Amatsuji/AKS will build new bearing ball plant in Poland

Founded in 1920 as a bicycle bearing manufacturer, Amatsuji went public in 1933 and reoriented itself as a high-quality producer of balls for bearings and other close-tolerance applications. Those "other" applications now include machine tools, CV joints, ball point pens, fuel injectors, and other precision ball needs. The AKS product line includes chrome steel balls (78% of sales), stainless steel balls (8%), Carbon steel balls (4%), nylon, brass and ceramic balls (5%) and machinery parts (5%). Today, Amatsuji has two AKS factories, both in Osaka. The new plant in Poland will be its third. In addition, there are three locally-operated joint ventures: Nitto Steel Ball, AKS Hambai, and Sakai Amatsuji, all in Osaka. In all, the company employes well over 600 people. With NSK, Amatsuji operates three direct joint ventures: NSK-AKS Precision Ball Indonesia in (Cibitung, Bekasi, Indonesia); NSK-AKS Precision Ball Europe Ltd. (Peterlee, U.K.); NSK-AKS Precision Ball Co. (Clarinda, Iowa). All are next door to sister NSK bearing factories, and the factory in Indonesia recently doubled its output.