New technology
Fastener industry of Japan
Screws are used in almost all manufactured products from vehicles and electric home appliances to vessels, bridges, houses and furniture to make sure that they have good quality and safety.
To meet various needs of different manufacturers, Japanese screw manufacturers work hard to incorporate the latest technology and equipment while screw distributers and trading companies try to have a wide variety of items so that they can meet all users' requirements.
Japan's screw production and sales volume
Japan has approximately 1,500 screw manufacturers that have 4 or more workers. Each of them produces bolts, nuts, machine screws, wood screws and other specialty items that boost the world-class quality and reliability.
Their annual production volume in total is approximately 3 million tons in weight, or astronomical sum of approximately 300 billion screws.
Their annual sales reach approximately 1 trillion yen, which is one of the highest in the metallic manufacturing segments in the industrial survey.
In fiscal 2007, Japan had approximately 400 screw distributers and trading companies whose combined annual sales are assumed to reach approximately 450 billion yen.
Large distributers and trading companies sell over 50,000 items. Among them, a leading company sells more than 300,000 items.
From giant bolts to micro fasteners
High-strength anchor bolts
The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, also known as the Pearl Bridge, is one of the key links of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project and the world's longest suspension bridge. Its two main supporting towers rise 298 m above sea level both supported by as many as ten gigantic anchor bolts, each one being 7 m in length, 26 cm in diameter and 3 tons in weight and possessing excellent strength, durability and reliability.
Aerospace ultra precise fasteners
Five hundreds notched bolts withstood the massive shock of the rocket launch and were cut instantly in a millisecond by explosives at the moment of the fairing separation. Advanced technology and absolute reliability are required as they could not be allowed to fail.
Ultrafine micro fasteners
A midsize screw manufacturer successfully developed ultrafine micro fasteners of 0.3 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm in length for the first time in the world after trials and errors based on ultrafine steel wires developed using Japan's excellent technology in steel manufacturing and material processing.
These super ultrafine micro fasteners get ahead of the future needs for super fine screws. There is, therefore, no actual need yet but it is expected that they will be used for evolutional products in the future.
