Corporate Profile & Access - Challenge Co., Ltd.

Management Principle

Together with our employees, customers, and partner companies:: 1
We aim to be a corporate citizen trusted by society, based on fair corporate activities; 2
We will contribute to realizing an affluent society by responding to customer needs and trust and providing reliable products and services; 3
We will respect mutual individuality and promote originality as we create a vibrant corporate culture that brims with a challenging spirit

Corporate Profile

Trade name

Challenge Co., Ltd.

Location

■Head Office Plant
679-1 Negishi, Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture 350-1325
Phone: +81-4-2900-2111 / Fax: +81-4-2954-0303
■Plant #2
583-1 Negishi, Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture 350-1325

Establishment

December 1970

Shareholder

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

Paid-in capital

10,000,000 yen

President

Hisashi Tatsumi

No. of employees

80 (as of April 2023)

Area of plant sites

■Head Office Plant: 6,326m²　■Plant #2: 3,386m²

Total floor area of plants

■Head Office Plant: 4,652m²　■Plant #2: 3,263m²

Scope of business

Development, design, manufacture and sales of components and parts made of carbon fiber composite materials (carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials) for automobiles in general, railway cars, aerospace applications and industrial applications
Modeling using CAD, CAM and NC machining
Creation of clay and hard models
Creation of various molds and resin molds
Molding of products by autoclave molding, vacuum bag molding, hand layup molding, sheet molding compound (SMC) press molding, high-cycle prepreg press molding (PCM process)

*About Prepreg Compression Molding (PCM) A molding process in which a prepreg preform containing thermosetting epoxy resin (curing time 2 – 5 min.) is heated and pressed under high pressure (press pressure: 30 – 100kg/cm2) in a mold

Distinction

Integrated order-receiving system, from the planning and design analysis of carbon fiber composites (carbon fiber reinforced plastic; CFRP) to their manufacturing, inspection and shipping
Pioneer in the autoclave molding of automotive parts
World’s first plant to engage in production using the PCM process

Bank of account

MUFG Bank

Certifications and accreditations

Acquired ISO9001 certification for quality management, ISO14001 certification for environmental management
Received the MSJ4000 aerospace quality management system certification of approval from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

ISO9001
ISO14001
MSJ4000

Organization

Environmental Policy

1.Basic policy

Challenge Co., Ltd. designs and manufactures carbon parts for automobiles, racing cars, railway cars, aircraft, medical facilities and air mobility vehicles by such processes as autoclave molding, press molding, and hand layup molding using carbon fiber composite materials. With the awareness that we have an important corporate mission to maintain, improve and hand down the global environment to the next generation, we give careful consideration to the environmental aspects of all our activities as we exercise the technological expertise we have independently cultivated to date as a leader in the industry, embrace new technologies in a positive manner, and aim to increase customer and stakeholder satisfaction.

2.Action policy

(1)

With respect to the quality and environmental aspects of our business, we will comply with all applicable laws and regulations, customer requirements, regional agreements, and environmental operation standards we have voluntarily established for ourselves. Furthermore, we shall place top priority on product safety and quality as our code of behavior.

(2)

We will establish and conduct a review of environmental and quality objectives and targets with regard to the following.

1. Achievement of quality requirements (Q)
2. Achievement of cost requirements (C)
3. Compliance with delivery requirements (D)

(3)

We will exercise proper management of the following.

1. Vehicle operation
2. Chemical substances
3. Noise and vibration
4. Power consumption
5. Water resources
6. Waste matter
7. 5S activities
8. Environmental and quality education

(4)

This policy shall be disseminated to all employees and also conveyed to all partner companies and suppliers to seek their cooperation.

(5)

We shall fulfill and maintain the above principles and disclose this policy to the general public upon request.

(6)

We will regularly review our integrated management system and aerospace quality management system, including this policy, and strive to continuously enhance the effectiveness of the system and to prevent pollution.

March 1, 2023
Hisashi Tatsumi, President
Challenge Co., Ltd.

History

1970: Challenge is founded by Takayoshi Nakamura in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo as a manufacturer of FRP lightweight parts for car racing.
1982: Challenge Co., Ltd. is established.
The company is relocated to Toda City, Saitama where it commences the design and manufacture of racing cars and concept cars.
1991: Mazda 787B, manufactured with the participation of Challenge, wins the Le Mans 24-hour race.
1992: Nissan CP91, manufactured with the participation of Challenge, wins the Daytona 24-hour race.
The development of materials is begun with Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.
1999: Challenge’s CFRP components are adopted by R34 Skyline GT-R, and mass production is begun.
2006: The Head Office Plant is constructed and relocated to Sayama City, Saitama.
ISO9001 and 14001 certifications are acquired.
2007: Challenge’s CFRP parts are adopted by R35GT-R, and mass production is begun.
2008: Challenge is selected among “300 of Japan’s Vibrant Monozukuri (Manufacturing) SMEs” in recognition of the CFRP processing technology that has been employed in a wide range of sectors.
2010: Challenge receives the “Saitama Challenge Corporate Managers’ Award—Saitama Governor’s Award.
2012: 100% of Challenge’s outstanding shares are transferred to Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. in an M&A deal that was signed in November, making Challenge a consolidated subsidiary of Mitsubishi Rayon.
2013: The ultra-lightweight carbon trunk manufactured by the PCM process is adopted by the R35GT-R 2014 model.
Challenge is certified by Saitama Prefecture as “a company that embraces diverse work styles.”
2017: Challenge’s CFRP components are adopted by R35GT-R nismo, and mass production is begun.
The three chemical companies of Mitsubishi Chemical, Mitsubishi Resin, and Mitsubishi Rayon enter into a business merger and launch Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation.
2018: Plant #2 is constructed in Sayama City, Saitama.
2019: The ultra-lightweight carbon roof manufactured by the PCM process is adopted by the R35GT-R nismo 2020 model.
Challenge is promoted to a Tier 1 supplier of Nissan Motor Corporation.
2020: The ultra-lightweight carbon roof receives the “2020 Nissan Global Supplier Award— Global Innovation Award” from Nissan Motor Corporation.

Access

Head Office Plant: Address: 679-1 Negishi, Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture 350-1325, Japan
Phone: +81-4-2900-2111
Fax: +81-4-2954-0303; * Visitors should go to the Head Office Plant, as there is no reception window at Plant #2.

By car: Exit the Ken-o Expressway at the Sayama Hidaka IC and turn left toward the direction of Chichibu and Hanno, then proceed 200m to the right corner of the first traffic signal intersection
By train: 18 min. by taxi from the west gate of Sayama-shi station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line
15 min. by taxi from Iruma-shi station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line