History of HARDLOCK Industry Co., Ltd.

March 2002 Appeared in the Higashi-Osaka special edition of TBS TV’s program Broadcaster.

May 2002 Began manufacturing a new product SLB (Space Lock Bearing nut) and began partial sales of this product to specified customers.

January 2003 The HARDLOCK Nut selected as a good design product in a first for a product in this field.

January 2003 Receive Special Encouragement Award at the 36th Annual Small and Medium-Scale Enterprise Research Center Awards sponsored by the Small and Medium-Scale Enterprise Research Center.

March 2003 Various HARDLOCK Nut fasteners used for Taiwan Rapid Transit.
among them, accepted orders for 4 million sets of rail fastener (ended August 2004)

November 2003 Obtained ISO 9001 certification.

September 2003 Lee-O Trading becomes Korean distributor (http://www.hardlocknut.co.kr/)

October 2003 Steelrod Pty Ltd. becomes Australian distributor(www.steelrod.com.au)

October 2003 Receive certification from Network Rail requiring HARDLOCK Nut to be used in one portion of British railways.

November 2003 Acquired ISO9001-2000 certification for HARDLOCK Nut, HARDLOCK Bearing nut, Space Lock nut from TUV Germany.

December 2003 Receive certification for using the HARDLOCK Nut for Queensland, Australia’s rail train railway signaling system (certification number: C0054)

November 2004 Participated in JETRO (LL Project). Negotiated with several companies in Montreal, Canada.

December 2004 President elected board member of Metal Industry Subcommittee by Higashiosaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

December 2004 President elected as member of the Small and Mid-size Companies Committee by Higashiosaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

May 2005 Receive thank you letter and gift from the Taiwan Shinkansen Consortium.

June 2005 President conducts lecture at Osaka University of Commerce.

July 2005 Announce research thesis on HARDLOCK Nut locking effect at ASME PVP 2005 held in Denver, Colorado.

November 2005 Introduce new Junker system loosening test machine developed through industry-university collaboration

November 2005 Space Lock Nut granted the Good Design Award.

March 2006 Release HL Spray, a high performance lubricant collaboratively developed with Fuchs in Germany.

April 2006 Monograph released at the SAE 2006 World Congress in Detroit, USA vaunting the HARDLOCK Nut as extremely effective for axial perpendicular loads.

July 2006 Monograph released at the ASME 2006 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference in Vancouver, Canada, finding the HARDLOCK Nut loosening effect to be superior in FEM analysis and other tests.

December 2006 BBC channel 1 introduces the effectiveness of HARDLOCK Nut loosening in a program on railway accidents, leading to increased use in the railway industry.

February 2007 The HARDLOCK Nut is certified as a number one product and unique product by the Higashi Osaka Brand Promotion Organization.

March 2007 Selected for the silver award for the Ninth Higashi Osaka Manufacturing Grand Prize.

April 2009 Selected as one of the 300 most active small and medium-sized companies in 2009, HARDLOCK received a letter of gratitude from Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshihiro Nikai.

April 2009 Listed as an enterprise changing conceptions despite worsening economic conditions in the 2009 “White Paper on Small and Medium Enterprises in Japan.”

July 2010 HARDLOCK attends the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK as a member of the JAIF (Japan Aerospace Industry Forum).

March 2011 Visited Boeing again to follow up on the “Aircraft Business Mission” sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

March 2011 HARDLOCK President Wakabayashi’s book “The Screw that Never Comes Loose: How a Small Company Became a Top Global Player” released by Chukei Publishing in bookstores throughout Japan, with additional copies printed, bringing sales to 16,000 copies. It is to be released in China, South Korea and Taiwan near the beginning of next year.

June 2011 The 200-page “Fasteners that Stay Fastened: 2011 Comprehensive Catalog” is completed at last.

September 2011Received JISQ 9100:2009 certification for Quality Management Systems in the aerospace and defense industries.

October 2011State Minister of National Strategy Motohisa Furukawa visits HARDLOCK as an SME.

October 2011 HARDLOCK President Wakabayashi invited, along with Homare Sawa and other players on the Nadeshiko Japan soccer team, by the emperor to attend the Autumn Garden Party at Akasaka Imperial Gardens.

November 2011HARDLOCK receives the Grand Prize of the 10th Japan Innovators Grand Prize, sponsored by Nikkei Business Publications.

November 2011Samsung Japan President Yun, who is also the Samsung Vice-president, visits HARDLOCK and exchanges opinions with HARDLOCK President Wakabayashi.

2011 President Wakabayashi contributes to Nihon no Ronten (Issues for Japan), a prestigious annual publication, with an article titled “Only One Kigyo no Tsukurikata wa” (How to Create a Truly Unique Company) with the theme of 2012.

