Nippon Mining & Metals to Double Titanium-Copper Output to 150t/M

Nippon Mining & Metals aims to double production of titanium based copper alloy ingot to 150 tonnes per month in fiscal 2010 ending March 2011 in order to cover the increasing market such for cellular phone and flat screen television. The firm plans no additional capital expenditure for the expansion when the firm can achieve 150 tonnes of the output with existent equipment at Kurami plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The firm expects to grow the sales share steadily in titanium based copper alloy market by meeting demand for smaller and thinner electronic parts.Titanium based copper alloy is used as the material for electronic parts carried into cell phone, portable music player and flat screen TV. The firm currently sells 4 type of titanium based copper alloy ingot, one of which is “NKT322″ with high strength and bending workability and another is “NKT180″ with double conductivity compared with normal titanium-copper.In recent years cell phone became to carry multiple functions and demand is increasing for high-grade spring using titanium-copper. In the first half of fiscal 2006 NKT322 and NKT180 were adopted by major cell phone makers. Titanium-copper demand is also favorable for flat screen TV when the sales of thin display TV are increasing.For cell phones, smaller, thinner and high-performance parts are needed to equip vary functions. High copper price also stimulates the demand for smaller parts to reduce usage volume of copper. Titanium based copper alloy can meet the demand with its high strength and bending workability.