The History of TS TECH

Established Tokyo Seat Co., Ltd.

Took over the motorcycle seat business from predecessor Teito Fuhaku Kogyo Corporation

Began producing automobile seats

From Producing Work Uniforms to Manufacturing Seats for Motorcycles and Automobiles

TS TECH’s predecessor, Teito Fuhaku Kogyo Corporation, manufactured work uniforms for Honda, who recognized the quality of our sewing technology and asked us to begin manufacturing motorcycle seats. Honda’s Super Cub scooter became a runaway hit and our production system expanded. We then began to manufacture lightweight seats for racing motorcycles, developing technologies early on to make seats lighter.

We later made seats for the Honda T360 pickup truck, which marked the start of TS TECH’s full-edged manufacture of seats for automobiles. From then on, the scale of our operations grew steadily.

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• Honda T360 seat
• Seat for the original Honda Super Cub

Expanded operations to North America

Early Establishment of a Manufacturing Base in North America

TS TECH first expanded its business outside of Japan in 1977, setting up a production subsidiary in Nebraska, U.S.A. to manufacture motorcycle seats locally for Kawasaki.

We later began production for Honda. A series of orders for automobile seats and leisure vehicle seats came in from American automakers, and the scale of local production was expanded. Today, the Group has production centers in Japan, the Americas, Europe, China, and other parts of Asia.

Assuring Quality

The seats for the original Honda Civic could be considered the starting point for TS TECH’s manufacture of automobile seats. There were frequent issues such as tearing of seams in the outer upholstery and deformation of seat frames when sat on by people with very large physiques, as they were designed with Japanese people only in mind at the time. The system we established at that time to facilitate the immediate sharing of quality issues among departments and quick improvements is still in place today. We have turned this rough start into a legacy of a strong commitment to the perfection of quality.

Seat for the original Honda Civic
Launched 1972

Expanded operations to Asia

Expanded operations to South America

Changed company name to TS TECH Co., Ltd.

Expanded operations to Europe

Seat Arrangements Created Using Structural Design Technology

The 1990s saw a minivan boom. The interior was seen as a space to enjoy spending one’s time, generating demand for more comfortable seats. We then began a multi-pronged pursuit of comfort. One result of this pursuit was seat arrangement technology. We employed structural design technologies and a wealth of expertise to develop arrangements with various kinds of usability. TS TECH’s designs have earned a solid reputation among European automakers, who have long been leaders in the industry.

• 1996 Honda Step WGN swivel seats in face-to-face mode

The Relentless Quest for Weight Reduction: The Honda (Acura) NSX Aluminum Seat Frame

Honda’s top-of-the-line sports car, the (Acura) NSX, debuted in 1990. Making the car lighter was essential to achieving its phenomenal performance. We worked to develop a seat frame that only used aluminum instead of steel, the conventional material used for seats. We experimented with processing methods, rustproofing technologies, and more. Our wealth of technical expertise resulted in seats that greatly reduced the weight of the vehicle. The same technology was utilized for the newest NSX seats to develop a frame that blends aluminum with cutting-edge materials.

• Honda (Acura) NSX seat

Pursuing Comfort

TS TECH continues to pursue comfortable seats that prevent fatigue by translating subjective judgments of comfort and fatigue, which vary by person, into quantifiable figures and conducting repeated research based on ergonomics. This approach is reflected in our unique theory of a comfortable posture.

Honda Odyssey Seat
Launched 2013

The seat bottom tilts upward as the backrest is lowered to close in on the perfect posture for maximum comfort.

Honda Civic Seat
Launched 1995

The first use of a mechanism to adjust seat height. This seat made it possible for smaller drivers to adjust to a more comfortable driving position.

Expanded operations to China

Stock listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange

Aiming for Incomparable Quality and Achieving World-Class Quality

In order to compete alongside the world’s mega-suppliers, in the early 2000s, TS TECH first set its goal of achieving world-class quality. Under the slogan at the time, “Incomparable Quality,” we set out to not only improve production efficiency and quality through the installation of facilities such as jig lines but also to change people’s way of thinking about manufacturing. More recently, TS TECH has been a highly ranked supplier by vehicle size class in a seat quality and satisfaction survey conducted by an American research firm.

Safety Evaluation Technology Obtained through High-Performance Dynamic Sled Testing

In 2004, TS TECH introduced a new cutting-edge dynamic sled testing facility to reliably reproduce car crash impacts. The facility was the first of its kind in Japan. Over 1,000 tests are conducted annually, and the safety assessment technologies have led to TS TECH’s seats receiving top-class safety assessments from vehicle safety assessment organizations around the world.

Establishing a Strong Profit Structure

As business has expanded, we have been severely impacted by changes in the external environment, including a global financial crisis and natural disasters in different countries.

TS TECH has streamlined development and manufacturing through production line automation and other technologies. This has enabled our company to withstand external changes, laying the foundation for the current highly profitable structure of the TS TECH Group.

Automated welding equipment

TS TECH’s 50^th anniversary

More Electrical Devices for More Comfortable, Safer Seats

Seats used to be simple, consisting mainly of a frame and cushion with leather covering. They have since evolved, and today many electrical devices are built into seats to add greater safety, comfort, and appeal. TS TECH has a department dedicated to the research and development of electrical devices. The department is a self-contained entity, handling everything from proposals of new features to control settings and system verification.

• Electrical devices
  (Shown in blue)

Creating New Value for Seating by Fusing the IoT with Sensing Technology

Sensing technology, which uses sensors attached to seating to obtain a range of biometric data, has evolved significantly in recent years. TS TECH is working on the development of seat systems that are not bound by conventional thinking, including a system that automatically adjusts the seat position and firmness according to the passenger’s physique to provide comfortable seating, and a system that senses passenger movements to enable anyone to enjoy sports while seated.

Creating New Value

As the automotive industry enters a period of major transformation, the functions and value demanded of automobiles are also undergoing great change. Against this backdrop, TS TECH will not simply focus on developing seats and doors as single components but also aim to become an interior system supplier that can coordinate an entire automobile cabin space. We will work to create new value by leveraging corporate partnerships and joint development projects.

Next-generation touch switch jointly developed with Canatu Oy, which has technology for touch sensor films

TS TECH’s 60^th anniversary