Japanese domestic shipment of cemented carbide tools increased by 7.2% to 291.262 billion yen in 2011 from 2010, according to Japan Cemented Carbide Tool Manufacturers’ Association. The shipment didn’t decrease year-on-year despite of temporary slowdown of Japanese automobile industry along the Japan Earthquake and flood disaster in Thailand. The demand was stimulated by rapid car output recovery after the disasters and continuously stable orders from overseas tool users in Europe, America or emerging countries. Especially the shipment of indexable chip marked the record high volume for two years in a row, pushed up by the strong demand from overseas.
The total shipment value in 2011 was 80-85% level against record 350.3 billion yen in 2007. The shipment value of cutting tools, which accounts for 75% in the total shipment, recovered to 80-85% level against record 260.2 billion yen in 2007. Only the shipment volume of indexable chip exceeded the previous record marked before Lehman Shock. The annual shipment of indexable chip reached 300 million chips for the first time in 2011. The shipment hit monthly record 29.579 million chips in June and kept above 28 million chips per month for July-September. Indexable chips account for 75% in the export value of cemented carbide tools. The total export value maintained year-on-year plus in 2011 despite of historically strong yen trend and exceeded 80 billion yen for the first time since 2008. Shipment value of the other tools also represented year-on-year plus in 2011. Sintered diamond and CBN (cubic boron nitride) tools exceeded 20 billion yen for the first time since 2008, those which are used for high speed and precise cutting or hard-to-cut materials. Rock drilling tools kept above 8 billion yen for two years in a row though which didn’t reach recent highest 9 billion yen in 2008. Domestic production of cemented carbide alloy, the main material for tools, represented 90-95% volume against record 6,268 tonnes in 2005.