Tsuneichi Ichimaru, Founder of Ichimaru-Giken

The design office used by the founder is still preserved as
the “Founder’s Room”.

ROCKY-ICHIMARU Co., Ltd.
Company Brochure

Company Profile
Company NameROCKY-ICHIMARU Co., Ltd.
[former Ichimaru-Giken Co., Ltd.]

President & CEO

Hironobu Ichimaru

Company Address

601, Oaza Tsunemochi, Chikugo City,
Fukuoka 833-0016, Japan
TEL +81-942-53-7510
FAX +81-942-52-8799

Establishment

November 1st, 1978

CapitalJPY 18,000,000.-

Main Business Activities

Designing and manufacturing of Industrial
machinery and equipment• Valves and piping packages for tire curing press, ROCKY
Valve & ROCKY Panel Unit
• Main equipment for tire curing press & tire building
machine• 70MPa oil hydraulic equipment

URL

www.rocky-ichimaru.co.jp/en/

Tire curing machine valve no.1
(photograph from December 1978)ver. 2020-001 en

Our Philosophy

Constant, steadfast progress. Earning trust through methodical and persistent manufacturing. These are the sources of ourstrength. We have adopted this approach because we know
there is value in things people don’t immediately notice, andwhere people don’t normally see. We seek to generate newvalue and create new innovations.

The value in the invisible.

Message

Pursuing visible
and invisible value
Hironobu Ichimaru
President & CEO

Supplying niche-leading products to the worldSince the time this company was founded up to the presentday, we have designed and manufactured a range of products such as tire curing machine valves, tire manufacturing
equipment and high-pressure oil hydraulic machinery. Oneof these, the “Rocky Valve”, a tire curing machine valve produced since our foundation, is the world market share leader
with 90% of the Japanese market and 30% of the international
market. It is renowned worldwide as the leading product in
its niche globally.
After taking control of the high-pressure oil hydraulics machinery department of our general distributor RIX Corporationin 1999, we began designing and manufacturing high-pressure oil hydraulic machinery operating at oil pressures of
70MPa. The products we manufacture are highly trusted bycustomers in Japan and overseas, as unique products with advanced design know-how and technical value.

New innovations come from understanding thedetailThe most important thing to us when developing a product isthe spirit of basic technology and development. We are dedicated not only to technical excellence and making products
which meet the needs of our customers, but also to design anddevelopment which understands their true purpose.
Realizing these aims requires a thorough understanding of
the practicalities on the ground. Rather than performing tasks
by simply relying on specifications, we endeavor to capture
the details by visiting the actual site of operations, asking forcustomer opinions, and seeing, hearing, smelling and sensing
the temperature in person.
We are dedicated to ensuring that we provide high customer value by using the above information to generate flexible ideas focused on our knowledge and experiences as amanufacturing organization and the functions required of themachine.

The organizational concept of “The value in the invisible.”
In 2018 we unveiled our new organizational concept of “Thevalue in the invisible.”.
The products and services we provide can be thought of as
visible value. We strive to create additional value on top of thisby focusing on details and activities which can’t be observed
from the outside. Examples might be light chamfering oredges on processed components for safety reasons, designs
which account for ease of maintenance, scorch-preventive
coatings on bolts, welcoming visitors, or company-wide consistency training. While these are just a few examples, the idea
of taking full account of the invisible from all perspectives ofour business activities is not just about quality improvement,
but a means of improving the image of our products and ourcompany, while supplying products and services which provide a visible outcome which exceeds the customer’s expectations. By equally regarding visible and invisible value anddemonstrating synergies, we strive to nurture a positive cycle
which responds to customer expectations with results.

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Aiming to be an “interesting organization” withproducts that live up to the Made in Japan ethos
In the future, we will continue to develop and supply products
and services with high added value to the tire manufacturersof the world as well as a range of other industries, thereby wewill increasingly be recognized across the world as an “organization of interest” generating added value, and contribute to
the development of society through manufacturing.
To achieve this, we consider it important to transform thesites of our key employee activities from being sites acrossJapan to sites across the world, to engage with other organizations, gather information resources and provide technicalservices, while practicing reliable manufacturing and sharingorganizational and product information.
As a Japanese manufacturing organization advancing into
the world, we will operate as an “organization of interest witha dream” which lives up to the Made in Japan ethos, by providing products which typify the Japanese attention to detail andshine with artisan spirit.

History
1978

Ichimaru-Giken Co., Ltd. was established in Kurume city, Fukuoka.

