Mitsui Sumitomo Metal Mining Brass & Copper to Introduce Plating Line in Mie

Mitsui Sumitomo Metal Mining Brass & Copper, Japanese major copper alloy fabricator jointly operated by Mitsui Mining & Smelting and Sumitomo Metal Mining, will expand tin reflow plating capacity to 1,750 tonnes per month from current 750 tonnes. The firm will introduce a new plating line in Mie plant, Japan with 550 million yen capital expenditure. The firm meets the increasing demand for plating copper alloy strip from automotive component market.

The new plating line will have capacity at 1,000 tonnes per month. The construction will start at the end of 2010. The new line will start operation in May 2011 and enter commercial production in late 2011 or early 2012.

The firm supplies brass strip and copper based alloy strip mainly for electric contacts of automotive components. Bare strips had been used for electric contacts while in recent years the market demand has shifted to plated strips for better reliability.

Mitsui Sumitomo Metal Mining Brass & Copper presently operates a plating line with 750-tonne monthly output capacity in Mie plant. The firm currently receives the orders at around 900 tonnes per month and covers capacity shortage by outsourcing. The firm expects the order receipts would increase to 1,400 tonnes per month in 2013 and aims to meet the demand by the new plating line introduction. The firm also eyes shorter delivery lead time and lower productive cost with the new plating line.