{{Short description|Company}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Others}} {{Infobox company |name = Makino Milling Machine Co., Ltd. |native_name = 株式会社牧野フライス製作所 |logo = MAKINO-Logo.svg |logo_size = 260px |type = Public KK |traded_as = {{TYO|6135}} |ISIN = |industry = Machinery |founded = ({{Start date and age|1937|05}}) |hq_location_city = Tokyo |hq_location_country = Japan |area_served = Worldwide |key_people = Shotaro Miyazaki <br><small>(President and CEO)</small> |num_employees = 4,731 (3.2018) |products = {{unbulleted list|Horizontal Machining Centers (HMC)|Vertical Machining Centers (VMC)|5-axis machines|Graphite machines|EDM machines (wire and ram types)|Automated pallet systems|Grinding machines}} |revenue = {{increase}} JPY 181.5 billion (FY 2018) (US$ 1.65 billion) (FY 2018) |net_income = {{increase}} JPY 11.4 billion (FY 2014) (US$ 95 million) (FY 2014) |footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.makino.co.jp/en/company/index.html |title=Corporate Profile |publisher=Makino |accessdate=January 20, 2015 |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502085823/http://www.makino.co.jp/en/company/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://quotes.wsj.com/JP/6135/company-people |title=Company Profile |work=The Wall Street Journal |publisher=Dow Jones & Company |accessdate=January 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.makino.co.jp/en/ir/high/index.html |title=Financial Highlights |publisher=Makino |accessdate=January 20, 2015 |archive-date=June 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613044945/http://www.makino.co.jp/en/ir/high/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> |website = {{Official website|http://www.makino.co.jp/en/index.html}} }}
{{nihongo|'''Makino Milling Machine Co., Ltd.'''|株式会社牧野フライス製作所|Kabushiki-gaisha Makino Furaisu Seisakusho}}, commonly known as '''Makino''', is a machine tool builder with global sales and service, headquartered in Japan.
==History== Makino was established in 1937 by Tsunezo Makino in Japan, developing Japan's first numerically controlled (NC) milling machine in 1958 and Japan's first machining centre in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|author=HSR Business to Business, Inc. |url=http://www.makino.com/about/history/ |title=Makino - A Brief History |publisher=Makino.com |date= |accessdate=October 28, 2013}}</ref>
The North American branch of Makino was formed through the 1981 merger of the R. K. LeBlond Machine Tool Company of Cincinnati and the Makino Milling Machine Company of Japan. Resulting from the merger was the formation of what was then called "LeBlond Makino Machine Tool Company".<ref>{{cite web|author=Business Courier by Steven Wright, Courier Contributor |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/1998/03/09/focus3.html |title=R.K. LeBlond's legacy lives on - Business Courier |publisher=Bizjournals.com |date= |accessdate=June 26, 2012}}</ref>
In 1996, LeBlond Makino became Makino, and in 1997 LeBlond Lathe Ltd. was formed as a parts and servicing subsidiary.
==Innovations== In 1984, Makino introduced the first commercial high-speed spindle for milling.<ref name="Makino.com_About_History">{{Cite web |author=Makino Inc. |title=Makino: A brief history |url=http://www.makino.com/about/history/ |accessdate=August 4, 2015}}</ref> In 1990, Makino introduced Geometric Intelligence, the first servo-control software tailored to high-speed machining,<ref name="Makino.com_About_History"/> and Flush Fine machining, a method for cutting hardened materials.<ref name="Makino.com_About_History"/>
The company developed the first drop-tank wire EDM in 1994,<ref name="Makino.com_About_History"/> and HQSF (High-Quality Surface Finish) technology with patented uSc additive in 1996,<ref name="Makino.com_About_History"/> increasing the ability to finish parts without hand polishing when using a ram EDM. In 2003, Makino developed the first conventional horizontal wire EDM that automatically threads and machines with a 0.02mm diameter wire.<ref name="Makino.com_About_History"/>
In 2006, the company developed High Energy Applied Technology (HEAT) for wire EDMs to increase speed in wire EDMing,<ref name="Makino.com_About_History"/> and released the EDAC1 micro EDM ram machine. Makino is also the only manufacturer of a horizontal wire EDM, the UPJ-2. In 2007, Makino introduced SurfaceWIZARD wire EDM technology, designed to eliminate witness lines in stepped parts.<ref name="Makino.com_About_History"/> Makino created ADVANTiGE™ Technology for the machining of titanium in 2010, which was recognized as a winner of Aviation Week's 2012 Innovation Challenge.<ref>{{cite web|author=Aviation Week |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aviation-week-announces-winners-of-the-innovation-challenge-141809083.html |title=Aviation Week Announces Winners of the Innovation Challenge |publisher=PR Newswire |date=March 7, 2012 |accessdate=October 28, 2013}}</ref>
In 2018, Makino introduced ATHENA, Makino's voice-activated technology, which is designed for machine tool users. It is intended to make humans more effective at translating, assimilating and analyzing the onslaught of big data.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * ''US Industry Today'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930130343/http://www.usitoday.com/article_printview.asp?Articleid=997 Vol 4 No.3] * ''American Machinist'' [http://www.americanmachinist.com/304/Issue/Article/False/8078/Issue 1 August 2000] * ''Modern Machine Shop'' [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3101/is_n9_v63/ai_9858441/pg_1 February 1991] courtesy of bnet.com * ''Business Courier of Cincinnati'' [http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/1998/03/09/focus3.html?page=1 March 6, 1998] * ''Manufacturing Engineering'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20110717124917/http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/find-articles.pl?&ME06ART36&ME&20060611&&SME& June 2006 Vol. 136 No. 6] * ''Automotive Design & Production'' [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KJI/is_2_114/ai_83037307 February 2002] * ''Modern Machine Shop'' [http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/0698scan3.html June 1998] * ''ThomasNET'' [http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/493697 UPJ-2 release on September 14, 2006] * ''Modern Machine Shop'' [http://www.mmsonline.com/equipment/30673.html SurfaceWIZARD release]
==External links== {{Portal|Japan|Engineering|Companies}} * [http://www.makino.com Makino official website] {{in lang|en}} * {{Cite web|url=https://www.makino.com/athena|title=Voice-enabled Machine Interaction {{!}} Makino|website=www.makino.com|access-date=2019-06-04|archive-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604185035/https://www.makino.com/athena|url-status=dead}}
Category:Machine tool builders Category:Manufacturing companies based in Tokyo Category:Multinational companies headquartered in Japan Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1937 Category:Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Category:Japanese brands Category:Japanese companies established in 1937 Category:Technology companies established in 1937 Category:Technology companies of Japan