Environmental and Social Activity Report - KYB · 2016-08-09 · 1977 Developed trailer-type cement...

2016

Environmental and Social Activity Report

Introduction

KYB attained the 80th anniversary of its founding in March 2015.

In October 2015, we changed the offi cial company name and

trade name from Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd., to KYB Corporation in

order to further strengthen our brand image. We want to express

our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have given your generous

support in various forms to the KYB Group over these many years.

We see the 80th year as a juncture from which the KYB Group

will continue to meet the expectations of our customers and of

society with sincerity. By means of skilled manufacturing, we will

contribute still more toward realization of a society of prosperity

and safety. We look forward to receiving your continuing support.

Looking back at fi scal year 2015

In looking back at the KYB Group’s performance in fi scal

year 2015, we see that while sales increased with the support

of healthy demand for automotive products, at the same time

there were other factors, such as the unanticipated sharp

drop in the construction machinery market in China, and the

protracted economic slump in the emerging countries, that

resulted in consolidated sales reaching ¥355.3 billion, which fell

¥21.7 billion short of the ¥377.0 billion forecast at the start of the

period. Meanwhile, despite management streamlining in China

and our Nagano region bases, and structural reform initiatives

by the entire Group in the form of emergency measures such as

reducing fi xed overhead, our ordinary income was ¥14.2 billion,

a shortfall of ¥200 million from the ¥14.4 billion forecast at the

start of the period.

We will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society by promoting vigorous activity of human resources and by innovation in skilled manufacturing.

Fiscal year 2016 is the fi nal year of the medium-term

business plan that started for the KYB Group in 2014. In fi scal

year 2015, we carried out a drastic business restructuring due

to the downturn in the construction machinery market. In fi scal

year 2016, we intend to take thorough measures to strengthen

our business performance in order to assure profi ts. In this way

we will be certain to reap the effects of that restructuring and

close the gap between our current circumstances and our plans.

KYB Group initiatives for society

1) Compliance education

Last year, KYB reached an agreement with the United States

Department of Justice to pay a fi ne of approximately 7.4 billion

Japanese yen for violation of U.S. antitrust laws. This was

recorded as an extraordinary loss. This is the kind of thing that

must not be allowed to happen, and I extend our profound apology

to stakeholders for causing such concern and inconvenience.

Taking into account our lessons learned to date, we are committed

to further strengthening our systems for promoting internal

control and compliance with a view to preventing recurrence of

the problem and recovering the confi dence of stakeholders. We

will also convey to every individual employee that compliance

with laws, regulations, and accepted practices while engaging

in good-faith activity is the very foundation of the company’s

continuing existence. This also, by extension, leads to our making

a contribution to society. In this way we will seek to reform the

consciousness of our personnel.

Top Message

Yasusuke NakajimaRepresentative Director and President Executive Offi cer

KYB Corporation

2 Environmental and Social Activity Report 2016

Top Message / Contents

Eight Decades of KYB Group History

What KYB Aims to Be

Outline of KYB Group

2

4

6

8

2015 Action Highlights12

Management Report

Contents

10 Safe, comfortable products that are friendly to people and to the Earth

Environmental Report

16

18

Environmental Management

Basic environmental policy

Environmental conservation objectives

Chemical substance management

Initiatives to Reduce Environmental Burden

Activities at plants

Social Report

21

23

24

27

Side by side with the customer

Activities for customer satisfaction improvement

With Business Partners

Establishment of partnership

For the Community

Social Support Activities

With Employees

Human resource utilization and work environment improvement in cooperation

Human resource development and technical capability improvement

Employee communications

Creation of Safe and Comfortable Workplaces

32

33

34

34

Corporate Management

Corporate governance

Internal control / Compliance

Environmental data compilation

Editorial Policy

2) “Jinzai” (human resource) development

In order for a corporation to achieve sustained growth and

development, and contribute to the prosperity of society, it is

important to facilitate activity by its human resources. In the KYB

Group, we promote the creation of a workplace environment that

makes it possible for diverse personnel to function in positions

suited to their capabilities and that is employee-friendly.

