Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (President: Yasuhito Yamauchi; Headquarters: Kariya, Aichi) officially announced that it will establish Aisin Thai Automotive Casting Co., Ltd. (ATAC) as its second production base in Prachinburi Province, Thailand, corresponding to production expansion in the ASEAN region.  

Aisin Seiki subsidiary, Siam Aisin Co., Ltd. (President: Makoto Hanakuma; Headquarters: Prachinburi Province, Thailand), produces mainly brake, auto body and engine components and supplies them to the ASEAN region. Production volume has increased over the years in line with expansion in the automotive industry in this region, driving steady growth. Amid a projected increase in demand for engine components for compact automobiles, Siam Aisin will separate its engine components business into an independent entity to create a production system by business able to handle increasing product sophistication. This move aims to expand business and further strengthen competitiveness.       

Construction of the new company will begin in December 2008 and the aforementioned business will be shifted from Siam Aisin upon completion in the latter half of 2009. Plans call for production to commence in November 2009. Its main product line will be engine components, including timing chain cases, water pumps and oil pumps. The new company will create an integrated production system from the die cast processing of aluminum parts to machining processes and assembly.    

In the future, the new company will bolster its aluminum production capacity, including die cast processing of drivetrain related components such as manual transmissions, which are currently produced by a local subsidiary of AISIN group company Aisin AI Co., Ltd. This will reinforce Aisin Seiki’s production system in the ASEAN region.