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Financial Information:
Annual Report 2002
| Research
and Development Organization |
| Overview |
NSK
has established 13 technological centers located throughout
the four major economic zones of Japan, the Americas,
Europe and Asia. The new Fujisawa Research and Development
Center was unveiled in April 2002 and is an example
of our effort to reinforce our technological development
capabilities.
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| Completion
of the Fujisawa Research and Development Center |
The Fujisawa Research and Development Center |
In April 2002, we unveiled our new research and development
center located on the site of the Fujisawa Plant in
Kanagawa Prefecture. Approximately ¥4.8 billion
was invested for the construction of a new technology
development center building, a manufacturing engineering
center building, a test laboratory and the remodeling
of an existing facility.
The area occupied by this research and development
center was expanded by 60% and has enabled us to increase
our laboratories and testing facilities to enhance
our development capability of next-generation products,
as well as reinforce technological development in
existing product areas. By integrating development
functions, we can also combine technological development
to go beyond the boundaries of the bearings, automotive
components, and precision machinery & parts divisions,
and improve fundamental technologies that form the
basis of R&D in all divisions.
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| Reforming
Corporate Research and Development Functions |
By centralizing corporate technological functions
at the Corporate Research and Development Center,
NSK has established a structure capable of developing
innovative technologies and new products that meet
the ever-changing needs of the market. At the same
time, NSK is reforming the R&D process and integrating
core technologies, introducing a "phase"
control system that can better manage development
themes.
We have reorganized our R&D organization
and have clarified development responsibilities. The
Corporate Research and Development Center focuses
on major development projects and development of next-generation
products (Phases 1 and 2) while the separate technology
centers for each product are responsible for other
developments (Phases 3 and 4), including designing
and responding to customer needs.
| Phase |
Definition |
Division
Responsible for Development |
| Phase
4: |
Customer base expansion |
Technology
centers for each product
(Fujisawa, Kirihara, Maebashi,
Soja, etc.) |
| Phase
3: |
Mass production
development |
| Phase
2: |
Product development |
Corporate Research & Development
Center
(Fujisawa) |
New
Technology Development Center
(Fujisawa) |
| Phase
1: |
Basic research |
Basic Technology
& Development Center (Fujisawa) |
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| Reform of the Personnel
System |
The Human Resources Motivation Committee was established
in the fiscal year ended March 2001 to develop a personnel
system that matches the requirements of technology
divisions, in other words, a system to motivate our
technical engineers and help them develop their skills.
Reform
of the Personnel Evaluation System
To evaluate individual performance, we have introduced
a "balanced scorecard" system, establishing
a performance evaluation index linked to business
strategy and setting up a mechanism that enables sharing
of common goals throughout the organization. To evaluate
competency, we abolished the traditional standardized
evaluation system that was applied to all employees,
and introduced a system that matches the separate
competency models, which have been established for
each job type and rank. Importance is placed not only
on evaluation of performance, but also on the development
of their skills through guidance.
Career
Development System
A career development system, uniquely designed for
technology divisions, was established and implemented
on a trial basis in June 2001. This system was designed
to strategically develop human resources that will
contribute to NSK's future expansion, while adjusting
the individual's career goals with the needs of the
Company.
Introduction
of a New Specialist System
To accelerate development of highly creative products,
we have launched a new personnel and salary system
for specialists with highly sophisticated skills,
which is different from that for managerial staff.
Employees eligible to participate in this system will
be responsible for the improvement of basic technologies
in specific areas and the achievement of specific
projects.
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| Achievements in Technological
Development Activities |
Be enabling the technology divisions to focus
on their respective responsibilities through the various
measures mentioned above, we have enhanced our advanced
technological development capabilities. The number
of new products and new technologies developed, as
well as patent applications, are increasing each year.
The achievements for the fiscal year ended March 2002
are as follows:
Bearings:
- Development of the EW series high-capacity cylindrical
roller bearings equipped with pressed cage
- Development of super precision cylindrical roller
bearings for machine tools
- Development of one-way clutch pulleys
- Development of railway axlebox sensor bearings
Automotive
components:
- Development of half-toroidal traction drive units
- Commercialization of column-type EPS control systems
- Mass production of 4th generation upper-tilt steering
columns
- Development of a new shock-absorbing steering
joint
Precision
machinery and parts:
- Development of Translides™
- Development of the HTF-S1 Series ball screws for
high load drive
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