KYB Group environmental initiatives

At the KYB Group, we take the view that the links between

energy, waste matter, and water are crucial to the realization

of a sustainable society. Therefore, we provide products

that contribute to environmental protection, and we promote

innovative skilled manufacturing that is oriented to a structural

transition to unprecedented perspectives and thinking. We are

engaged in the global deployment of a variety of programs,

including environmentally friendly technology development for

the reassessment of product construction, for achieving lighter

weight by changing materials, and other similar purposes;

activities for saving energy by improving methods for using the

energy consumed in factories; reduction in waste generation by

improving waste processing methods; and improvement in water

quality by introducing waste water processing equipment.

I will be very pleased if KYB Group initiatives for society and the

environment become better understood through this report so

that we can continue receiving support from increasing numbers

of stakeholders. I also look forward to receiving your comments

on this report, and hope that you will express your frank opinions

regarding the KYB Group.

3Environmental and Social Activity Report 2016

Products

History

1900～

Eight Decades of KYB Group History

1 3 5

2 4 6

KYB HistoryColumn 01

The origins of KYB can be traced back to the Kayaba Research Center, which was founded in 1919.The Research Center was started by Shiro Kayaba when he was 21 years old. He was an

inventor of extraordinary talent and originality who loved freedom and avoided relying on others.The free and creative spirit of Shiro Kayaba was the motivational force underlying the founding

of KYB.“All the things that are currently in use are things of the past that are in the course of

development, and the world never stops demanding more new things.” Words of founder Shiro Kayaba. Shiro Kayaba, founder

1919 Founded Kayaba Research Center

1927 Established Kayaba Seisakusho

1935 Established Kayaba Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

1943 Established Gifu Works (presently Gifu South Plant)

1948 Incorporated Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd.

1956 Established Kayaba Auto Service Co., Ltd. as a sales subsidiary

(presently KYB Engineering and Service Co., Ltd.)

1959 Company stock listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange

1968 Established Gifu North Branch Plant (presently Gifu North Plant)

1970 Capital participation in KMT (Taiwan)Moved head offi ce to the World Trade Center Building

1971 Established the Kumagaya Plant and Mie Plant (presently KSM)

1974 Established KCA as sales subsidiary (presently KAC (America))

1975 Established Sagami Plant

1976 Established P.T. KYBI (Indonesia) joint venture

1981 Unifi ed production system under KPS name

1983 Established KMSB (Malaysia) joint venture

1985 Changed trade name to Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd.

1987 Established Kayaba Industries (currently KAC (America))

1989 Established sales subsidiary KGE (Germany)

1992 Set up the Environment and Safety Committee

1993 Held fi rst company-wide sports and culture interactive event

1996 Established Siam Kayaba (presently KYBT (Thailand)) joint venture

Established KHMSB (presently KSMSB (Malaysia))

