NGK Insulators Ltd.

History

YearDetail
1919 NGK INSULATORS, LTD. was established as a spin-off from Nippon Toki’s Insulator Division to build the power transmission infrastructure that became increasingly necessary as electricity use spread throughout Japan.
1936 NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. was a spin-off from NGK Insulators, Ltd.'s Spark Plug Division. The company is now known as Niterra Co., Ltd., which manufactures the automotive industry's spark plugs, vehicle electronics, and ceramics.
1943 The company started producing short-wave insulators, a significant move that likely aligned with the increasing demand for reliable electrical components during the World War era.
1953 The company started producing solid-core post insulators, which are used in high-voltage power transmission and distribution systems to electrically insulate components like circuit breakers, transformers, and busbars.
1958 The company began manufacturing and selling beryllium-copper master alloys, commonly used in applications requiring high-performance materials. 
1962 NGK INSULATORS LTD established liaison offices in Hamburg, Germany, and New York, U.S.
1968 The company developed HICERAM, a transparent alumina ceramic known for its high strength, transparency, and excellent resistance to heat.
1973 The company established Locke Insulators Inc., a subsidiary based in the U.S., to expand its presence in the global market, particularly in high-voltage insulators.
1984 The company established NGK Electronics to expand its operations into the electronics sector. The subsidiary focused on developing and manufacturing advanced electronic components, including materials for semiconductors and electronic devices.
1988 NGK INSULATORS LTD established NGK Ceramics USA Inc. to expand its operations in the North American market and focus on producing advanced ceramic components.
1996 NGK Fine Molds Ltd was established through the merger of NGK Molds and NGK Bealon Ltd. The consolidation allowed the company to enhance its capabilities in producing precision molds and fine ceramic products.
2000 NGK Ceramics South Africa (Pty) Ltd was established as part of the company's strategy to expand its presence in the global market.
2006 The company established NGK INSULATORS SUZHOU CO., LTD. (now known as NGK SUZHOU, China).
2008 The company established its water environmental business as a subsidiary by establishing METAWATER Co., Ltd.
2015 The company established NGK TECHNOLOGIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED as a local subsidiary in India to expand its automotive-related and metals business fields.
2016 The company expanded its production facilities at NGK Ceramics Suzhou Co Ltd to meet China's growing demand for HONEYCERAM catalyst carriers for automotive exhaust gas purifiers.
2017 Schneider Electric, an expert in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, partnered with the company to market NGK's NAS battery and Schneider Electric's inverter jointly.
2019 NORITAKE CO LTD, TOTO LTD, NGK INSULATORS LTD., and NGK SPARK PLUG CO LTD. partnered to establish a joint venture for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) to generate a high-efficiency power generation system even at small scale. 
2019 BASF New Business GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the German chemical group BASF, entered into a sales partnership agreement with NGK for the company's NAS battery. Through this agreement, BASF got exclusive rights to sell NGK’s NAS battery via BASF’s global channels.
2019 The company expanded its partnership with BASF New Business GmbH for sodium sulfur batteries for stationary applications.
2021 The company collaborated with Renesas Electronics Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, to promote the widespread adoption of maintenance-free IoT devices.
2023 The company and Ricoh Company, Ltd. established a joint venture, NR-Power Lab Co., Ltd., for research and development to commercialize a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) business and digital electricity services.
2023 The company collaborated with Energous Corporation, a leading developer of RF-based charging for wireless power networks for IoT, and e-peas, a maker of highly efficient power source IC technology, to spread the use of Wireless Power Transmission/Transfer (WPT) systems.
2024 NGK and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries collaborated to develop a system that purifies hydrogen from a hydrogen-nitrogen gas mixture using membrane separation after ammonia cracking.
2024 NGK, Nagoya University, and Aixtal Corp jointly developed an AI-based high-precision analysis method for ceramic products and established a technology that can significantly shorten the time it takes to analyze product characteristics.