Osaka Titanium Completes Third Phase Expansion

Osaka Titanium Technologies completed sponge titanium expansion ahead of the schedule to increase the annual output capacity by 3,000 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes. The firm completed a series of expansion planned before Lehman shock. The firm expands lower grade raw material with around 90% of titanium oxide purity to keep the stable supply.

The firm restarted the third phase of expansion in January 2011 after the firm stopped the work with 30% completion as of January 2009. The firm completed the works by end of November at more than a month ahead of the schedule.

The first phase completed in October 2008 to increase the annual output capacity by 8,000 tonnes. The firm froze the further expansion after Lehman shock while the additional expansion was planned to complete in 2009. The firm restarted the second phase in August 2010 to increase the capacity by 6,000 tonnes by February 2011.

The firm has no concrete plan for additional expansion. The president Shozo Nishizawa said the firm prepares potential expansion at pace of annualized 2-3% and around 10% in 3 years. The firm eyes marginal expansion through better productivity.

The firm started the lower grade raw material operation while the firm uses material with around 95% of titanium oxide purity usually. The firm tries to use the lower grade material at 10-30% rate of total material.