Koyo Machinery prides itself on its diverse line of grinding machines for various manufacturing firms.

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Incorporated in 1991, Koyo Machinery USA Inc. is known for building custom machine tools that are unsurpassed in the industry for quality and technology, the company says. “We offer a wealth of expertise in the areas of grinding process and engineering for mass production of high-quality parts,” the company says. “Koyo can flexibly adapt to customer demands for diverse, customized manufacturing.”

Koyo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Koyo Machine Industries Co. Ltd., which was established in 1961 as a wholly owned subsidiary of JTEKT Group in Japan. Today, Koyo Machine Industries has more than 1,300 em­ployees and had revenues of $385 million in 2007.    

It produces various grinding machines, gauges, assemblies, spindles, precision ball screws, and handle and universal joints for the automotive, heavy equipment, aerospace, medical, IT and other manufacturing industries. It also does applied engineering research and production engineering research, it adds.   

The company prides itself on its diverse line of grinding machines, but still focuses on examining new technology to ensure it can meet the demands of the marketplace. It also makes sure its machines encompass precision, efficiency, rigidity, stability and automation. Koyo USA is ISO 9001:2000 certified.   

“Grinding machine tools and precision apparatus made by Koyo have earned the trust of customers all around the world, due to our leading technologies and superior quality,” the company says. “We offer a wealth of expertise in the areas of grinding process and engineering for mass production of high-quality parts.”   

The company has experienced continuous success because its employees are able to adapt to customers’ needs. “At Koyo, we communicate closely with our customers on materials and processing technologies,” the company says. “By working closely with our customers, we are able to develop products and technologies that anticipate tomorrow’s needs.    

“Koyo is focused on maintaining a product lineup that grows as our customers’ needs grow, and continues to strive to meet customers’ demands for higher levels of grinding precision,” the company adds.   

Vice President of Koyo Machinery USA operations Dan Geddes recently spoke with Manufacturing Today about Koyo USA’s background, its strategy to adapt to market changes and the current economic climate, and the company’s plans for the future.

Manufacturing Today: Can you de­scribe your background with the company?

Dan Geddes: I have been with Koyo since 1994. My first position with Koyo was in field service, traveling around the world installing and servicing Koyo’s product line. In 2000, I was promoted to service engineering manager. During my service years, I developed long-term relationships with our customers, which are still in place today.  During this time, I gained extensive working knowledge of Koyo’s product line. In 2004, I was promoted to vice president of Koyo Machinery USA. My duties include sales support, technical review and support, and communication between Koyo USA and Koyo Japan.

MT: What products does your company offer and what industries do you serve?

DG: Koyo is a manufacturer of grinding machines (machine tools). Our products are centerless, surface and special grinders that are used in many different industries, including heavy equipment, automotive, bearing, aerospace and IT. Koyo has a large market share in grinding variable valve timing components, fuel system components, main journal on cams and many other engine and powertrain components. We also offer factory automation solutions and high-precision ball screws.

MT: What is your company’s position in the industry?

DG: Koyo has a large part of the global market share in grinding machine tools. We strive to meet the customers’ needs and specifications. Koyo provides a total solution in grinding application and can provide a full turnkey grinding application to meet the customer’s requirements.

MT: What is your customer base, and how does it define quality?

DG: Koyo’s customers are in heavy equipment, automotive, medical and many other industries that demand high-precision grinding. Koyo’s customers expect machines that provide 100 percent uptime and hold critical tolerances to Six Sigma requirements. The new requirements coming to manufacturing require manufacturing in Eight Sigma. Koyo is currently releasing new machine tool models to meet these requirements. For example, Koyo’s smaller centerless grinding machines are being upgraded to the new C60 series. These compact machines use coolant more efficiently and minimize thermal distortion, pinch-out and vibration, leading to ultra-high-precision grinding. Another new model (introduced at IMTS-08) is the KVD760, a vertical spindle-type high-productivity grinding machine especially de­signed for larger parts, using a floating grinding wheel spindle for through-feed grinding. The floating spindle reduces wheel wear by more than half while reducing pinch-out by up to 80 percent, compared to a standard spindle design. Grinding wheel change-over time is also re­duced by 50 percent using the floating spindle configuration.

MT: What are the company’s plans in terms of growth?

DG: Koyo USA has experienced double-digit growth in the last four years. The outlook for 2009 and 2010 is 5 to 8 percent growth in the current North American market. This is based on the automotive and manufacturing projections for North America.

MT: How does the company adapt to market changes?

DG: Because Koyo has a very diverse product line and customer base, we can adapt to changes in the global economy. Koyo targets areas that are growing and develops machines that can fill the demands for grinding in any particular manufacturing sector.

MT: What is the company’s strategy in the current economic climate?

DG: Koyo will focus on new technologies and the energy sector for growth. These areas are expanding even during this economic downturn.

MT: What are you most proud of at your company?

DG: Koyo is always striving for im­provements and invests heavily in R&D. Investing in the future helps the company adapt as the global market changes.

MT: What advice would you offer your peers?

DG: In today’s demanding market, we must listen to our customers and provide superior service in order to re­main competitive. We must supply our customers with a product that meets or exceeds their specifications and their expectations, and then follow up with on-demand, 24/7 service capabilities. Anything less is not enough.