Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd. or NDK (日本電波工業株式会社, Nihon Dempa Kogyo Kabushiki-gaisha) is one of the world's largest quartz crystal companies, based in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
Using its synthetic quartz crystals, NDK produces crystal-related products such as crystal devices (e.g. crystal units, crystal oscillators, crystal filters) and ultrasonic transducers for medical use. In recent years, the company has begun to develop frequency synthesizers and low-power wireless modules.
History
1948 : NDK was established.
1950 : Started crystal unit production and sales.
1958 : Succeeded in test production of synthetic quartz crystal.
2009 : Pressure vessel in USA plant ruptured, killing 1 bystander.[4][5]
2010: Fined $510K by OSHA for safety violations.[6]
2015 : USA plant demolished, with no plans to rebuild.[7]
Products
Crystal Clock Oscillator NDK TD308C/TD1100CCrystal Units
Crystal Oscillators
SPXO
TCXO
VCXO
OCXO
Crystal Filters
Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Devices
Optical Components
Synthetic Quartz Crystals
Ultrasonic Transducers
Frequency Synthesizers
Research and product development
Nihon Dempa Kogyo has developed a prototype crystal-based disease detector which diagnoses disease from breath.[8] The system works by detecting trace amounts of odor-causing substances found in a person's breath.[9]
NDK's Belvidere, Illinois facility was heavily damaged in 2009 when one of the crystal autoclaves ruptured violently, causing an explosion. The explosion scattered debris over a wide area, with a 7-foot support beam striking and killing Ronald Greenfield of Chesterfield, Indiana, who was refueling at a nearby truck stop. Debris also damaged a nearby automotive supply company, injuring one worker.[10][11] The rupture was in a crystal-growth autoclave that had undergone stress corrosion cracking and was inadequately inspected; recommendations from a previous incident were ignored. As a result, the autoclave became overstressed and failed completely.[12] After an investigation, OSHA fined NDK $510,000 for a history of ignoring safety recommendations.[13] Demolition of the facility began in March 2015, with no plans to rebuild.[14]
References
^"Profile". Nihon Dempa Kogyo. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
^ABC 7 (November 14, 2013). "Final report issued on fatal Belvidere explosion; Feds say plant ignored safety warning before 2009 explosion". ABC News. Retrieved July 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Wheeler, Jennifer (November 14, 2013). "Overlooked inspections caused Belvidere's NDK explosion". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
^"Crystal Manufacturer Fined $510,000 for Fatal Explosion". Occupational Health and Safety Administration. June 1, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
^Stanley, Ben (March 11, 2015). "Vacant 10-story NDK tower in Belvidere, site of 2009 explosion, is coming down". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
^Masahide Kimura (June 14, 2015). "New disease-sniffing sensors promise quick, simple diagnosis". Nikkei Asian Review. Nikkei Inc. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
^Stanley, Ben (March 11, 2015). "Vacant 10-story NDK tower in Belvidere, site of 2009 explosion, is coming down". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
^Rolf K. Eckhoff (June 14, 2016). Explosion Hazards in the Process Industries. Elsevier Science. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-12-803274-9.