Kobe Steel Develops New High Function Al Plate

Kobe Steel announced on Monday the firm developed new high-functional aluminium plate mainly for information and technology industries. The firm will start production of new plate in May 2008, which will reach final users through distributors in summer. Kobe Steel aims to set the selling price higher than 5052 aluminium alloy plate, one of ordinary plates, by 5-10% in rolling charge. The firm will substitute the new plate for existent ordinary plates.Japanese domestic market of aluminium plate is estimated at 3,000-4,000 tonnes per month, in which Kobe Steel has around 30% shares.Kobe Steel’s new plate targets adoption to manufacturing equipment for semiconductors, liquid crystal panels and solar cells, and robots, precise machineries. New plate realized secondly highest functions next to Kobe Steel’s ALHIGHCE-2, high-precision aluminium plate for high end applications. New plate’s flatness is 0.6 millimeters per meter compared with 1.2 mm/m of 5052 aluminium alloy plate. Residual stress halved compared with 5052 plate by its original technology of heat treating.New plate will be supplied in sizes with 1,000mm width by 2,000mm length, 1,250mm by 2,500mm, 1,525mm by 3,050mm, and by 4-30mm thickness.