AISIN - News Releases - Business Strategies

Aisin to Establish New Production Engineering Center
(Dec. 13, 2006)

Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (President: Yasuhito Yamauchi; Headquarters: Kariya, Aichi) will establish the Production Technology Center adjacent to its Headquarters, with the aim of raising its production technology capabilities. The new facility is scheduled to begin operation in August 2007.

The Production Engineering Center will significantly strengthen Aisin’s “monozukuri-power” (manufacturing expertise in value-added products) and will function as a nucleus for the global deployment of production technologies to ensure the manufacture of products with the same high quality at all manufacturing bases worldwide. The new center will consolidate production engineering-related functions, including the development of manufacturing processes and the design and production of dies and equipment, presently dispersed across various regions. The Production Engineering Center will create revolutionary new production technologies that are outstanding in terms of economic efficiency as well as safety and the environment, with efforts ranging from the development of antecedent technologies for new production processes to the development of technologies for commercialization.

To facilitate the worldwide spread of Aisin’s “monozukuri-power,” the Production Engineering Center will also handle functions involving human resource development, focusing on cultivating excellent production technology staff and accepting trainees from overseas.

The Production Engineering Center will feature four above-ground floors with 38,000 square meters of total floor space. As part of an emphasis on the environment, the facility will utilize an Aisin-manufactured gas heat pump (GHP) air conditioner. Plans also call for the center to be used for cutting-edge plant engineering trials.

To provide customers with high-quality, high-performance products at low prices, Aisin will strengthen in-house development of unique manufacturing processes, facilities, and production systems with a tireless spirit of inquiry and flexible ideas.

Details on the Production Engineering Center are as follows.

1.	Name of facility:	Aisin Seiki Production Engineering Center
2.	Location:	2-1, Asahi-machi, Kariya, Aichi Prefecture
3.	Floor space:	38,000 square meters
4.	Number of floors:	Four above-ground floors
5.	Start of construction:	December 4, 2006
6.	Scheduled completion:	End of July 20007 (scheduled to start operation in August 2007)
7.	Amount of investment:	Planned investment of approximately ¥10.0 billion over three years, including for building, facilities and moving expenses
8.	Number of personnel:	Approximately 550 staff (at start-up in August 2007)
9.	Role:	Function as a nucleus for the global deployment of production technologies.
			l	Develop unsurpassed production technologies.
			l	Promote in-house manufacture of simple and slim facilities.
			l	Strengthen preliminary verifications as production lines prior to start of mass production.
			l	Function as a nucleus for global production technologies.

A rendering of the outside of the Production Engineering Center