Sumikei Copper Tube Transfers Facilities from Hitachi Cable

Sumitomo Light Metal Industries’ subsidiary, Sumikei Copper Tube finished installment of copper tube making facilities in plant, Aichi. The firm purchased facilities from Hitachi Cable at the end of March, expect for the facilities for production of Thermo Excel, Hitachi Cable’s original copper tube with fins on the outer surface. Sumikei Copper Tube’s production capacity increased to around 1,500 tonnes per month for inner grooved copper tube adopted to air conditioners from 1,100 tonnes. Sumikei Copper Tube focuses on stable product supply to the existent customers and the new customers succeeded from Hitachi Cable.

Hitachi Cable decided to terminate domestic copper tube production at the end of March 2012. Sumikei Copper Tube agreed with Hitachi Cable to purchase Hitachi Cable’s facilities for inner grooved and other copper tubes in last autumn.

Sumikei Copper Tube succeeded four rolling machines for inner grooving, one spooler and one intermediate annealing furnace. The firm didn’t purchase a finishing annealing furnace from Hitachi Cable when the equipment requires repairing cost. Sumikei Copper Tube decided to introduce a new annealing furnace in January 2013 with more than a million yen of expenditure.

The plant’s total production capacity increased to more than 4,500 tonnes per month with the current number of staffs from 3,500-4,000 tonnes per month. The firm plans average 4,300 tonnes of monthly production in fiscal 2012 ending in March 2013, increasing by 10% from fiscal 2011. The plant is now in full capacity operation at 4,500-4,600 tonnes for the demand season.

Hitachi Cable will continue production of Thermo Excel until July 2012, which is used for centrifugal chillers inside large-scale cold storage warehouses. Sumikei Copper Tube supplies semi-finished products for Hitachi Cable when the facilities have been already transferred. Sumikei Copper Tube’s output capacity for the material tube increased to 350 tonnes per month from previous 280 tonnes.