Company History

1939 The Special Electrical Equipment Research Laboratory was established in Osaka.

1943: Development of Japan's first circular laminated core used in sliding voltage regulators.
1945: War damage forced a move to the current location (Yamashina-ku, Kyoto), where operations continued.
1948: Development of voltage regulators with coupled coils that used circular laminated cores; this laid the groundwork for becoming a manufacturer specializing in sliding voltage regulators.
1951: Corporate name was changed to Special Electrical Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
1952: Sliding voltage regulators were issued official authorization numbers.
1955: Development of cores with ductile coils as well as the No-Cut Winder. These developments helped revolutionize and expand the columnar transformer industry.

1960: Development and commercialization of U-shaped core transformers and saturable reactors using split ductile wound cores.
1961: Corporate name changed to Special Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd.
1964: Development and commercialization of the world's first induction heated roll for synthetic fiber heat stretching machines. Development and commercialization of single- and three-phase butt reactors, transformers, saturable reactors and other induction heating devices.
1969: Development and commercialization of Induction Heated Jacket Rolls.
1970: Developed a triple-frequency power source for blast furnaces (1,500 kW Tripler) and licensed induction heating roll technology to Dienes Co., Ltd. in the former West Germany.

1980: Corporate name was changed to Tokuden Co., Ltd.
Development and commercialization of a Jacket Roll capable of using three-phase power sources.
1984: Commmercialized four-meter wide rolls for nonwoven embossing calenders. This represented a serious push into the nonwoven fabrics market. Also developed and commercialized was the high-temperature (400℃) Jacket Rolls.
1985: Establishment of wholly-owned subsidiary Tokuden, Inc. in the United States.
Development and commercialization of heat-reaction pots and Univestors by combining induction heating and Jacket Chamber technologies.
1988: Establishment of the Makino Plant.
Received order for 160 high-temperature rolls (400°C) for carbon fiber production from a company in the United States.
Development and commercialization of high-temperature (600℃) Induction Heated Rolls for steelmaking.

1993: Expanded the Makino Plant and developed an integrated production system for large rolls.
Delivered 3.5-meter high-speed, soft calender rolls to major paper manufacturers. Validated the effects of high-temperature calendering on paper.
1994: Development and commercialization of involute cores.
1995: Completed a large induction heated spin beam.
1996: Expanded facilities and strengthened the production system at the Makino Plant.
1998: Makino Plant awarded ISO9001 certification.
Pilot Calender Machine completed.
1999: Received the 1999 Science and Technology Director Award for the development and commercialization of involute cores.

2000: Delivered 7.6-meter wide rolls for paper processing to a Swedish paper manufacturer.
2004: Development of the Fluid Circulation Jacket Roll which was awarded the 2003 Energy Conservation Grand Prize.
2005: Expanded the Makino Plant to include a third building.
A state-of-the-art Technical Center was commissioned at the Makino Plant.
2006: Development and commercialization of the High-Precision Induction Heated Jacket Roll.
Development of High-Temperature (700℃) Induction Heated Rolls.
2007: The Kyoto Plant, Makino Plant and Tokyo Business Office were awarded ISO14001 certification.
2009: Completion of sample evaluation and commercialization of high-pressure multi-layer transformer incorporating a multi-layer involute core.
Development and commercialization of Hybrid Rolls (Induction Heated Jacket Rolls with cooling function).

2010: Commercialization of Midfrequency Induction Heated Apparatus.
2011: Development of UPSS Superheated Steam Generator.
2013: Received the 2013 Oscar Certificate from the Advanced Scientific Technology & Management Research Institute of Kyoto.
2014: Received the 2014 Certificate from the Kyoto Genki-jirushi Medium-small Business Certificate Program.
2015: The superheated steam generator (UPSS) was selected in the “Kansai Monozukuri New Selection 2015” under the New Market Creation category, organized by the Kinki Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry.
2016: Received the "Kyoto SME Technology Award" sponsored by Kyoto Sangyo 21.
Developed and commercialized an Air-Cooled Hybrid Roll.
2019: Received certification from Kyoto Prefecture as a company that practices health promotion.
Certified as an Excellent Health and Productivity Management Corporation 2019 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
2021: High temperature (800℃) Induction Heated Jacket Rolls were developed and commercialized.
2025: Expansion of the South Plant on the Makino Plant site and establishment of a new Technical Center.