Shinko North to Increase Al Honeycomb Panel Sales for Rail Car

Kobe Steel’s aluminium fabricating subsidiary, Shinko North in Ibaraki tries to increase aluminium honeycomb panel sales for rail car. The firm will increase the sales to rail car by improving the strength while the sales for rail car are only for floor of Shinkansen. With the higher sales for rail car, the firm tries to increase the sales rate 50/50 for rail car and construction in future while the rail car rate is around 10%.

The firm makes aluminium honeycomb panel bonding honeycomb aluminium foil and aluminium sheet. The firm tries to increase the material by appealing light weight with 10% of steel sheet with same strength.

Shinko North tries to increase strength of honeycomb panel by changing aluminium foil into corrugated shape or changing one of two aluminium sheets to carbon or foamed material while the firm reduces the weight of the panel more. With the improvement, the firm tries to increase the sales for floor material of local train.