Sumitomo Electric Wintec to Expand Magnet Wire Output by 50% by 2012

Sumitomo Electric Industries’ magnet wire making subsidiary, Sumitomo Electric Wintec will expand the output to 1.5 times at monthly 15,000 tonnes by fiscal 2012 ending March 2013 compared with fiscal 2005. The Shiga based firm tries to meet the growing demand when hybrid car sales increases, automobile uses more electronics components and Asian air conditioner demand grows. The firm expects the automotive motor application represents around 40% of the monthly 15,000 tonnes of output while the 30% is for compressor of refrigeration medium for air conditioner. The firm will produce 10,000 tonnes in offshore sites, in which Chinese output represents near 50%, with 5,000 tonnes of domestic production. The firm tries to expand the output to 15,000 tonnes per month by conversion and renewal to improve the productivity through annual 1-1.5 billion yen of investment by fiscal 2012. The firm plans to produce 11,000 tonnes of magnet wire in fiscal 2006 after the firm produced 10,100 tonnes when the demand increased for electronics components while the demand for heavy electric machine recovered. The president Eisaku Suzuki said the firm tries to take chance for the business opportunity when magnet wire demand increases for automotive electronics component motor in China, USA, Thailand and Indonesia where Toyota Motor and Japanese automakers expand the operations. The firm expects the demand increases for higher grade magnet wire including scratch resistance and flat and square shaped products compared with commodity grade enameled wire. The firm focuses the output expansion of magnet wire for compressor of refrigeration medium at China, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand where Japanese appliances makers expand the operations. The firm expects the offshore output is more than monthly 4,000 tonnes in 2012 out of total 5,000 tonnes of output. The domestic top share magnet wire maker estimates the market share was 8-9% in the world in enameled magnet wire in fiscal 2004. The firm targets world no.1 10% world market share in mid-term.