Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Business Report FY2010

Business Highlights

Financial Overview

(in millions of JPY)
  FY2010 FY2009 Rate of
change (%)
Main factor
Overall
Sales 617,954 530,819 16.4 1)
Operating income 77,485 26,730 189.9 -
Net income 53,492 24,757 116.1 -
Car Electronics Products
Sales 79,710 66,514 19.8 2)

Factors
1)
-Sales in this sector were 617,954 million yen, increasing 16.4% year-on-year supported by the expansion seen in the Company’s mainline product markets such as cellular phones, computers, and related devices; and the significant growth experienced in the car electronics market. This was in spite of little movement in sales of products used in the equipment market.
2)
-The growing trend of using electronics and electronic devices supported the car electronics segment also, which experienced huge increases because of the increasing market penetration of hybrid cars.
-There was in increase in all uses of piezoelectric devices, including ceramic vibrators such as those designed for car electronics that constitute a major segment of the Company’s business. In the field of piezoelectric sensors, tremendous growth was seen in sensors designed for collision detection sensors in TPMSs and in ultrasonic sensors used in back sonars.

Contracts

-The Company has been awarded a contract to supply ceramic condensers for use in electric vehicles for the first time. As early as by the end of this year, the company will start supplying these ceramic condensers to Japanese automakers that are mass producing electric vehicles. These products will be used in auxiliary components such as electric compressors. Although ceramic condensers are made one twentieth to thirtieth smaller in size compared with conventional electrolytic condensers, they offer the same functions as electrolytic products. The downsizing contributes to reducing the size and weight of the whole compressor unit. Another advantage of ceramic condensers is their ability to control current more accurately. Practical application of the technology has been delayed because of its relatively high cost, but the ceramic condenser has been finally chosen for its significant contribution to product performance. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on October. 14, 2010)

Earnings forecast for the fiscal year 2011 (ending March 2012)

  Forecast for the 2010 fiscal year ending March 2012 Results for the 2009 fiscal year ending March 2011
Rate of change Rate of change
Sales estimates by product
Overall 5% 16.4% up
Capacitors Approximately 8% up
23.8% up
Piezoelectric products Approximately 4% down
5.1% up
Other components Approximately 10% up
19.1% up
Communication modules Approximately 5% down
12.4% up
Power module and other products Approximately 2%  down
13.2% up
Sales estimates by use
Car Electronics Market Approximately 2% up
19.8% up

R&D

R&D Expense

(in millions of JPY)
  FY2010 FY2009 FY2008
Overall  39,778 41,649 46,832
Component Department  19,856
20,059 22,680
Module Department  8,507
8,682 9,350
Other departments  21
68 91
Headquarters  11,394
12,840 14,711

 

Products Development

Common Mode Choke Coil
-The Company has commercialized a common mode choke coil, which reduces noise generated in electric power supply lines in automobiles. The new choke coil, which can support electric devices having an electric current of up to 10 amperes, is suitable for use as a noise control device for electric and hybrid vehicle parts such as electric pumps, power steering systems, and electric brakes. Making it a surface-mounted device, which offers a significant space-saving feature, resulted in a 50 percent reduction in the total surface area, while increasing the rated current from 3 amps to 10 amps. The company is going to propose this common mode choke coil for application in motors of automotive components such as water pumps, fuel pumps, oil pumps, air conditioning systems, power window systems and windshield wipers. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on October. 26, 2010)

DC-DC converters in automotive ECUs
-The Company has created a series of chip monolithic ceramic capacitors which feature metal pins and which are designed to be used in automotive electronic devices, such as DC-DC converters in automotive ECUs. The elastic action of the metal pins helps to reduce the amount of stress generated by thermal and mechanical impact. By stacking a pair of capacitors one on top of the other, less space is required for mounting, and a high level of capacitance is achieved. (From a press release on May 16, 2011)

Investment Activities

Capital Expenditure

(in millions of JPY)
  FY2010 FY2009 FY2008
Overall 56,752
22,868 65,427


-The Company invested 43,995 million yen mainly to increase, upgrade, and rationalize its and its subsidiaries’ production facilities and equipment; 2,263 million yen to upgrade and increase R&D facilities; and 3,861 million yen to acquire land and buildings.

Capital Investment Plans

Facility
(Location)
Targets of investments Planned
amount of investment
(million yen)
From To
Fukui Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
(Echizen, Fukui Pref., Japan)
Facilities for manufacturing components 12,000 April 2011 March 2012
Izumo Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
(Hikawa, Shimane Pref., Japan)
Facilities for manufacturing components 11,000 April 2011 March 2012
Wuxi Murata Electronics Co., Ltd.
(Wuxi, Jiangsu, China)
Facilities for manufacturing components 10,000 April 2011 March 2012
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Yasu Plant
(Yasu, Shiga Pref., Japan)
Facilities for manufacturing components 6,500 April 2011 March 2012
Kanazawa Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
(Hakusan, Ishikawa Pref., Japan)
Facilities for manufacturing components 5,000 April 2011 March 2012