% market share), a broad portfolio of proprietary-coated carbide end mills (V-Series, UDC, CBN, HMGCOAT), rolling dies and heading tools, and linear motion roller bearings. The company also produces high-precision digital measuring instruments (e.g., Digital Passameter DS-2000), the Road Tiger road-surface measurement vehicle, and the myBeat wearable heart-rate sensor line for research and health monitoring.

Product overview

Union Tool is a precision tool and measuring instrument manufacturer with two core product lines: cutting tools (PCB drills, carbide end mills, rolling dies) and measurement/bio-sensor products. The cutting tool division features PCB drill/router series for electronics manufacturing (world-leading market share), comprehensive carbide end mill series including economy V-series, high-performance UDC diamond coat and CBN series, and rolling dies/heading tools. The measurement/bio-sensor division includes digital precision measuring instruments (pass meters, Digisuke series, Road Tiger road measurement vehicle), wearable heart rate sensors (WHS-1 with proprietary wireless, WHS-3 with Bluetooth), RRI Analyzer 2 software for heart rate variability research, electrode accessories, and discontinued monitoring radar and Home ECG products. The company also maintains a scholarship foundation for Niigata Prefecture engineering students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• myBeat: Wearable heart rate sensor product line including WHS-1, WHS-3, and related software
• UNIMAX
• Road Tiger

Products and services

• PCB Drill and Router Series Ultra-fine diameter drills and routers for printed circuit boards, including P series drills, ULF coat variants, DC coat diamond routers, and micro-drills for ultra-precision micro-hole processing. Used by PCB fabricators and electronics OEMs for multi-layer board drilling; Union Tool holds approximately 30% of the global PCB drill market.
• Carbide End Mill Series Comprehensive line of carbide end mills including the economy V-Series (3 mm shank), UDC diamond-coat series for cemented carbide and hard-brittle materials, CBN series for high-hardness steels up to 70 HRC, and HMGCOAT, HARDMAX, UTCOAT, DLCCOAT, and UTSCOAT variants for aluminum, copper, pre-hardened, and hardened steels. Used by mold makers, die manufacturers, and precision parts producers in automotive, aerospace, and industrial equipment.
• UDC (Ultra Diamond Coating) End Mill Series Diamond-coated end mills for cemented carbide and hard-brittle material machining, with UDC-H (high-speed roughing), UDC-F (mirror finish), and UDC-S (high-toughness) variants, enabling deep cutting and high material removal rates.
• CBN End Mill Series Cubic boron nitride end mills for high-hardness steel finishing up to 70 HRC, including CBN-PLB for super-mirror finishing, CBN-LRF4000 long-neck radius, and CBN-LBF4000 long-neck ball variants, featuring proprietary ultra-mirror finishing technology and unique tip geometry.
• Linear Motion Roller Bearings Linear motion guide bearings for precision motion control applications, used where smooth and accurate linear travel is required.
• Rolling Dies, Heading Tools, and Coating Rods Thread rolling dies, cold heading tools, and coating rods for fastener and precision part manufacturing, including UC rod (M) series and precision rolling machine RF series.
• Digital Passameter DS-2000 Ultra-high precision digital contact measuring instrument with 0.01 µm resolution and ±0.1 µm accuracy, featuring constant measuring force, superior straightness, and repeatability. Developed using in-house precision measurement technology for optical communication components and other ultra-precision components.
• Road Tiger Road Surface Measurement Vehicle Road-surface condition measurement vehicle using 3D stereo cameras with blue LED illumination and GPS synchronization to capture cracks, rutting, evenness, and longitudinal/transverse gradients, enabling day/night measurement at up to 120 km/h. Driveable with a standard Class 1 license; no satellite-flyover planning required.
• myBeat WHS-1 Wearable Heart Rate Sensor Compact wireless heart rate sensor using a proprietary 2.4 GHz protocol with up to 10-unit simultaneous multi-person measurement. Supports both wireless mode for real-time data and memory mode with up to 7 days of continuous internal storage; measures heart rate waveform, R-R interval, 3-axis acceleration, and skin surface temperature.
• myBeat WHS-3 Heart Rate Sensor Bluetooth 4.0 heart-rate sensor for smartphones and tablets with a dedicated iOS/Android 'WHS-3' app. IPX2 splash-proof rating, approximately 140-hour battery life in heart-rate mode, and acceleration/body temperature measurement, with up to ~10 m wireless range.
• RRI Analyzer 2 (Heart Rate Variability Analysis Software) Windows-based HRV analysis software sold as a perpetual license on CD-ROM with USB license key. Supports up to 10 simultaneous WHS-1 sensor connections plus WHS-2, WHS-3 CSV, and third-party RRI sensor data; provides 26 analysis items including time-domain (SDNN, RMSSD, NN50, pNN50) and frequency-domain (LF, HF, LF/HF) metrics with FFT analysis and two noise filters.
• myBeat Disposable Electrodes Single-use electrode pads developed for myBeat bio-sensor products that suppress EMG noise and are suitable for long-term monitoring. Classified as a general medical device.
• UNIMAX End Mill Search Tool Web-based product search system for Union Tool's carbide end mills and drills, allowing searches by shape, size, series name, and workpiece material, and providing product catalog (PDF) and DXF file downloads.

