Sumitomo Metal Mining to Expand Rolled Copper Foil Sales

Sumitomo Metal Mining Brass & Copper, a copper rolled products maker in Sumitomo Metal Mining Group, plans to expand its sales of rolled copper foil by 50% to 2,500 tonne per year in fiscal 2007 started April compared with fiscal 2006. The firm aims the adoption of rolled copper foil into automobiles as well as the main application for flexible printed circuits (FPCs) in cellular phones. The firm developed a new foil with flexibility 4 times as high as the existent products in order to compete with electrolytic copper foil.Sumitomo Metal Mining Brass & Copper has presented more than 10 samples of rolled copper foil to auto related markets. In recent years vehicles are equipped with more electric parts including FPCs and capacitors. Capacitors follow electric power supply in vehicles with main batteries.The firm developed a new foil with higher flexibility which contains no material other than copper and is manufactured under severer controls for rolling and annealing processes. The firm started the shipment for partial users last autumn.The firm introduced a rolling machine and a degreasing line in 2005 with capital expenditure of 1.2 billion yen, those which can manufacture copper foil with 6 micrometers thickness and 700 millimeters width steadily. The firm’s total output capacity of rolled copper foil is above 200 tonnes per month. The firm plans to meet the demand with existent facilities for the near future.Sumitomo Metal Mining Brass & Copper supplies rolled copper foil mainly for FPCs in cell phones which accounts for 80% of the total shipment.