Godo Steel’s Himeji Works Keeps Steady Operation for Special Steel Bar

Himeji works of Godo Steel, Japanese major electric furnace steel maker, has operated fully at 26,000 tonnes per month for steel making and at 22,000 tonnes for rolling mills since June. Construction machine makers’ output has gradually improved while tool machine makers’ production has recovered to 70% against the peak level in 2008, both of which are main applications. Himeji works plans to maintain production level for the last half of fiscal 2010 ending in March 2011.

Godo Steel’s Himeji works has a 70-tonne electric furnace with 2-strand continuous casting line and middle size rolling mill to produce special steel bars and rails. The works’ production dropped for January-February 2009 because construction machine and tool machine productions largely decreased after Lehman’s fall.

Construction machine production hit bottom in October-December 2009 while tool machine output maintained low level. Thus Himeji works’ annual crude steel output decreased by 52.9% to 154,000 tonnes in fiscal 2009 ended in March 2010 against the previous fiscal year. Structural steel bar output decreased by 50.3% to 113,000 tonnes.