Sumitomo Metal Mining to Expand Advanced Materials

Sumitomo Metal Mining will increase the output of advanced materials including rare earth magnet powder to meet growing demand for automobile. The firm doubles the output from current 1 million tonnes by the end of fiscal 2006 ending March 2006 while the firm doubles the indium output from current 5 tonnes per month to 10 tonnes in fiscal 2006. The firm markets solar shading materials by developing the market compared with traditional laboratory to improve the profitability. The firm tries to expand the capacity to meet higher demand. The firm improves the profitability mainly for main products of double layered plating substrate and nickel series battery materials. The firm produces samarium-iron-nitrogen magnet powder at Hokkaido operation. The firm decided to expand the capacity to meet higher demand for photocopier, air conditioner while the demand for automobile increases under the more use of the materials in automobile sector. The firm has Harima plant in Hyogo to make indium though the plan’s main operation is zinc smelting. The firm expands the indium output to 10 tonnes in fiscal 2006 for around 300 million yen to meet higher demand of indium tin oxide under growing demand for liquid crystal and larger the screen. The firm transfers the output of the solar shading materials of lanthanum boride from Ichikawa of Chiba to Ohkuchi Electronics in Kagoshima to add mass production line for better profitability. The demand is expanding for the energy saving material. The firm tries to market the material for rail road and other applications other than traditional automotive sunroof.