Established TKI (presently KST (Thailand)) joint venture

Established KSS (Spain) joint venture

1998 All KYB plants acquired ISO 9001 certifi cation

1999 Formulated the Corporate Guiding Principles

1927 Started production of oleo struts for aircraft

1946 Started production of automobile shock absorbers 1, hydraulic jacks, agricultural machinery

1947 Started production of centrifugal pumps

1951 Developed oil damper for railcars

1952 Developed front fork and oil cushion unit for motorcycles

1954 Started production of “high-low” (high-quality and low-cost) mixer trucks 2

1954 Jointly developed power steering with booster 3

1959 Started production of inclined barrel mixer trucks

1961 Developed Ceriani type front fork

1962 Developed inclined axis piston pump, radial piston motor (star-type motor) 4

1962 Started production of accumulators for aircraft use 5

1963 Started production of gear motors

1963 Started production in Japan of granule carriers

1964 Oil dampers of all types for Shinkansen “bullet train” use 6

1964 Developed and started production of rear oil cushion units

1965 Developed integral power steering

1967 Started mass production of strut shock absorbers, developed vane pump for automotive use

1969 Started mass production of stay dampers

1971 Developed hydrostatic continuous variable transmission (HST) with separate pump and motor

1971 Developed ganged valve for hydraulic use and MS valve series 7

1977 Developed trailer-type cement truck, suction pressure transport-type truck

1981 Developed compact vane pump

1982 Developed directly-driven servo valve

1983 KVM series for construction equipment 8

1983 Developed low to medium pressure and high-pressure cylinders

1987 Jointly developed electronically-controlled suspension 9

1986 Jointly developed tunnel boring machine

Column 02

The spirit of creative development is the foundation of KYB technology.

Hydraulic buffers for aircraft use invented by Shiro Kayaba. This hydraulic technology

served as the core concept for vibration control technology and power control technology, which

continued to develop with the times. We provide technology and products for safety and

comfort, such as integrated system technology, electronic control technology, and other such

technologies, to customers in a variety of different fields.

Product History

Kayaba Seisakusho around the time of its founding


2000～

7 9 11 13 15 16

8 10 12 14

We will introduce the 80 years of KYB Group history by dividing it into company history and product history.

2000 Established Arvin-Kayaba Do Brazil LTDA

(presently KMB (Brazil))

2001 All KYB plants acquired ISO 14001 certifi cation

2002 Established Kayaba Vietnam (presently KMV (Vietnam))

Established KIMZ (China)

2003 Established KMCZ (Czech Republic) joint venture

2004 Established KYB Trondule Co., Ltd. (presently KYB-TD) as subsidiary

Established KYB Technical Center (KTCT (Thailand))

Established KSM Co., Ltd.

Established KTS (China) sales company

Established KLA (Mexico) sales company

2005 Established KYBA (Thailand) sales company

Formulated new management principals and management vision

Reorganization (integrated each business under automotive (AC) or hydraulic (HC) component segment)

Established KMF (UAE) sales company

Adopted “KYB” as a shared corporate name

2006 Takako Industries, Inc., made a subsidiary

2008 Established Gifu East Plant

Held company’s fi rst robot contest

Established KWT (China) joint venture

Established KLRC (China) joint venture

Established KAMS (Spain) joint venture

2009 Established KEH DE (Germany) supervisory company

2010 Established KCI (China) supervisory company

2011 Yanagisawa Seiki Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (presently KYB-YS) made a subsidiary

Established Developmental Experiment Center, started operating test course

2012 Established KEH NL (Netherlands) supervisory company

Established KER (Russia) sales company

Established KMEX (Mexico)

