Mitsubishi Shindoh Expands Output Capacity of Double-Layer CCL

Mitsubishi Shindoh, Japanese copper alloy products maker, expands the output capacity of high-value-added products. It will introduce additional production facilities of double-layer copper-clad laminated sheet (CCL) at Wakamatsu plant in Fukushima Prefecture, investing 2 billion yen in fiscal 2006 ended March 2007. The annual output capacity will expand to 1 million square meters, 3-4 times as much as the present. The firm will also introduce new plating lines for copper strips with 2 billion yen of investment. The new lines will be for triple-layer tin plating with 2,000 tonnes of plating capacity per month and start full operation next summer.The output capacity of double-layer CCL is 250,000-300,000 square meters per year at Wakamatsu plant at present, with a sputtering machine and a plating machine. Mitsubishi Shindoh plans to add another plating machine in the existent building and to construct a new building in the adjacent area which contains a sputtering machine and 2 plating machines. Totally 4 production lines will exist for double-layer CCL at Wakamatsu plant.Mitsubishi Shindoh sputters molybdenum or nickel-chromium layer with 3 nanometers thickness on the surface of polyimide film at first. Polyimide films are purchased from Ube Industries. Next the firm sputters copper layer with 300 nanometers of thickness and process electrolytic copper layer on it by electroplating. This method can make double-layer CCL thinner than the casting method, spreading polyimide resin on copper sheet. Demand for double-layer CCL has sharply increased in recent years when digital appliances and mobile devices have become lighter and more compact. Mitsubishi Shindoh aims to enter the double-layer CCL market fully. As to copper strip plating business, the firm will replace 2 plating lines with new equipment for triple-layer tin plating and renovate the existent building at Wakamatsu plant. The plating capacity will expand to 2,000 tonnes per month, 1.5 times as much as the present. The firm acquired the triple-layer tin plating technology by the license agreement with Kobe Steel. The triple-layer tin plating has good resistance against high temperature. Mitsubishi Shindoh expects the demand from many industries including automobiles.