1979

Company moved to Chikugo city, Fukuoka.

1993

Completed and move to No.1 factory in Chikugo city.

1995

Completed No.2 factory.

1997

Expanded No.2 factory.

1999

No.3 factory completed.
Took on Oil-Hydraulic department of RIX Corporation, and began
manufacture of high- pressure oil hydraulic equipment.

2003

Completed No.4 factory.

2006

Completed No.5 factory.

2009

Founder, Tsuneichi Ichimaru retired from office and Kenji Matsuura
took office as President & CEO.

2012

Kenji Matsuura retired from office and Tsutomu Hirao took officeas President & CEO.

2016

Quality Control Section was established.

2017

Tsutomu Hirao retired from office, and Hironobu Ichimaru took
office as President & CEO.
Management philosophy was defined.

2018

Culture Book was created.
40th Anniversary Ceremony was held.
Completed No.6 factory.

2019

Acquisition of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 Certification.
Company name changed to “ROCKY-ICHIMARU Co., Ltd.”.

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The value in the invisible.

67

Products

ROCKY-ICHIMARU Panel Unit (RPU)

Valves for tire curing press: Rocky Valve

A compact manifold piping system using panel connector valves to our proprietary standard. Fully compatible with internal line,
external line, water hydraulic and air systems, this unit is designed and manufactured on a one-off basis to suit the customer’s system
and usage site. The RPU can also be designed and manufactured as a thermal enclosure to maintain the temperature of the RPU andsave energy.

This valve is used primarily in the internal line, external line and water hydraulic lineof tire curing presses, and has given many years of field proven performance in Japanand overseas. It is capable of sealing for long periods at the high temperature and highpressure fluids required for tire curing and enables easy maintenance, including parts
replacement. It is also capable of adapting to a range of specialized specifications tosuit the requirements and usage for customer needs.

RPU Examples

End connection: thread (Rc, NPT), flange (JIS, DIN, ANSI)
A thread and flange connection valve to meeta range of standards.
· 2/3-way piston valve (TPC series)· 4-way piston valve (FP series)· Steam regulating valve (SR series)· Control valve (DC series)· Knuckle joint (LJ series)· Y-type check valve (YL series)· Ejector (HE series)· Relief check valve (LCV series)

DC series

FP series

For internal line

For internal line(with thermal enclosure)

For BAG cylinders andwater hydraulic cylinders

For platen andcontainer jacket steam line

For water hydraulic driven SMO cylinders

For air driven SMO cylinders

TPC series

End connection: panel (for manifold)
A manifold panel connection valve to our
proprietary standard.
· 2/3-way piston valve (PPM/PMM/PPW series)· 4-way piston valve (PFW series)· Steam regulating valve (PSR series)· Control valve (PDC series)· Lift check valve (PVL series)· Relief check valve (PRW, PAW series)· Needle valve (PNV series)

Rubber Machinery equipment

PPW series

PSR series

PPM series (NC)End connection: otherSpecialized valve series built to customer
specification.
· 2-way piston valve (MP/MT series)· 2-way piston valve (RPC/OPC series)· 2/3-way piston valve (GP/GT series)· 2/3-way piston valve (PMS series)· Y-type check valve (PYL series)· Ejector (PHE series)· 2/3-way piston valve (PTPC series)

Devices for BOM and AFV press
BAG cylinder (dome-type, platen-type), Bag well, Vertical loader chuck, Loader system, Unloader, Hydraulic cylinder, Ramcylinder, Stripping ram, Chuck ejector, Platen, BOM containerheight adjustment mechanism, REC (Water hydraulic centermechanism with LVDT), Heat shield, etc.
MP series (NO)8

We design and manufacture a range of machinery used inequipment used in the tire manufacturing process.
We design and manufacture components and products used
in today’s equipment, including for many older devices operational for many years, we conduct interviews to discover current
issues and customer requirements, we make improvements anddesign and manufacture machinery with new added value, andwe undertake development of proprietary products and joint
development with customers.

MT series (NC)PMS series (NC)BAG cylinder(BOM dome-type)

REC (Water hydraulic centermechanism with LVDT)

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Products

Devices for tire building machines
We manufacture various drums used in tire building machines
using blueprints supplied by the customer, both as new and refurbished one-off units based on customer requirements.
· Shaping drums· Band drums· Belt drums· Other specialized drums

TB-BOM unloader

Vertical loader chuck

Loader system

Devices for oil hydraulic tire curing machines
Oil hydraulic driven center mechanism, Loader chuck and Loader system, Squeeze cylinder* Center mechanism, Loader, Unloader, PCI and Squeeze cylinder are also provided as OEM/ODM to major press manufacturers.

