Kobe Steel Enjoys Favorable Sales of Aluminium and Copper Products

Aluminum & copper company of Kobe Steel enjoys favorable business conditions when the demand is expected to increase for copper sheet and strip of automotive parts and the sales hit the record of aluminium blank and substrate for computer magnetic disc. Ryosuke Shimomura, officer of Kobe Steel, explained current situations and future visions of aluminum & copper company to Japan Metal Bulletin.Mr. Shimomura said that the shipment of aluminium blank for computer magnetic disc was 22 million pieces per month at Moka plant in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan in fiscal 2005 ended March 2006 and that the company expected 26 million in fiscal 2006 and more than 30 million in fiscal 2007, when the demand continues strongly increasing.Kobe Steel produces aluminium substrate at Malaysian subsidiary, Kobe Precision Technology, output of which is around 20 million pieces per month currently. Mr. Shimomura said the company planned to increase the substrate production to 28 million pieces per month. The half of substrates is processed from aluminium blank fabricated at Moka plant. Therefore Kobe Steel recently supplies total 36 million pieces of aluminium hard disc material per month, which is the record volume and will exceed the level next year.Mr. Shimomura indicated almost all of Kobe Steel’s copper sheet and strip is used for semiconductors and terminal pins mainly of auto related parts. More than the half of copper sheet and strip seems used for automobiles, he said. The demand increased steadily during previous 3 years and is expected to show more growth for next 3 years. Kobe Steel plans to expand output capacity at Chofu plant in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan to meet active demand.The sales of copper sheet and strip were 5,200 tonnes per month in fiscal 2005. Kobe Steel estimated 5,500 tonnes per month for fiscal 2006 and the actual sales keeps higher than originally planned. Mr. Shimomura said the company aimed 6,300 tonnes or at least 6,100 tonnes of monthly sales in fiscal 2008.