Heritage & Innovations
Did you know? DENSO Invented the QR code?
But not only! Below you can browse DENSO's achievement throughout the years!
DENSO Corporation’s World Firsts
Browse through our Worlds first achievements
1949
DENSO's birth
Nippon Electrical Equipments Co., Ltd, later changed its name to NIPPONDENSO CO., LTD., split from Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., and was established as a separate entity.
1953
Cooperation with Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany
This agreement allowed us to expand our technical expertise using knowledge from outside the company, to achieve world-class engineering.
1954
Regional Service Plants
Today, a global service network is in place to improve services for our end users in different regions around the world.
1954
Technical Training Center
The principles of "Monozukuri is Hitozukuri (our performance relies on our people)" and "engineering and technique, hand in hand" are still being practiced today.
1955
Injection Pump Preparation Section
Established the Injection Pump Preparation Section.
We began to expand our business beyond the company’s original field of development and production of electrical components. Today, we operate in various product areas such as powertrains, thermal systems, electronics and driving control & safety systems. Being able to deliver entire systems instead of single products gives us a competitive edge.
1956
DENSO Creed
Created the mission statement on which DENSO is founded. It was established in order to maintain and further develop the spirit of our founding.
1961
Received the Deming Prize
This is one of the most prestigious awards for quality control. The efforts made by all of our employees to win the prize laid the foundations for our culture based on the concept of "Quality First."
1965
First production plants
Opening of Ikeda Plant (in Aichi Prefecture) and Hiroshima Plant. This was our first production base established separately from our headquarters. Currently, we manufacture our products all over the world.
1966
Opening of US offices
Established a sales office in Chicago and branch offices in Los Angeles, USA. The first sales office outside of Japan was established in anticipation of global trends such as trade liberalization.
1968
Established the IC Research Center
In-house R&D of integrated circuits (IC) was launched at an early stage, in anticipation of electronic control for automotive components. Today, electronic components are some of the main products that we sell.
1971
Established NIPPONDENSO OF LOS ANGELES, INC.
Our first overseas sales company. Operations outside of Japan helped us enhance our engineering capabilities and increase the commercial value of our products.
1972
Established NIPPONDENSO (AUSTRALIA) PTY. LTD., and NIPPONDENSO THAILAND CO., LTD.
Our first manufacturing companies located outside of Japan. We decided to manufacture products near to our customers, in order to better meet their needs.
1974
World’s first - Spark Plug
Invented the first spark plug with a platinum electrode of 1.1 mm
1975
World’s first - Spark Plug
World’s first spark plug with U-groove electrode
1977
First WorldSkills Competition gold medal
Since our founding we have continually invested resources into skills training, and it has produced great results. DENSO has earned more than 60 WorldSkills medals since 1977, and the recipients of these medals work together with engineers to develop technologies, and bring our products from prototype to production.
1979
First Okochi Memorial Production Prize (Production Engineering Section)
This is a prestigious award in Japan. Production lines and equipment are manufactured in-house to attain the precision and quality we require from our products.
1984
Opened Nukata Testing Center
We opened a test course at a comparatively early stage for a parts manufacturer. We have evaluation facilities equivalent to those of automakers, to help us ensure product performance and quality that exceeds our customers’ expectations
1991
Opened DENSO Research Laboratories
We carry out R&D on new technologies that may emerge in the next five to 20 years. Our research covers a range of topics, from semiconductor materials to microalgae that produce oil.
1991
World’s first - Glow Plug
Invented the first glow plug with a ceramic heating element
1994
Invented the QR code
The same year as we developed the DENSO Philosophy, the QR code technology was born.
QR codes make high-speed reading possible, which is particularly helpful as production sites increasingly shift toward producing a wider range of products.
1996
New name: DENSO CORPORATION.
The company name was changed from NIPPONDENSO to DENSO. Removing "Nippon," the Japanese word for Japan, reflects our aims of being a truly global company.
1996
World’s first - Mass Air Flow Meter
Invented the first plug-in type mass air flow meter inserted into the air-intake wall, reducing size and weight and making them easier to mount
1997
World’s first - Spark Plug
Invented the first spark plug with an iridium electrode of 0.4 mm
1998
World’s first - Catalytic Converter
Invented a catalytic converter with thin-wall ceramic honeycomb structure
2000
World’s first - Alternator
Invented the first segment conductor (SC) alternator, adopting dual windings and rectifiers and a rectangular conductor for its stator coil
2001
World’s first - Starter
Invented the first planetary-reduction segment conductor (PS) starter
2002
World’s first - CoGen Spark Plugs
Invented the Iridium Saver spark plug for gas engines used in cogeneration systems
2004
The DENSO Spirit
Our values and principles are known as the DENSO Spirit. It is a set of guiding principles for all employees around the world.
2007
World first - Hybrid Vehicles Components
Introduction of a high-output power control unit (PCU) and battery cooling system for hybrid vehicles, leapfrogging the competition in terms of size and weight
2008
World first - Air Conditioning System
Invented the smallest air conditioning system for a compact-size vehicle
2009
World’s first - Starter
Invented a permanently engaged Stop-Start starter
2010
World’s first - Spark Plug
Invented the Twin-Tip Spark Plug
2010
World first - Wiper Blade
Introduction of hybrid and flat wiper blades in the replacement market
2011
World’s first - Spark Plug
Invented the Double Needle Iridium Tough spark plug. A 0.4mm iridium centre electrode and a 0.7mm needle type platinum alloy ground electrode, deliver exceptional Super Ignition Plus (SIP) performance.
2012
World first - Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) System
Invented the HVAC System capable of heating or cooling the driver’s area only, separately controlling the climate in three different cabin zones and helping improve overall fuel economy when the A/C is on
2013
World first - Diesel common rail fuel injection system
Invented the world’s highest injection pressure of 2,500 bar, helping increase fuel efficiency by up to 3% whilst also reducing particulate matter by up to 50% and nitrogen oxides by up to 8%
2014
World’s first - Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve
Invented an EGR valve unit to integrate an air intake throttle valve and an EGR valve, helping make diesel engine emissions cleaner at half the size of conventional models.
2016
World first - Lambda Sensor
Invented the first NOx-A/F integrated sensor
2016
ECO VISION 2025
This action plan aims to tackle issues such as the environment and energy usage.
2017
DENSO Group Long-term Policy 2030.
Created the DENSO Group Long-term Policy 2030. The slogan of this plan is “Bringing hope for the future for our planet, society and all people.”