Established KMSI (India) joint venture

2013 Established KCME (Czech Republic) joint venture

KCPL (India) made a subsidiary

Established KHMI (Indonesia) joint venture

Established KMS Co., Ltd., joint venture

Established KBR (Brazil) sales company

2014 Established Chennai Branch (India)

2015 80th anniversary of founding

Changed trade name to KYB Corporation

1989 Developed system to correct for uneven settlement 10

1990 Jointly developed electromagnetic proportional directional control valve

1991 Jointly developed large tunnel boring machine (boom header)

1996 Developed semi-active dampers for railroad use

1998 Developed shock absorber for chair skiing 11

1999 Developed semi-active suspension for automobiles

2001 Received Good Design Award for seismic isolation damper (brace damper) for use in buildings 12

2002 Developed motorcycle front fork with DLC coating

2004 Started production of vane pumps for continuously variable transmissions (CVT)

2004 Started production of electronically controlled mixer trucks (e Mixer) 13

2005 Jointly developed semi-active suspension system for Shinkansen train cars 14

2005 Developed DRE-100 drive recorder for on-board automotive use

2009 Developed frequency-dependent shock absorber (HARMOFREQ)

2011 Developed electrically adjustable front fork and rear cushion unit, and pneumatic spring fork for motocross use

2011 Developed Electro-Hydraulic Energy Saving System (EHESS) 15

2011 Developed rotational inertia damper

2013 Developed load sensing shock absorbers

2013 Developed direct adaptive steering (DAS) system 16

2015 Developed lightweight electronically-controlled mixer truck

2015 Developed fl ow control valve-less vane pump for CVT use

Test course on the grounds of the Developmental Experiment Center

Interior of anechoic chamber at the Electronics Technology Center


What KYB Aims to Be

Our Precision,Your Advantage

Management principles

The KYB Group contributes to society providing technologies and products

make life safe and comfortable.

1. Challenge higher objectives and construct livelier corporate cultural climate.

2. Maintain grace and good faith, and pay attention to nature and the environment.

3. Always seek creative ideas and contribute to the progress of customers,

shareholders, suppliers and society.

Human Resources DevelopmentTo cultivate the talent to achieve the objectives with a thorough understanding of the principles and the strategy.

Technology and Product DevelopmentTo provide products that are impressive, comfortable and reliable to customers throughout the world.

Monozukuri (Japanese manufacturing expertise)To make our plants enjoyable, dynamic places to work, and at the same time full of discipline based on the field priority doctrine, in order to produce products satisfactory to the customer.

ManagementAlways keep social responsibilities of the corporation in mind and provide efficient group management.

Management Vision

Guiding Principles

The KYB Group aims to satisfy its stakeholders at a time of increasing focus on corporate social responsibility.

Based on KYB’s management philosophy, each employee will maintain an awareness of our responsibility as

a business, and manifest that awareness through actions that will always comply with the law. We will

moreover work to enhance our corporate value so that our company continues to be a trusted.

( 1 ) Establishment and its practice of the corporate ethics

( 2 ) Thorough implementation of slogan of “Customers First”

( 3 ) Pursuit of product safety

( 4 ) Appropriate accounting and account settlement

( 5 ) Disclosure of corporate information

( 6 ) Compliance with laws and order

( 7 ) Dealing with our customers

( 8 ) Dealing with our suppliers

( 9 ) Prompt dealing with customers’ complains

(10) Participation in activities of industry circles and other related organization.

(11) Breaking connection with anti-social power or groups

(12) Prohibition of insider trading

(13) Protection of intellectual property rights

(14) Retention of trade secret

(15) Protection of personal information and data

(16) Protection of other company property

(17) Coexistence with local communities

(18) Preservation of natural environment

(19) Labor - management cooperation

(20) Safety and health

(21) Education and Training and career development

(22) Prohibition of discriminatory actions

(23) Prohibition of harassment actions

(24) Prohibition of child labor and forced labor

(25) Maintenance and improvement of good and healthy workplace environment


KYB Group

Social Responsibility in the KYB Group

Through our business activities, the KYB Group aims to contribute to the

development of our customers, shareholders, suppliers and society

through the constant pursuit of creativity.

Following our Corporate management philosophy and vision, units of the

KYB Group incorporate CSR initiatives into their yearly action plans and

put them into practice. They then follow up on these actions as part of an

ongoing cycle of improvement and reform.

Employees carry the KYB Group’s Action Guidelines with them to deepen

their awareness of the importance of CSR (Corporate social

responsibilities).

By providing technologies

and products

that make people’s lives safe and comfortable,

the KYB Group contributes to society

MissionMonozukuri taken

one step further

VisionMonozukuri for

human happinessValueTechnology for

comfortable livingWhat KYB Aims to Be

VisionKYB’s aim is to support the development of society through the joy of Monozukuri, and make people

happier as a result.

What the KYB brand can do for the world

Monozukuri for human happiness

MissionKYB will remain an enterprise able to bring value to our clients and markets thanks to the reliable

technical expertise we have built up over the years.

Through our own efforts, we take Monozukuri one step further to provide our clients with new value

and greater satisfaction than they have ever known.

