From One Lathe in 1968 to a Global Lathe Brand #
KINWA’s history is closely tied to the development of Taiwan’s machine tool industry. The company began as a small machining business and grew into a lathe manufacturer with decades of export and OEM experience.
Company Background #
CHIN HUNG MACHINERY CO.,LTD. was founded by Mr. C. F. Chang. In 1968 he started a machining business in Taichung City with a single lathe. In 1973 the company began manufacturing lathes under the name CHIN HO Machinery Factory. In 1980 it moved to Daya District, Taichung City, and was reorganized as CHIN HUNG MACHINERY CO.,LTD.
The company’s product focus has remained on lathes. Its manual lathe range includes high-speed precision lathes, heavy-duty precision lathes and large heavy-duty lathes. Its CNC range includes gang-type, slant-bed and flat-bed lathes. KINWA states that the goal is not to offer the machine with the most specifications, but to help customers select the lathe best suited to their actual machining conditions.
Milestones #
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Mr. C. F. Chang established a machining business in Taichung City with one lathe. |
| 1973 | The company began manufacturing lathes as CHIN HO Machinery Factory. |
| 1980 | Moved to Daya District, Taichung City, and was reorganized as CHIN HUNG MACHINERY CO.,LTD. Began cooperation with Kingston Machine Tool Mfg., Inc. under the KINGSTON brand for the U.S. market. |
| 1985 | Began OEM exports of high-speed precision lathes to Japan through G-NET under the HAMAMATSUKOKI brand. Machines were inspected by JMI (Japan Machinery & Metal Inspection Institute). |
| 1996 | Built a dedicated CNC lathe factory in response to production demand. |
| 1997 | The CNC factory officially began operations. |
| 2000 | Adopted KINWA, based on the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese brand name, as part of its international brand identity. |
| 2010 | Purchased land in the Taichung Precision Machinery Technological Park and began building a new modern factory at the end of the year. |
| 2019 | Announced TS mark certification as a high-speed lathe manufacturer. |
| 2022 | Passed TTQS (Talent Quality-management System) assessment. |
| 2023 | Introduced a new KINWA brand identity. |
International Cooperation #
KINWA’s export history includes two long-running international relationships:
- KINGSTON (United States) — Since 1980, high-speed precision lathes have been supplied for the U.S. market under the KINGSTON brand through Kingston Machine Tool Mfg., Inc.
- HAMAMATSUKOKI (Japan) — Since 1985, lathes have been exported to Japan through G-NET under the HAMAMATSUKOKI brand on an OEM basis. The machines were inspected by JMI at the time, which the company describes as an important foundation for its international market development.
These relationships gave KINWA experience with the safety requirements, specifications, operating practices and service expectations of different markets.
Brand Development #
The KINWA name was adopted in 2000 from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese brand name. In 2023 the company introduced a new brand identity that combines a blue block representing the rotating workpiece and a green tip representing the cutting tool, with a hidden “K” in the design.
The company’s brand statement is: KINWA Lathe — Best Choice for Lathes.