- Customer Case Example 2026/02/09 UP
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YUKI Precision Co., Ltd.
Precision Engineering For Optimal Sound
In Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, a company has quietly reshaped the world of audio. Yuki Precision Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yuki Precision”) developed its first analog record player, the “AP‑0,” in 2020. Its successor, the “AP‑01,” has since continued to attract attention from music lovers well beyond Japan. How did a company known for aerospace, medical, and semiconductor components succeed in the world of music? To find out, we spoke with Mr. Jun Nagamatsu, President of Yuki Precision, about the journey from aerospace to audio.
Analog Record Player “AP-01”
From Aerospace to Audio: Venturing into the Unknown
Yuki Precision built its reputation on ultra‑precision machining for industries where failure is not an option, including aerospace, medical, and automation. After expanding into aerospace applications in 2008, the company further refined its ability to meet the highest customer requirements through custom parts manufactured with micron‑level precision. Yet, as Mr. Nagamatsu recalls, something felt incomplete.
“We were highly trusted by our customers, and for good reason,” he says. “But I started to feel that simply responding to requests was not enough. If we wanted our technology to truly reach a new level of expertise, we needed to design our own product.” That idea would eventually take shape as the AP‑0 record player.
Jun Nagamatsu, President
YUKI Precision Co., Ltd.
Secret Innovation: The Journey Begins
Mr. Nagamatsu joined Yuki Precision in 2014 as head of R&D, at the invitation of the company’s third‑generation CEO, Masato Otsubo. For the first two years, his team focused solely on customer‑driven development. Over time, however, Mr. Nagamatsu’s spirit for independent innovation, shaped by his previous experience, began to resurface.
“At my previous company, we had to continuously set ourselves apart from other semiconductor suppliers through new in‑house developments. This mindset showed me how important original products is for long‑term innovation.”
However, developing a new product without prior market research, time, or budget seemed unrealistic. Instead, Mr. Nagamatsu and three like‑minded engineers began working quietly after regular working hours, keeping both costs and expectations to a minimum.
Their first development idea was semiconductor testing equipment, but progress soon stalled.
“I realized the problem wasn’t the idea itself, it was me,” Mr. Nagamatsu admits. “I simply wasn’t passionate about it. The project didn’t resonate with me.” Then clarity struck. Yuki Precision excels at machining round parts and making them rotate with ultra‑high precision. “The vision was clear: a record player.” For Mr. Nagamatsu, who grew up listening to vinyl records and later fell in love with classical music while working at a concert hall, the choice felt natural. For his younger engineering colleagues, it did not.
“They had never even listened to a vinyl record and couldn’t believe that grooves carved into plastic discs could produce music,” he laughs. Mr. Nagamatsu invited his colleagues to a private listening session using his personal collection. As the music filled the room, their skepticism began to fade. He told them that he envisioned a record player that captures every micron carved into a record. At that moment, the project finally found its heartbeat.
The AP‑0 record player is a showcase of Yuki Precision’s accumulated know‑how. At its core is the platter, the rotating stage that supports the record. To eliminate wobble and vibration, the rotating shaft is supported by the repulsive force of counter‑oriented magnets placed above and below. This allows the platter to rotate freely and steadily, much like a perfectly balanced floating disc.
The tonearm, which reads sound information from microscopic grooves on the vinyl record, features a hysteresis brake. This high‑precision component is typically used for slow, controlled movement. In the AP‑01, it suppresses vibrations and prevents resonance generated by the stylus itself, contributing to smoother and more stable playback.
Platter designed for stable rotation
Tonearm developed in-house
DMG MORI Mill-Turn Technology for Optimal Sound
The sound quality of the AP‑01 is shaped not only by its design but also by components refined down to their essence. One such element is Yuki Precision’s stainless‑steel center stabilizer, an in‑house‑developed accessory. Although records appear flat, slight warping or variations in thickness are common. These imperfections cause subtle vertical vibrations during rotation, which can disturb the stylus. Positioned at the center of the spinning record, the stabilizer applies even pressure, improving rotational stability and enhancing the accuracy with which sound information is retrieved.
Weighing approximately 480 grams, the stabilizer features a gently curved underside to avoid contact with the record label, achieving a careful balance between function and delicacy.
To manufacture the stabilizer, Yuki Precision relies on DMG MORI’s NTX 1000 mill‑turn center, a machine normally used for aerospace components. Its simultaneous 5‑axis machining capability enables the machining of complex curved shapes with exceptional surface quality. The stabilizer’s inner spindle hole and outer diameter are machined in a single clamping, ensuring perfect concentricity.
The material, SUS304 stainless steel, is commonly used in medical and aerospace applications. Fine machining marks are intentionally left visible on the unpolished surface, expressing both character and confidence in the precision you can see and feel.
Stabilizer with a unique surface finish
Process integration: Compact Mill-Turn Center
For 6-Sided Machining
NTX 1000 3rd Generation
- Workpieces up to ø 430 × 800 mm, 210 mm（±105 mm）Y-axis
- 6-sided complete machining by left spindle and right spindle＊
- Ultra-compact turn-mill spindle compactMASTER with up to 20,000 rpm＊
- 4-axis machining by 2nd tool carrier (lower turret)
- Chain magazine for up to 76 tools＊
- Wide range of automation solutions
also retrofittable
* Option
Analog Sound Meets Digital Precision
Originally offered as an optional accessory for AP‑01 users, the center stabilizer quickly gained praise for its elegant and intelligent design. Its popularity among music lovers led to its release as a standalone product and in 2026, it received the Audio Accessory Excellence Award.
Yuki Precision continues to refine the design and components of the AP‑01. It is undoubtedly a premium product, yet among music lovers searching for what they call “true sound,” its quality has cultivated a dedicated fan base. “For me, records are more than physical data storage,” Mr. Nagamatsu reflects. “They embody human emotion.”
More than 150 years after the invention of vinyl records, Yuki Precision and DMG MORI together bridge analog sound and digital precision machining, transforming the record player as we know it into an experience that transcends time and space.
Note: Organization names and titles are current as of publication timing.
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