Special Feature 2

Autonomous baggage
handling systemused in airports

Leveraging the Strengths ofDiverse Businesses to Adapt toChanges and Seek Sustainable Growth

Fuel cell lift truck

LA-type internalcombustion
lift truck

Changes in customer needs and advances in technology have been
Materials Handling Equipment
proceeding at an increasing pace. There has also been lingering
Utilizing automobile-related basic
uncertainty about political and economic prospects. Amid thistechnologies in developing andmanufacturing lift trucks
environment, Toyota Industries believes that engaging in multiple
businesses with different strengths, as opposed to focusing solely onEngineVehicle
a specific business, will allow us to adapt to changes and achieve
Applying foundry and other technologies forsustainable growth through complementary collaboration among
textile machinery to the automobile-related
1953–
businesses
Diversification of Businesses
these businesses.
This Special Feature presents some of our initiatives to promotesustainable growth by leveraging the strengths of our diverse
businesses.

Branching out into the automobile-related
businesses in pursuing businessdiversification during the recession in theearly 1950s in Japan, thereby capturingneeds arising from the growing domestic
automobile industry

Automatic truck
loading andunloading robot

Simple AGV(automatic guidedvehicle)

Unit-type automatedstorage andretrieval system

Aerial work
platform
FB15 electric
lift truck

Engine forhybrid vehicles

Developing electronic components for lift trucks led tolaunching development and production of electroniccomponents for materials handling equipment andautomobile-related products

Publica pickup truck

RAV4

DC-DC converter
GD diesel engine

Fixed-displacement
type compressor

Compressor

S-type gasoline
engineElectriccompressorElectronics

Static induction transistor

Variable-displacement
type compressor

Entering the car air-conditioning compressor
business by combining technologies accumulated
in the automobile-related businesses with theoutcome of research on room air conditioners
JAT810 air-jet loom

Textile Machinery

1926–The Beginning

RX300 ring spinning frame

Establishing Toyota Industries to manufactureand sell the Type G automatic loom invented
and completed by founder Sakichi Toyoda

History of Business Expansion to Date
After conducting a great deal of research, founder Sakichi
Toyoda invented the Type G automatic loom with anaspiration to “contribute to society through monozukuri(manufacturing).” Toyota Industries, founded to manufactureand sell the loom, had concentrated on expanding thisoriginal business but started seeking business diversification
during the recession in the early 1950s.
At that time, the growing automobile industry in Japanwas generating new needs. To capture these needs, wefirst branched out into the engine and vehicle assemblybusinesses by utilizing foundry and other technologies
accumulated in the textile machinery field. Then westarted developing and manufacturing car air-conditioning
compressors. As labor shortages prompted a rise in the needfor streamlining cargo handling, we directed our attention
to lift trucks that have a number of components similar toautomobiles such as an engine and launched developmentin this field. Moreover, capitalizing on our technology andknow-how accumulated in the development and in-houseproduction of electronic components for lift trucks, weentered the electronics business, offering electronics products
also for automobiles.
In this way, we have constantly taken on the challenge ofcreating new value based on our own strengths and achieved
continued growth, always upholding the philosophy of“contributing to society” since our founding.

22Toyota Industries Report 2020

JA air-jet loom
RI high-draft ring spinning frame

Efforts to Deepen Collaboration among
Businesses to Generate Ideas
Previously, business divisions of Toyota Industries had madedevelopment efforts individually, and in some cases, had notbeen able to fully leverage the necessary technical informationor know-how and knowledge accumulated in other divisions.
In recent years, the R&D Headquarters, an organization
responsible for promoting research and development, hasbeen assuming the role of ensuring horizontal alignment andpromoting collaboration among the business divisions.
As these business divisions face similar technical issues
and possess many common elemental technologies, we havebeen devising effective ways to generate synergies among
them by collecting, disseminating and sharing information andproviding opportunities for technical exchange.
We believe that these day-to-day efforts have helped
us upgrade and increase the efficiency of our development
activities.
For information gathering, we provide various formsof support. Examples include issuing Toyota Industries
Technical Review, a magazine on technical information related
to product development and monozukuri; disseminating
information on changes in the R&D environment, including
economic conditions in each country and the trends in thematerials handling equipment and automobile industries;
and presenting examples of companies having technologicalexcellence. As opportunities for technical exchange, we

Quality measurement
instrument for fiber,yarn and fabrichold Company-wide technology exhibitions of products
and production engineering examples of each businessdivision and meetings of the Council of Heads of Engineering
Departments as a place for heads of the engineering
departments of each business division to exchange
information. Through these opportunities, we back up efforts
to share and utilize technologies within Toyota Industries.

WebWebLink toTechnical Review(in Japanese).
Company-wide technology exhibition(December 2019)

Toyota Industries
Technical Review

Example Outcome of Interdivisional Collaboration

1

Development of Hydrogen Circulation Pump and Inverter for Fuel Cell Vehicles

Compressor

Electronics

Background of Development

Kazuho Sato
Project leader
FC Project
Compressor Division(As of March 31, 2020)

Toyota Industries’ hydrogen circulation pump and control inverter are fitted in a fuel cellvehicle (FCV) of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), which only emits water when driven andgreatly contributes to a reduction of CO2 emissions. As an FCV runs on electricity generated
through a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, it significantly differs in structurefrom an internal-combustion vehicle. With a pool of compression technology accumulated
in the Car Air-Conditioning Compressor Business and motor, inverter and other elemental
technologies, however, we had faith in our ability to create a hydrogen circulation pump andinverter, two of the key components of an FCV critical to its driving performance. Applying
these technologies, we launched development of the two components and succeeded inmass production.