The mission of KYB brand

Monozukuri taken one step further

ValueSensory value : comfortable living, the joy of Monozukuri

Functional value : reliable quality

The value KYB promises its end users is a higher level of “comfortable living” that comes from creative

technology and sincere product development.

The value KYB promises its clients is the “reliable quality” that comes from thinking of the end user

as “our client”.

The value KYB promises each employee is “the joy of Monozukuri” that comes from knowing he or she

is changing the world.

Value made possible by the KYB brand

Technology for comfortable living

Relationship between

the KYB Group and

stakeholders

Society

Contribute to the community

Coexistence with suppliers and local communities

Customers

Provide useful technologies

and productsQuality, customer satisfaction

and new product and technology

development

Shareholders

Provide healthy returns on business

activitiesEconomic contribution

and internal control

Global environment

Coexist with the global environmentEnvironmental management,

environmental and social report,

energy-saving plant

Employees

Achieve a healthy workplace

environmentHuman rights, worker safety

and health, human asset development


Net sales

0

400.0

300.0

200.0

100.0

0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0

12,000

9,000

6,000

3,000

Non-consolidated Consolidated Non-consolidated Consolidated Non-consolidated Consolidated

Ordinary income Number of employees

2015 (FY) (FY) (FY)

355.3

2015 2014 2015

(billion yen) (billion yen) (persons)

2011 2012 2013 2014

227.7

337.1

191.6

305.7

198.2

352.7

207.4

370.4

14.2

2011

15.8

22.7

2012

13.5

2013

14.0

20.3

2014

8.9

13.015.8

2000

3,679

13,796

2011 2012 2013

3,846

12,306

3,601

13,033

3,661

13,732

8.5

187.0

11,975

3,876

Company overview

Company Name KYB Corporation

Founded Kayaba Research Center, November 19, 1919

Established Kayaba Manufacturing Co., Ltd. March 10, 1935

Incorporated November 25, 1948 (KYB Corporation)

Head Office World Trade Center Bldg., 2-4-1,

Hamamatsu-cho, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6111, Japan

Chief Representative Representative Director, President Yasusuke Nakajima

Capital 27,647,600,000 yen (As of the end of March 2016)

Plants Kumagaya, Sagami, Gifu North, Gifu South, Gifu East

Laboratories Basic Technology R&D Center,

Production Technology R&D Center

Developmental Experiment Center

Machine Tools Center

Electronics Technology Center

Number of Employees 13,796 persons (As of the end of March 2016, consolidated)

3,679 persons (As of the end of March 2016, non-consolidated)

Outline of KYB Group

* For details on sales figures and applicable range, please refer to our financial reports.

AC Operations

67.8%

5.4%

Special-purpose vehicle business and others

26.8%

HC OperationsJapan

45.1%

13.5%

Others

12.2%

United States

6.0%China

7.0%Southeast Asia

16.2%Europe

AC (automotive components) operations

Shock absorbers, suspension systems, power

steering systems, vane pumps, front forks,

oil-cushion units, stay dampers, free locks

HC (hydraulic components) operations

Cylinders, valves, oil dampers for railroad,

collision bumpers, pumps, motors, aircraft

landing systems, aircraft pilot systems, aircraft

control systems, aircraft emergency systems

Special-purpose vehicles, system products

and electronic equipment

Concrete mixer trucks, granule carriers,

special-purpose vehicles, motion simulators,

hydraulic systems, auditorium and stage

control systems, naval ship equipment, tunnel

boring machines, environmental devices,

earthquake-resistant and vibration insulation

dampers, seismic isolation systems and vibration

control dampers, electronic applications

Major Products

Net sales by business segment in fiscal 2015 (Consolidated) Net Sales by geographic region in fiscal 2015 (Consolidated)

355.3billion yen

355.3billion yen


China

Taiwan

Vietnam

MalaysiaIndonesia

India

United States

Mexico

Czech Republic

Spain

Brazil

Thailand

Affiliate companies in JapanKayaba System Machinery Co., Ltd.

