NGK Insulators Adjusts Beryllium Cu Output by Longer Plant Halt

NGK Insulators will take a longer year-end and New Year holidays at the beryllium copper alloy plants for 2008-2009. The firm plans 17-day operation halt from late December to early January, longer than 10 days for 2007-2008, to adjust the beryllium copper output along the declining demand.

Chita plant in Aichi, Japan, to produce beryllium copper alloy, and NGK Mettex in Saitama, Japan, NGK Insulators’ 100% subsidiary to manufacture beryllium copper alloy by heat treatment and other processes, will halt the operations from 27 December to 12 January. Both plants will restart the production on 13 January. The sales unit will start the ordinal operation on 5 January.

These plants take about 1-week year-end and New Year holidays in usual years. Chita plant took 10-day year-end and New Year holidays for 2007-2008.

Beryllium copper alloy contains beryllium at several percents which represents high strength and spring characteristic. The alloy is used as a conductive spring material inside automobiles, cellular phones, personal computers and telecommunication appliances. The demand is weakening when automakers and semiconductor makers started output reductions with economy downturn.