Proprietary development devices

Other devices
We also design and manufacture devices used in processes other than tire curing and tire shaping machines based on customer requirements.
Examples:· Mold preheating devices· Oil injectors· Mill rubber test press· G tire carry lifter· Auto joint valve

High-pressure oil hydraulic devices
We design and manufacture a range of applied devices for use in high-pressure
oil hydraulics including pumps, cylinders, valves and accessories compatible withhigh-pressure oil hydraulics at 70MPa. As well as the products listed in our catalog, weare able to offer combinations of devices to suit the customer’s usage case. We further
offer design and manufacture of units utilizing oil hydraulic pumps and cylinders and all
devices incorporating electrical control, including supplied as OEM/ODM.

Automation, labor saving and safety measures for tire curing machines, and some development devices for quality improvements.

Examples of applicable devices· Calking devices for oil hydraulic hose and piping (supplied
OEM/ODM)· Punchers (supplied OEM/ODM)· Notchers (for steelworks)· High-pressure hydraulic boosters· 800 ton and 1,000 ton presses· Golf ball curing machines· Engine-type oil hydraulic pumps· Bolt tensioners, etc.
Compact SP center mechanism
An oil hydraulic or water driven compact SP centermechanism. The oil hydraulic driven model can be
manufactured for OR tire use. The PC/TB sizes include a servo driven type.

Bladder clamp devices
The lower bladder clamp ring can be fixed to the
BAG head of the center mechanism using a specialized double cam mechanism through the action of a single air cylinder.

Mold clamp device
The upper container can be fixed to the top plate
instead of a bolt using a specialized double cammechanism through the action of a single air cylinder.

1,000 ton press for insulation
sheet manufacture

Engine drive high-pressure
oil hydraulic pump

Other

Gas Circulation Unit (GCU)
Circulating gas and steam within the bladderduring curing reduces the upper and lower
temperature difference within the bladder andreduces the variation in curing.

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Steam joint
When exchanging molds, the steam system for thecontainer jacket is attached and detached remotely rather than using a manual coupler.

Shaping Unit (SU)A core unit for G tire to be inserted in bladder in its
off line stage. Both beads of the G tire are caught
and shaped, allowing high precision insertion.

We also design and manufacture a range of devices not aimed
for other industry.
Examples:· High-pressure valves (highest usage pressure: 10MPa, 15MPa)· Angle sheet-type large 2-way valves (primarily for steelworks)· High-pressure gas accredited valves· Canada TSSA standard compatible valves (CRN certification
number)· Air cylinders for tundish use
High-pressure valve(DN15~50)

Angle sheet-type large 2way
valve (DN50~200)

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Passion

Developing something is essentiallyabout solving problems
Tetsuji Muraishi
Director, GM of Business Dept.

Concentration and attention to detail enhance thequality of work
The job of the Operations Division can be divided into administrative and purchasing tasks. Administrative tasks primarily involve things like sending quotes and updates on delivery dates
and progress to customers, and managing internal order data.
We also visit customers to provide technical support as a sales
agent and identify issues and collect information. Purchasingtasks include handling component procurement, managing
manufacture delivery dates and managing budgets. The job involves working both inside and outside the company.
The ability to communicate and the ability to manage are essential to our work. This is due to the importance of cooperation
inside and outside the company for administrative tasks and theneed to handle budgets and deadlines for purchasing tasks.
Depending on the day, we might process several hundredtransactions so it’s a question of not losing focus and being able
to concentrate on the details. In the end, concentration and attention to detail are key to providing a high quality service.

Knowledge built up over many years is a huge
strength
Since our founding in 1978 we have built up a vast range ofexperience. This experience and knowledge helps us to make
improvements, prompting high evaluations and trust from ourcustomers.
For example, we have a high level of design staff efficiency
which means we are able to produce high quality designs. Thisnot only allows us to deliver manufactured goods which meet
specifications, but also enables us to make suggestions for im-

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Creating products with the customer’s objectives in
mind

provements to devices and thereby benefit the customer’s business itself.
It also means that when we procure components, we areable to accurately judge the highest quality component available by going immediately to the right company. By accumulating knowledge and knowhow on components in our roles, weare able to respond with both quality and speed.

also provide support for installation at the time of delivery. It isessential in this task to build trusted relationships between thetechnical division and groups inside and outside the company.
We are dedicated to ensuring our designs clearly and openly
meet customer needs through close communication.

