Tsubame City in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, has a long history in metalworking. Nestled in this town, Endo Manufacturing embarked on its journey seven decades ago as a producer of sewing machine components and kitchen tools. Its core technological strength was shaped by dual manufacturing methods—the art of deep drawing to create complex shapes with high precision and uniformity and the science of forging technology to produce strong, resilient, and durable parts.

A breakthrough happened when a client sought its metal forging expertise to replace persimmon wood in golf clubs with metal club heads. This showcased Endo’s innovative capabilities and cemented its position in the golf industry. The company soon launched its signature line of products, EPON Golf, with exemplary precision and quality to enhance player performance.

This widespread acclaim catapulted Endo’s manufacturing expertise to other industries like automotive, medical, and aerospace, scripting success stories at every turn. In each of its business segments, Endo established a strong footing as an OEM parts supplier to top brands.

“We have carved out our niches through synergistic collaborations with our customers. Our core forging technology equips us with unlimited manufacturing capabilities, allowing us to produce high-quality productswith exacting tolerances,” says Taishi Watabe, president of Endo Manufacturing. This commitment to innovation forms the bedrock of Endo’s identity today.

Shifting Gears to Auto Parts Manufacturing

As the innovation, quality, and design displayed by the APAC region’s automotive industry continue to turn the wheel of the global automotive landscape, contributions from OEM leaders like Endo become apparent.

Its factory in Thailand produces durable components, including engine and transmission gears, steering parts, and various essential tools. Since Thailand is the largest vehicle manufacturer in the APAC region, Endo’s role as a reliable supplier is crucial. Its reliability, superior quality, and timely delivery have consistently earned it renewed contracts, strengthening customer trust.

Breaking Boundaries in Innovating Metal Sleeves

Metal sleeves represent another milestone for Endo. This journey was spurred by a conversation with a printer manufacturer struggling with the strength and quality of conventional plastic sleeves used in toner fusing systems. The client requested Endo to replace them with metal alternatives, having a thickness of just a few dozen micrometers.

In collaboration with its partners, Endo engineered unique processing equipment, harnessing deep drawing and special rolling plasticity techniques, to meet this specification. This versatility propelled the company to manufacture high-precision seamless pipes of any thickness, from micro thin at several millimeters to the delicate ultra-thin at 10 microns.

The architect of this vision is Katsutoshi Maruyama, general manager of the metal sleeves business at Endo. His hard work and can-do attitude have propelled the company to steer the development of complex metal sleeves.

“Through countless trials and errors, and dedication, this innovation now serves printer and office automation equipment industries, and also brings more growth opportunities in the electric vehicle (EV) and fuel cell vehicle (FCV) sectors to manufacture seamless pipes of 1 to 3 millimeters in thickness,” says Maruyama.

Blazing a Trail for Medical and Aerospace Industries

Endo’s forging technology and its impact on the medical and aerospace sectors has steered the company into the international limelight. While numerous manufacturers operate with a traditional approach requiring multiple cutting steps to fabricate parts, Endo’s distinction lies in a net shape forging. This reduces lead times and metal waste, while enhancing the strength of the final product by metal fiber flow formed as the characteristic of forging.

This refined process enables it to manufacture complex prosthetic products. Understanding its crucial role in replicating human bone structure, Endo fabricates the products to meet stringent precision and quality standards. Its adherence to quality is validated by its ISO 13485 certification and registration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The products are increasingly gaining prominence, as evidenced by a surge in orders.

The benefits of its forging technology can be found in the aerospace industry as well, where it works on developing technology to produce intricate engine blisks, being establishing another cornerstone of success. Endo leverages its net shape forging technique to challenge producing this complex part with extremely high strength.

We have carved out our niches through synergistic collaborations with our customers. Our core forging technology equips us with unlimited manufacturing capabilities, allowing us to produce high-quality products with exacting tolerances

The Japanese government has offered subsidies to encourage technological developments in the manufacturing of engine blisks. This endorsement has fortified Endo’s development plans to produce blisks. Its AS9100D certification is an indicator of superior quality and compliance with rigorous aerospace standards.

Greater Flexibility for Better Product Design

As an all-inclusive one-stop shop, encompassing prototyping, design, product modeling, processing, machining, polishing, and quality inspection, Endo streamlines the workflow with minimal metal waste and produces products in a shorter time. An extended consulting arm acts as a bridge between concept and reality.

By engaging in collaborative problem-solving, Endo adds value at every stage of the process, strengthening its role as a trusted partner in the industry.

Endo’s production process commences with transforming client-conceived concepts into 3D models using advanced CAD modeling technology. This yields a master prototype, setting the stage for subsequent mass production. Once the products are developed, they undergo rigorous scrutiny via a state-of-the-art inspection system.

Endo infuses flexibility into this process by tailoring its manufacturing methodology to specific project needs each time it collaborates with a client.

“We don’t merely execute as instructed, but aim to exceed expectations. Whenever we encounter a challenge, we dedicate all our resources to overcoming it, even if it involves creating new technology or processes. Our objective is to propose truly valuable solutions to customers, and that’s how we earn their trust,” says Endo Shintaro, executive director of corporate strategy development at Endo.

Our Team is Our Core

Each team member’s contribution is significant in shaping the company’s trajectory. Take, for instance, Watabe and Toshimitsu Oyamatsu, whose shared passion helped rejuvenate professional golf in Japan. Or Maruyama, whose relentless drive proved pivotal in tackling the challenge of producing metal sleeves. Last but not least, Shintaro’s profound expertise and insights in the manufacturing sector have been invaluable in propelling the company to new levels of success.

This diverse expertise, along with acquired knowledge and know-how, has equipped the team with the ability to forge even specialized metals such as titanium and other challenging materials into intricate shapes akin to clay sculptures.

A Never-Ending Journey of Excellence

Understanding its role is more transformative than transactional, Endo has various exciting plans on the horizon. Forging remains essential for certain EV components, despite its difference from other automotive parts. As a result, it actively seeks potential customers within the EV industry and has already made promising strides with notable clients.

It continuously explores and integrates new technologies that synergize with existing expertise, allowing the company to create sophisticated and advanced EV products.

“We believe companies cannot survive unless we are needed by the world. As needs change dramatically with time, companies should continue making efforts to align with these changes or even anticipate the transformation,” says Shintaro. “With the never-ending quest to innovate new technology, we are at the forefront of embracing future prospects.”

As Endo is on the fast track of incorporating new opportunities and technologies, it remains committed to fulfilling client needs and living up to its motto, ‘to create whatever is necessary to cultivate the future’—making it an indispensable company in precision manufacturing.