Sumitomo Metal Mining to Expand New Advanced Materials

Sumitomo Metal Mining tries to create new core items for advanced materials under new 3-year plan to fiscal 2009 ending March 2010 as successor of double layered plated substrate. The firm expands the production system including 4 times expansion of solar shading ink and 50% expansion of samarium-ferrous-nitrogen magnet. The firm tries to double the sales of advanced materials for fiscal 2009 from fiscal 2006 under the growth strategy. The firm produces monthly 2.5-3 tonnes of solar shading ink at Ohkuchi Electronics in Kagoshima when the demand increases for automobile, building and railway business field. The firm will increase the cesium tungsten oxide ink output capacity to monthly 10 tonnes by fiscal 2009. The firm expands the output capacity of samarium-ferrous-nitrogen magnet to 300 tonnes at Kunitomi plant in Hokkaido by fiscal 2009 just after expansion to 200 tonnes in January 2007 to meet higher demand for appliances, office automation equipments and automotive parts. The firm focuses the resources on nickel battery in the battery business. The firm operates the nickel hydroxide making line at monthly 280 tonnes of capacity at Isoura plant in Ehime under firm demand for hybrid automobile. The firm tries to market lithium nickel oxide as positive electrode material of lithium ion battery under growing demand for cell phone and mobile devices. The firm tries to keep the market share for double layered plated substrate with 85-90% for large screen liquid crystal panel when the substrate output capacity increases to 6.5 million square meters in the end of March 2007.