We consider the invisible to offer things only we canprovideCareful communication means accurately taking on the customer’s ideas and accurately conveying our own ideas. The main focus is on drawing out the real meaning of the customer’s words.
Neglecting this bidirectional process would make creating the
product which was truly wanted impossible, even with thehighest quality design.
We ascribe similar importance to viewing the site of use. We
visit the customer’s factory to capture the situation in which the
product will be used, as many problems can arise which cannot
be identified based on the specification alone. It’s essential totake in the situation on the ground and applying that knowledge to the design.

The manufacturing division gives form to products based on
designs from the technical division. How far can we raise quality while holding to the deadline? How can we best deliver a
product to meet the customer’s needs? These are the most important issues for work in the manufacturing division.
The goals the customer wants to achieve can be varied.
They cover diverse areas such as safety issues, raising productivity, achieving greater precision or resolving problems.
I think it’s becoming ever more important to adopt the approach of creating the product the customer really wants whileconsidering recent trends such as the increased awareness ofenergy saving measures.
From our founding up to the present day, we have always
produced our own products. This means we have experience
accumulated over many years and a record of continued delivery of reliable quality. I believe this background enables us tocontinue producing products which match the objectives andneeds of the customer, even as times change.

We want to enhance our “coordination power” - aproduct of technology and reading customer needs

Steady accomplishments create a win-win relationshipIn the future as our technology grows further I want to ensurethat we continue to create products of high quality and that welock in the idea of reading the potential needs of customers andthe wider market. These two strengths are indispensable in thismodern era of globalization. The idea of enhancing a combination of these strengths, what you might call “coordination power”, is a cornerstone of further improving our customer offer.
In the past several years it has become increasingly common
to consult with the customer from the product concept stage.
I think this is a positive development because discussions at
an early stage lead to a better understanding of the customer.
I look forward to using greater customer involvement and theexposure of invisible issues and true root issues to continue toprovide products fit for the customer and our times.

A wide range of processes take place between the receipt ofan order to delivery, and that means a large number things
to accomplish. Foremost amongst these are those for which
the customer will be grateful. Creating a good product is one
thing, but it’s also a pleasure when a customer is pleased witha suggestion, or when we are able to respond to a request
which ensures a difficult deadline is met.
These may seem like obvious and necessary steps. But
I firmly believe that consistently performing on such tasks isof vital importance. The steady accumulation of accomplishments generates a win-win relationship between our company
and the customer, enabling both parties to achieve their ultimate goals.

When solving problems presented by customers, we delve into
questions such as why something has happened and pursue
the cause to bring the issue into the light. Solving such problems is our forte.
The task of exposing issues is key to providing the value inthe invisible we talk about in our philosophy. Take, for example,
a customer having problems with an oil leak on a machine. A
normal approach would be to solve the problem by repairing
the site of the leak. Our approach, on the other hand, would
be to ask why the oil leak occurred in the first place, expose thecore problem, and offer a solution that addresses its root. By
carefully considering the invisible, we increase customer satisfaction. This is how we pursue value.

Creating the product which is truly
wantedMasayoshi Iwao
Director, GM of Engineering Dept.

Close communication and viewing the actual site ofuse are central

The pursuit of deadlines and quality generates trust

Building customer trust throughconsistent reliability
Kiminori Ichinose
GM of Manufacturing Dept.

We are involved in all stages of product manufacture
All of the products we make are used in the production facilitiesof our customers’factories and manufacturing plants. The technical division is involved at every stage of that product manufacturing process.
When we create a new product we start by asking about theneeds of the customer, and use those to draw up conceptualand detailed designs. We then convey our design intentions toother staff members for component manufacture and assembly.
Once assembly is complete we carry out checks, adjustments
and testing to ensure it is functioning as per the design. We

While we achieve constant growth by building trust in small
increments, but this trust can be lost in an instant if an issue
arises. For example, if by some circumstance the customer isdealt with insincerely and a product which does not at all meettheir needs is delivered, this would tear down trust which took
years to build up in an instant. That is why we are highly motivated in our daily work to ensure something like that could
never happen. The aspects of work in the manufacturing division which correlate most closely with trust are meeting deadlines and quality, and I am determined to keep those promises
to our customers.
We accomplish what we can at every opportunity andthereby build up trust. This is something which I believe isshared across the company as a whole, and through its repeated application we take our next big step forward.

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Factory Appearance

The ROCKY-ICHIMARU Culture Book andmascot character: embodying our vision