January 2012President Wakabayashi featured in Nihon Keizai Shimbun’s evening publication, “Ningen Hakken” (Discovering People) for the week from Monday, January 30 to Friday, February 3.

June 2012President Wakabayashi delivers a special address at an alumni meeting for the 60th anniversary of his alma mater, the Osaka Institute of Technology.

July 2012A delegation of 25 people, led by Win Myint, Myanmar Minister of Commerce, on a tour of leading Japanese SMEs visits HARDLOCK. Former Japanese Minister Masauro Shiokawa also visits.

August 2012HARDLOCK President Wakabayashi is nominated by the Ministry of Finance to give a talk at the “Summer Employee Seminar.”

January 2013Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, tours the HARDLOCK plant and exchanges opinions with HARDLOCK President Wakabayashi.

April 2013HARDLOCK’s products exhibited in the Sekai Ichi (World’s Greatest) Factory Area of The Sekai Ichi Exhibition held at the Grand Front Osaka Knowledge Capital.

May 2013HARDLOCK exhibits a “bolt and nut production plant” as a time-limited activity at KidZania Koshien, an occupation theme park for children, offering children a hands-on experience in thread cutting.

June 2013The HARDLOCK NUT is registered with New Technology Information System (NETIS) for public works by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The registration number is KK-130006-A.

July 2014On the 40th anniversary event of the founding of the company, the “Product Center” was established.

October 2014 For the 50th Anniversary of the Tokaido Bullet train a letter of appreciation from the JR Tokai CEO was received.

April 2015 Receiving high praise for excellent inventions Higashi-Kuninomiya Memorial Award was awarded.

June 2015 COOL JAPAN AWARD2015 was awarded by the Cool Japan Committee.

November 2015 Higashi-Kuninomiya Culture Award was awarded by the Higashi-Kuninomiya Memorial Committee.

July 2016 The HARDLOCK Trademark was registered in China.

September 2016 Operation of the Fourth Factory started.

May 2017 Joint Development Project with the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute to deliver Vibration Proof Fasteners to the Medical Care Field was commenced.

September 2017 Hard Lock fasteners were approved by ‘Network Rail’ for usage in Railway fish plates and in result adopted all over Britain. (Certification number: PA05 / 02077)

December 2017 To enter the Aerospace and Medical Field, The development of Micro Size Hard Lock Nuts was initiated.

January 2018 The HARDLOCK Trademark was registered in Korea.

August 1990 Head Office and Head Office Factory moved to present location.

August 1994 Capital increased to ¥10 million.

May 1996 Tokyo Branch Office moved to present location.

April 1997 Head Office No.3 Factory began operation.

September 1997 Listed in Daikyoso Jidai o Hiraku (“Forging Ahead in the Era of Big Competition”), published by Nihon Kogyo Shimbun Co.

January 1998 Received the R&D Award at the 15th Annual Excellent Executive Awards sponsored by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Co.

December 1998 Receive Excellent Company Award from Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun

December 1998 Receive Presidents Award from The Higashiosaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry

May 1999 Receive Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Award from Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun

June 1999 Began manufacturing a new product SLN (Space Lock Nut) and began partial sales of this product to specified customers.

April 2000 Began manufacturing new products HLS (HARDLOCK Set screw) and HL-P (HARDLOCK Pin lock bolt) and began partial sales of these products to specified customers.

October 2000 HARDLOCK corporate homepage opened (Japanese language and English language versions).

October 2000 Head Office No.4 Factory began operation.

December 2000 Trading Department established.

March 2001 Obtained ISO 9002 certification from TÜV (for the SLN).

May 2001 Receive certification for HARDLOCK Nut to be used on British railway Railtrack traffic signal (certification number: PA05/867)

November 2001 Installed a booth at the WCRR (World Congress on Railway Research) held at the Cologne Messe, Germany.

November 2001 Appeared on NHK Osaka’s new office building completion ceremonial program Itsutsu no Sentaku (“Five Choices”).

December 2001 Welcomed Japan observation party from Eastern Europe on tour of the Company’s factories.

April 1974 Established as HARDLOCK Co. in Nagata, Joto-ku, Osaka and began manufacturing and sales of the HARDLOCK nuts.

March 1977 Company name changed to HARDLOCK Co., Ltd. (capitalized at ¥4 million).

June 1977 Higashi-Osaka Factory established.

March 1979 Began manufacturing and sales of the HLB (HARDLOCK Bearing) bearing-use loosening stopping nuts.

October 1982 Tokyo Branch Office established at Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo.

June 1983 Began cold forging beginning with small-diameter sized products.