KYB Trondule Co., Ltd.

KYB-YS Co., Ltd.

KYB Kanayama Co., Ltd.

KYB Motorcycle Suspension Co., Ltd.

Towa Co., Ltd.

Takako Industries, Inc.

Overseas affiliate companiesAmericas

KAC KYB Americas Corporation　　TAC Takako America Co., Inc.

KMEX KYB Mexico S.A. de C.V.

KMB KYB-Mando do Brasil Fabricante de Autopeças S.A.　Asia

KIMZ KYB Industrial Machinery (Zhenjiang) Ltd.

KWT Wuxi KYB Top Absorber Co., Ltd.

KLRC Changzhou KYB Leadrun Vibration Reduction Technology Co., Ltd.

CKMZ CHITA KYB Manufacturing (Zhenjiang) co., Ltd.

KMT KYB Manufacturing Taiwan Co., Ltd.

KST KYB Steering (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

KYBT KYB (Thailand) Co.,Ltd.

KHMI PT.KYB Hydraulics Manufacturing Indonesia

Kumagaya Plant

• KYB-YS Co., Ltd.

KYB Trondule Co., Ltd.

Sagami Plant

KYB Group production bases

Head Office

•KAC •TAC

•KMEX

•KMB

Kayaba System Machinery Co., Ltd.

Takako Industries, Inc.

EuropeE pp

AmericaasaAsia

•KMT

•KMV •TVC

•KMSB •KSMSB

•KYBT•KST

•KMSI •KCPL

•PT. KYBI•KHMI

•PT. Chita

•KLRC •KWT•KIMZ •CKMZ

•KMCZ •KCME

•KYBSE •KSS•KAMS

PT. KYBI PT. Kayaba Indonesia

PT. Chita PT. Chita Indonesia

KMV KYB Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd.

TVC Takako Vietnam Co., Ltd.

KMSB KYB-UMW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

KSMSB KYB-UMW Steering Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.　KMSI KYB Motorcycle Suspension India Pvt. Ltd.

KCPL KYB-Conmat Pvt. Ltd.

Europe

KYBSE KYB Suspensions Europe, S.A.U.

KSS KYB Steering Spain, S.A.

KAMS KYB Advanced Manufacturing Spain, S.A.U.

KMCZ KYB Manufacturing Czech s.r.o.

KCME KYB CHITA Manufacturing Europe, s.r.o.

• Gifu North Plant

• Gifu South Plant

• Gifu East Plant

• KYB Kanayama Co., Ltd.

• KYB Motorcycle Suspension Co., Ltd.

• Towa Co., Ltd.


Agricultural machinery demands high levels of operability and energy saving. Therefore we have developed the HVFD-42F as a hydraulic continuously variable transmission for tractor driving with improved response and higher efficiency, and we have started mass production of this model. We achieved a balance between stable holding in place when stopped and standing start performance, thereby heightening vehicle operability, by adopting the KYB original mechanism for maintaining a neutral position relative to the angle of a sloping surface. Both hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors also incorporate newly developed rotary components for efficiency improvement up to a maximum of approximately 5% (compared to KYB products). Improved transmission efficiency contributes to the vehicle’s energy saving performance.

Safe, comfortable products that are friendly to people and to the EarthWe pursue excellence in advanced manufacturing technologies in order to give people happy

smiles and comfortable lives.

Here we will introduce the safe and environmentally friendly family of KYB Group products.

Reduced material and power consumption on resin injection molding line

We built an injection molding line to produce KYB’s first resin mechanical parts for use in worm wheels. This achieves a balance between high productivity and the strength and durability required for worm wheels used in electric power steering.

