Furukawa-Sky Aluminum to Finish Productive Reshuffle in F2007

Furukawa-Sky Aluminum Corporation will complete reorganization of its domestic productive system for aluminium sheet products within fiscal 2007 ending March 2008. The firm will concentrate domestic production of aluminium can materials into Fukui plant in Fukui Prefecture and pre-sensitized aluminium sheet into Fukaya plant in Saitama Prefecture, while the firm already completed productive integration of aluminium plate and foil in fiscal 2006.Through these reorganizations, the firm introduces new melting and casting equipment at Fukui plant. Furukawa-Sky Aluminum expects its exporting capacity of aluminium rolled products could almost double after the new equipment starts commercial operation.Furukawa-Sky Aluminum plans to review and reorganize its product line-up among domestic 3 plants at Fukui, Fukaya and Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture within the 3-year management plan by fiscal 2009. The firm seeks higher productivity and profitability through the reorganization, integrating mass-lot and large-size products into Fukui plant, high-value and small-lot products into Nikko plant and middle-lot products into Fukaya plant.Related to these organizations, the firm introduces a new melting furnace, a holding furnace and a casting facility in Fukui plant with investment of approximately 4 billion yen. The firm has covered the shortage of aluminium slab by procurement from overseas despite of higher costs. After the new facilities start operation, aluminium slab output capacity will increase at Fukui plant. Furukawa-Sky Aluminum will become to increase its exporting capacity of aluminium rolled products to 4,000 tonnes per month from less than 2,000 tonnes at present.