Quantifiable outcome

• PCB drill global market share of approximately 30%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Saitama Medical University Hospital (埼玉医科大学病院)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the development of the 見守りレーダー (monitoring radar) product. The hospital provided cooperation for using the radar in a changing room monitoring application within an examination room setting at the medical facility.
• Rainford PrecisionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based precision engineering company that showcases and distributes Union Tool products. Exhibited Union Tool products at MACH 2026 exhibition, generating high-quality leads. Rainford Precision serves as a strategic sales partner for the UK and European markets.
• Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra (東京フィルハーモニー交響楽団)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnion Tool supports the orchestra as a supporting member (賛助会員), sponsoring music activities as part of its cultural/arts mescenat program. Program booklets feature articles by company leadership.
• Nakamichi Ikuyo (仲道郁代)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPianist whose concerts are sponsored as the 'Union Tool Classic Program.' Union Tool supports her official website and fan club operations as part of cultural arts promotion.
• Nagaoka City / Nagaoka Liaison Hall (長岡市芸術文化振興財団)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnion Tool supports the local arts and culture scene through the Classic Program concert series held at the Nagaoka Lyric Hall. Recognized with a letter of appreciation from the foundation for supporting 20 editions of the program.
• WIN Frontier Co., Ltd. (株式会社WINフロンティア)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as the sales agent for discontinued Viewer software products. Represents Union Tool as a reseller for specific software products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sandvik Coromant: Global leader in metal-cutting tooling with a comprehensive end-mill, drill, and tooling-system portfolio. Parent of Tungaloy and a broader incumbent—competes with Union Tool particularly in premium-coated end mills and aerospace/automotive machining.
• Nachi-Fujikoshi Corporation (Cutting Tools): Major Japanese industrial manufacturer with a cutting-tool division producing drills, end mills, and taps. Serves overlapping automotive and industrial machinery customers with similar carbide-tooling technologies.
• Kyocera Corporation (Tooling): Kyocera's Precision Tools division offers PCB drills and cutting tools in addition to its broader ceramics and electronics portfolio; it is one of Union Tool's main competitors in PCB drills with comparable precision-drill capability.

Direct peers

• NS Tool Co., Ltd. Japanese precision cutting tool maker specializing in small-diameter carbide end mills and drills, with a similar customer base in electronics, mold, and automotive machining. Closely overlaps Union Tool on micro-tooling, particularly end mills and drills for hard materials.
• Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal (Sumitomo Group): Sumitomo's hardmetal tooling business produces carbide drills, end mills, and coated tooling for similar electronics, automotive, and aerospace customers. Direct competitor in coated-carbide end mills and micro-precision drilling.
• OSG Corporation: One of Japan's largest manufacturers of taps, end mills, drills, and threading tools, with comparable end-mill and drill product lines. Both serve automotive, aerospace, and electronics customers globally with proprietary tooling.
• Tungaloy (Sandvik): Japan-headquartered (now part of Sandvik) cutting tool maker with deep carbide end-mill, drill, and turning-tool product lines, including coated tools for hardened-steel and exotic alloys. Overlaps significantly with Union Tool's end-mill and PCB-tool offer.
• Mitsubishi Materials (Hardmetal / Cutting Tools): Mitsubishi Materials' hardmetal division produces carbide end mills, drills, and tool inserts with proprietary coating technology (e.g., DIAEDGE, MIRACLE), directly competing with Union Tool in precision machining segments including hardened-steel and aluminum workpieces.

Emerging players

• Zhuzhou Cemented Carbide Cutting Tools (Zhuzhou Auto-Cutter): Leading Chinese producer of cemented-carbide cutting tools (drills, end mills, inserts) competing on price in commodity-grade tooling. Part of the competitive set driving pricing pressure on Union Tool's mid-market product lines.
• YG-1 Co., Ltd. Korean cutting-tool manufacturer offering carbide end mills and drills at competitive price points; increasingly serving global automotive and general-machining customers. Represents the competitive pressure Union Tool faces from Asian low-cost producers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/uniontool_recruit/?hl=ja

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Union Tool