This line incorporates measures and devices throughout to reduce the amount of waste material and shorten the time it is out of operation, enabling skilled manufacturing with less waste of time and resources. We also added a quality inspecting function to the robot that transports work between processes, making it possible to conduct production and quality management completely automatically. This is an innovative line that can provide a stable supply of high-quality products for our customers. Going forward, we intend to continue implementing environmentally friendly production technology development.

HVFD-42F with manual servo for driving tractor

Structure of pinion-type electric power steering

External view of injection molding equipment

Worm wheel

Injection unit (resin melting section)


Recent years have brought demand for mixer trucks with greater raw concrete transportation efficiency to support urban redevelopment. In the MR5040EL lightweight electronically controlled mixer truck, we achieved a significant weight reduction over the previous model MR5020L by updating the frame construction. This further increased the load capacity by 150 kg over the previous model, giving this model a maximum load capacity of 11,600 kg, the largest in its class. Applying electronic control to the hydraulic equipment also realized a reduction in noise and exhaust gases as well as energy saving. We will continue providing environmentally friendly mixer truckers in the future.

Lightweight electronically controlled mixer truck

Developed four-axis vibration tester for use with bicycles

Recent years have brought increasing reports of bicycle frame damage in accidents resulting in injury to humans. One of the main causes is fatigue failure due to road surface impact. When existing test equipment was used, structural factors meant that the tires would suffer damage before the frame, so that fatigue failure of the frame could not be reproduced. Therefore KSM developed a four-axis vibration tester for use with bicycles. In the future, we intend to use the results obtained with the three-axis vibration tester for motorcycles and the technology obtained from the four-axis vibration tester for bicycles to launch products on the multi-axis test equipment market.


2015 Action HighlightsWe combine our core competence in vibration control technology and power control technology with systems technology and electronic technology to respond to our customers’ wide-ranging needs in a variety of different fields.

The highlights in this edition will introduce products developed with consideration for safety and the environment, programs for global human resource development, and more.

Highlight 01 Product development

Adoption of a semi-active suspension system on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line

Photo courtesy of East Japan Railway Company



The Hokuriku Shinkansen segment from Nagano to Kanazawa entered operation on March 14, 2015. This opened up a trunk line that could link Tokyo and Kanazawa in 2 hours and 28 minutes at the shortest. KYB’s semi-active suspension system had been installed on Shinkansen lines and conventional lines of various railroad companies up to that point, and the record of performance of those systems as well as the high marks accorded them for quality and other factors led to their adoption by the Hokuriku Shinkansen line as well. The system is made up of acceleration sensors, control devices, and variable damping force dampers. A fusion of electronic and hydraulic technologies, the product detects the train car swaying using acceleration sensors, and implements control electrically to limit vibration. It controls swaying that results from going around curves at up to 260 kph, from passing trains going the opposite direction, and from wind pressure when entering tunnels, assuring ride comfort and stability. The Hokuriku Shinkansen line has marked its first anniversary in service, and it has experienced a growth in passengers. Going forward, we intend to continue providing safety and comfort to passengers on the Shinkansen lines, which are the epitome of Japanese technology.

Amid concerns about earthquakes occurring directly below major cities and the predicted Nankai Trough earthquake, renovation work was done on the Tsutenkaku Tower, one of the main sightseeing destinations in Osaka Prefecture, to make it a seismic isolation structure and protect the safety of visitors. The design and construction were carried out by Takenaka Corporation. Renovation involved installing KYB products, which have a record of actual use in numerous high-rise buildings.

Seismic isolation devices were installed between the steel frame members that support the observation deck, making this the world’s first observation tower to be a seismic isolation structure. The seismic isolation dampers used in the tower have hydraulic circuits that are opened and closed by electric signals. These products have circuits that ordinarily remain closed, but when the sensors are activated by the occurrence of an earthquake, the circuits are released.

Models of the seismic isolation devices installed in the Tsutenkaku Tower and models of our company’s oil dampers have been on display on the second observation deck of the tower since July 21, 2015.

