Hien Electric Industries Restructures Product Composition

Osaka based ship and marine cable maker, Hien Electric Industries aims to grow new products and businesses other than electric wires and cables, such as pre-stressing tendons (stranded steel wires for pre-stressed concrete). The demand for pre-stressing tendons is expected to increase steadily in constructions of superhighways, roads and bridges. Hien tries to reduce dependence on the ship and marine cable business for stronger and more stable management base.

Hien developed its original pre-stressing tendon, “SUPRO STRAND,” which is 7 or 19 stranded steel wires totally coated by thermollastic polyethylene series resin. SUPRO STRAND represents very high anti-corrosive characteristics since the resin coating protects steel wires from water and air. Hien adopted its sheathing technology for electric wires and cables to the development.

The firm manufactures SUPRO STRAND in a dedicated productive line at Osadano plant, Kyoto, Japan with an output capacity at 160 tonnes per month. The product is used as internal and external tendons or supporting cables for pre-stressed concrete bridges, and cables for earth-retaining constructions at superhighways.

Hien also expects the growth of another new business, functional film products, derived from its laminating, coating and printing technologies for electric cable tapes. The firm supplies such products as water shielding films for electric power cables and thermally resistant films for industrial applications.

Hien is an only Japanese maker specialized in ship and marine cables, 70% of whose revenue stands on electric wires and cables. The firm tries to restructure its product composition by growing pre-stressing tendons and functional films, when shipbuilding market is impacted by global recession.