NGK
NGK is a world leading manufacturer of spark plugs with factories and trade branches all around the globe.
NGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd Parent Company
1936
NGK, organized on the basis of Japanese ceramic industry experience, began development of high-quality spark plugs for automotive industry.
1949
Development of "new ceramics" under NTK trade mark.
Lambda probes are a part of this product group and are supplied to auto makers all over the world.
History of international success – NGK Spark Plug organized 8 trading centers, 11 factories and 14 trade branches on all continents.
NGK Spark Plug Europe GmbH
1975
The first European branch was opened in England.
1979
NGK begins its successful way in Germany.
1990
Start-up of European technical center in Ratingen near Dusseldorf. The test system that occupies an area of 2200 ì² is specially meant for technical support of European auto makers in the sphere of tests for engines and chassis, low temperature imitation and special exhaust researches. Total cost: over ˆ10 million.
1991
Opening of European production enterprise near Orlean, France. Initial investment: over ˆ10 million.
European turnover in 2002 financial year - ˆ330 million.
2003 financial year
- Turnover of ˆ1486 million
- Income before tax deduction is ˆ76 million
- 5441 employees
- 7,0 % of the firm’s turnover is spent on researches and developments
Success as a supplier of component parts in Europe
Technical competence, long experience and innovative solutions of problems by engine development made NGK a tried partner of European auto makers.
The firm is a leading supplier for the following auto makers:
Germany: AMG Mercedes, Alpina, Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, MCC (SMART), Volkswagen
Great Britain: Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Lotus, Rolls-Royce, Rover
Italy: Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lancia, Macerati
France: Peugeot.
Others: Daewoo, Ford, General Motors, Kia, Saab, Skoda, Volvo and such Formula 1 teams, as: Ferrari, BAR-Honda, Sauber-Petronas and Mercedes Motoren.
Development of a new generation of NGK spark plugs with an additional spark gap is a prominent result of cooperation with Audi and Volkswagen. Spark failure is practically excluded in this plugs. In March 1996 NGK was granted the prize “Customer Award” for 1995 from Volkswagen for its achievements, and in October 1998 - "Corporate Supplier Award/ Front Edge" for 1997.
For the highest technical quality and the best technical support NGK, as previously in 1996 and 1999, was awarded with "Fiat Prize for Quality of Automobiles 2001". Besides, NGK gained "Super Supplier Award 1999" as an acknowledgement of its merits in the sphere of production innovations and cost decrease, which was awarded only to 25 from 600 of Fiat suppliers that it possesses now.
Besides, NGK developed a new ceramic glow plug for diesel engines that is already used in series by different manufacturers.
Probes
NGK, under its own NTK trade mark, is also a world leading manufacturer of lambda probes. Such famous auto makers, as Aston Martin, BMW, Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Lancia, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Rover, Volkswagen and Volvo, use NTK lambda probes as basic equipment.
Researches and Developments
Leading positions on the world market and international successes in auto racing are both obligation and challenge for NGK.
Therefore tremendous efforts are applied to further improve tested technologies and with the help of its own novelties to make spark plugs at large more effective, reliable and environment-friendly.
NGK basis for research and development is a technical center that was put into operation in Ratingen in 1990 and since then is being constantly improved and thanks to application of the most advanced technologies renders competent assistance to European auto makers.
NGK technical center possesses, for example, the following:
test system that occupies an area of 2200 ì², in which approximately ˆ15 million were invested in total. Three modern stands for engine continuous operation check and applied tests. An environmental chamber, in which cooling to -30° is possible for engine and chassis analysis by cold start. Big systems, meant for complex researches of exhaust as well as for check of lambda probes on commercial life and operating time.
Altogether NGK technical center in Ratingen is made optimally in terms of all requirements of automotive industry. For special usage by fitting out of confidential pilot samples NGK possesses even a “mobile assistance team” that can be put at disposal with complete equipment to the corresponding workshop.
Along with capacity improvement and life time increase of spark plugs and lambda probes, in the foreground of NGK research and development is environmental protection.
For example, over the last years approximately ˆ1 million was invested in testing equipment for sensors with the aim of exhaust toxicity detection, in order to fulfill more and more tough requirements of environmental laws in cooperation with auto makers.
Success provides NGK with great rights. Nowadays the world largest manufacturer of spark plugs refers to favored suppliers of component products for automotive industry. Such famous manufacturers, as Aston Martin, BMW, Fiat, Ford, Renault, Rover, Land Rover and Volvo as well as majority of Japanese auto makers use NGK perspective engineering developments for their engines. NGK provides for them the highest power standard, tested reliability and quality at the most advanced level.
But the successes, achieved till now, in no case are the reason for NGK to “rest on the laurels”. On the contrary, NGK continuously works on further improvements and new spark technologies, especially for new gasoline engines with direct injection, which are notable in particular for the fact that these aggregates must do with an extremely depleted fuel mixture, while by layer-by-layer operation mixture around a spark plug is very enriched. A new challenge, which NGK met and – for certain – will soon reply to it.