The need for seismic countermeasures on existing buildings has been increasing year by year. Therefore we will continue to provide products that make effective use of our capabilities in hydraulic technology as a contribution to people’s peace of mind and safety.

Seismic isolation dampers installed during Tsutenkaku Tower renovation

Semi-active suspension(KYB standard item)



Developed product

Existing products

Pump speed

Continuously variable transmissions (CVT), which enable use of gear ratios that

allow greater engine efficiency, have vane pumps installed as a hydraulic power

source that creates the control pressure used to make the CVT change gears, shift

between forward and reverse, and so on. The vane pump we developed here is for

use in the new model CVT (photo (1)) from JATCO Ltd., which has eliminated the

flow control valve (photo (2), drawing (1)). Eliminating the need for flow control valve

operating pressure makes it possible to lower the pump’s drive torque (drawing (2)),

and this simultaneously contributes to further heightened fuel economy as well as

to reduced weight and cost. Eliminating the flow control valve necessitates

anti-cavitation* measures. KYB succeeded in developing a flow control valve-less

vane pump that is cavitation-resistant by optimizing the hydraulic fluid intake duct

and the internal pressure.We started production of

these pumps at KIMZ (China) in July 2015.

* Cavitation: The phenomenon wherein

bubbles form and disappear in a short time

due to pressure differences in the flow of a

hydraulic fluid. The disappearance of bubbles

can generate a jetting flow that causes

erosion.

Flow control valve-less vane pump installed in CVT

Photograph (1) External view of new model CVT

Drawing (1) Conceptual interior view showing vane pump

Drawing (2) Drive torque characteristics of existing products and developed product

Photograph (2) External view of new model vane pump that has eliminated the flow control valve

Driv

e to

rque

(N∙m

)


VOICE

ACTIVE overseas trainee dispatch systemAs the global expansion of business advances further

and further, there is a need for global "jinzai" (human

resources) who can play active roles anywhere in the

world. At KYB, we have been implementing an overseas

trainee dispatch system called ACTIVE since fiscal year

2011 for the purpose of global human resource

development. ACTIVE stands for Ambitious and

Challenging Traineeship for Intercultural Value added

Experience.

ACTIVE is now a program that combines language

training and practical training at bases in other

countries. It is aimed at younger employees, and it gives

them early on-site experience while cultivating

communication skills and the ability to deal with foreign

cultures.

Up to fiscal year 2015, 24 trainees have been

dispatched to other countries under ACTIVE. The

trainees have a very hard time at first with an unfamiliar

language and environment, but after completing the

training, they return home greatly matured. We will go

on promoting the ACTIVE program in the future, and

continue developing human resources capable of

playing active roles anywhere in the world.

About the ACTIVE experienceAfter receiving language training in England for half a year, I went

through practical training at the Spain branch of KEH for one year.

When I first started the language training, I had a terrible time every

day because I didn’t know how to say what I wanted to say. Then I

realized that if I didn't talk about something, it was absolutely certain not

to be understood by others, so I made it a point to just go ahead and at

least try to talk, and I think from that point I started to make some

progress.

In the practical training, I worked with local staff members on testing

and measurement. The customers were automobile manufacturers from

many different nationalities, so it was a multilingual workplace where I

would hear people speaking English, Spanish, French, German, and

Japanese around me. Here again I made it a point to just go ahead and

talk, and I tried my best to actively engage

in conversation.

The work I did up to that had almost no

points of contact with other countries, so

the fact that I could receive language

training and then work in another country

in the practical training was a very

valuable experience for me. I am deeply

grateful to everyone who supported my

training.

Friends together in a language school classroom

Maya HasebeSuspension Experiment DepartmentDevelopmental Experiment Center, AC Business Headquarter

Highlight 04 Global human resource development


Environmental and Social Activity Report - KYB · 2016-08-09 · 1977 Developed trailer-type cement...

Documents

Transcript of Environmental and Social Activity Report - KYB · 2016-08-09 · 1977 Developed trailer-type cement...