23

Company Introduction

Strategies and Businesses Promotion of ESG Initiatives

Corporate Information

Special Feature 2

Utilization of Existing Technologies

Fruits of Collaborative Development

InverterDeveloped by the Electronics Division

Hydrogen circulation pump
Developed by the Compressor
Division
Efficiently circulates unreactedhydrogen and water generated in theelectricity generation process.
Successfully developed a new,low-cost hydrogen circulation
pump that is highly efficient, morecompact and lighter weight byapplying compression, motor andproduction engineering technologies
accumulated in the car airconditioning compressor field.

Performs drive control of the pump witha minimum amount of electricity.

Diesel hybrid system forconstruction machinery

Developed a highly efficient inverter fora hydrogen circulation pump at a low
cost by applying inverter engineering
technologies accumulated in the electric
car air-conditioning compressor field.

Offers a 40% better fuelefficiency while maintaining
high power performance.

Diesel engine Developed by the Engine Division
Satisfied exhaust gas regulations without using aurea Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)*1 system
for the first time in the world*2 and achieved lower
running costs by eliminating the need for refillingurea while maintaining durability.

Control software
Developed by the Compressor Division
Quickly developed a high-quality control
software program by applying software
programs for electric car air-conditioningcompressors.
Equipped in the ZH200-6 hybrid excavator ofHitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.

Motor

Completing a Hydrogen Circulation Pumpby Overcoming Major DevelopmentRelated Challenges through Close
Interdivisional Collaboration
We received various requests from TMC as it underwentthe process of trial and error for the development of an FCV.
One of them, in particular, related to the need to ensuresmooth start-up and operation of the vehicle in sub-zerotemperatures. In response, the circulation pump and inverter
development teams worked together and improved thepump’s startability and controllability. They also had repeateddiscussions from various perspectives for the alignment ofwork on the activation of an inverter at high temperatures.

The previous collaboration between the Compressor
Division and Electronics Division in developing an electriccompressor enabled us to quickly overcome the challenges
in the new field. These divisions smoothly forged ahead
with the development of respective products while mutually
taking into account the impact of their own product on theother’s product. This led todevelopment activities that
focus on overall optimization,transcending individualproducts. Other benefits
included less time spent on
discussion with the customer
and increased efficiency inproject flow.

We successfully developed products that generate new added value by bringing together andharmonizing elemental technologies cultivated in each business division.
Toward car electrification, the development of diverse products will become increasingly
important in the future. We intend to leverage our advanced collaborative structure to provide
new products through swift development efforts at a high level.

Example Outcome of Interdivisional Collaboration
Development of a Diesel Hybrid System for2
Construction Machinery

Materials Handling
Equipment

R&D Headquarters

EngineElectronics

Background of Development

Kenichi Katae
General Manager
Engineering Dept. No. 2
R&D Headquarters(As of March 31, 2020)24

Toyota Industries Report 2020

Since going into effect in 1991, the exhaust gas regulations for construction machinery havebecome progressively more stringent, and energy-saving needs have been also growing
considerably. Against this backdrop, a leading construction machinery manufacturer has
been promoting the development of environment-friendly hybrid excavators. We became
the manufacturer’s first choice as its partner because we had already had experience indeveloping hybrid systems, with Toyota Material Handling Japan initiating sales of a hybrid lift
truck in 2010. The idea was to apply technologies we have cultivated in the electric lift truck
field and in the Electronics Business to a hybrid system for construction machinery. Multiple
business divisions of Toyota Industries accordingly started collaborating and developing key
components, including an engine and a motor.

Developed by the Engineering Dept.
No. 2, R&D Headquarters

PCU (controlling motor’s rotational speed)

Offers high output and high efficiencies
through an engine with a built-in motor,
which can be fitted into the conventional
engine space.

Is based on a compact and highly efficient PCU for hybrid vehicles
and offers improved cooling performance and vibration resistancematched to construction machinery.

Developed by the Electronics Division*1: Means to convert NOx*2: Survey by Toyota Industries Corporation

Realizing a Hybrid System for Construction
Machinery by Integrating Highly Functional
Components
The most crucial challenge was how to realize an optimum
system for construction machinery used in a considerably
harsher environment than automobiles. To overcome thischallenge, the Engineering Department No. 2 of the R&D
Headquarters conceived the optimum design of the overallsystem, and each business division embarked on thedevelopment of an optimum component using the design asa starting point.
Specifically, we had to install components of the hybridsystem, including an engine, motor and power control unit
(PCU), into the conventional engine space. To accommodate
more components, we needed to reduce the overall size,
and at the same time, had to ensure the level of performancerequired for construction machinery. Taking on a challenge we
had never faced before, the relevant business divisions joined
forces and used their ingenuity to find a solution, which led toquickly developing a high-quality system.
Furthermore, we believe that already having a lift truck
as a finished product in our lineup enabled us to take aholistic view in developing a hybrid system for construction
machinery that is mechanistically similar to lift trucks. The
result was a system that has realized a 40% higher fuelefficiency than conventional internal-combustion excavators,
while maintaining the equivalent level of power performance.
Added value

System businessHigh

HV/PHV
Unit business

EVFCV

EngineInverterBattery

Compressor

Systemintegration

Motor
Low
Small

Domain for work alignment

Large

HV/PHV : Motor, inverter, battery and engine
EV : Motor, inverter and battery
FCV : Motor, inverter, battery, oxygen-supplying air compressor and		 hydrogen circulation pumpToyota Industries has a number of core technologies required in electrified products, suchas hybrid vehicles (HV), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHV), electric vehicles (EV) and FCVs, which
are expected to become more diversified in the future. Going ahead, we intend to respond toelectrification both in the materials handling equipment and automobile fields and swiftly deliver
the required products to the world by combining components from these two fields and offering
them as an integrated system.

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