Mitsui Mining & Smelting to Install Ultra-Thin Copper Foil Line in Malaysia

Mitsui Mining & Smelting announced on Tuesday the firm establishes a new production line for ultra-thin electrolytic copper foil with carrier, named Micro Thin Series, at its subsidiary in Malaysia. The firm decided first Micro Thin production at overseas as supply backup for Ageo plant in Saitama, Japan. Malaysian plant is expanding production capacity for standard grade electrolytic copper foil while a production line for Micro Thin with 600,000 square meter monthly capacity will be included in this expansion works. The backup line will complete in April 2012.

Micro Thin is adopted to approximately 90% share of world smart phones market. Ageo plant was forced to suspend copper foil production temporarily after Japan Earthquake due to Tokyo Electric Power Company’s controlled power outage. Ageo plant’s suspension had much impacted on supply chain of smart phone production. Then Mitsui Mining & Smelting decided establishment of a backup production line for Micro Thin at overseas preparing for emergencies.

Malaysian subsidiary is now under another capacity expansion plan for standard grade electrolytic copper foil with 15 billion yen. The productive capacity is currently raised to 2,000 tonnes per month from previous 1,600 tonnes and additional 300-tonne expansion is scheduled toward spring of 2012. The firm eyes even more expansion by 500 tonnes depends on the market condition. A backup line for Micro Thin will be included in the expansion works.

Ageo plant will continue Micro Thin production with output capacity at 1 million square meters per month after the backup line installment in Malaysia. Mitsui Mining & Smelting will be able to keep stable supply of Micro Thin if Ageo plant was damaged by disasters or other unpredictable occasions.