Shipment of Cemented Carbide Tool is Booming

The volume of domestic shipment of cemented carbide tool is continuing to be extended. After “the unprecedented simultaneous global prosperity term” arrived at the cemented carbide tool industry, two years and a half have passed. According to the Japan Manufacturer’s Association, The volume of domestic shipment in fiscal 2005 is expected to increase by 11.2 % from fiscal 2004 to 296,800 million yen and it will mark the largest-ever for the third consecutive year. The decline of demand is not seen at the latest and it is expected that good condition continues during 2006.The leading player of “an unprecedented prosperous” is a cutting tool which occupies 70 percent of the volume of cemented carbide tool domestic shipment. The automobile related maker which is the greatest users of cutting tool plow actively in and outside, and the demand of a cutting edge chip, a drill, and an end mill increased rapidly. Although the volume of domestic shipment of a cutting tool was 13 billion yen at monthly average in 2003, it exceeded 19 billion yen at a single month in October and November in 2005.The product with active reinforcement of productive capacity in a cutting tool is a cutting edge chip, a drill, and an end mill. The capability reinforcement and development competition between makers are intensifying by the long drill used for processing which makes the hole of engine or a crankshaft and the small diameter end mill used for high precision processing especially.The good condition of export has also backed up strongly the growth of the whole amount of cemented carbide tool shipment.The volume of export which was changing around 4 billion yen at a month in 2003 was expanded by 1.5 times in 2005.