KMCT to Expand Copper Alloy Tube Sales

Kobelco & Materials Copper Tube, Tokyo based copper tube maker co-shared by Kobe Steel and Mitsubishi Materials, aims to expand copper alloy tube sales. Copper alloy tubes are thinner than copper tubes, that means copper metal consumption per meter can be reduced. Copper alloy tubes are used mainly inside heat-pump type water heaters but the demand is expected to increase from other applications when copper metal price stays high. The firm plans to raise copper alloy tube output to 500 tonnes per month in fiscal 2010 (Apr09-Mar10), about 2.7 times of the current volume.

Kobelco & Materials Copper Tube holds 50% shares in copper alloy tube market for heat-pump type water heaters. The firm produces copper alloy tubes at Hadano plant, Kanagawa, Japan, such as “KHRT” made of phosphor deoxidized copper alloy with tin. The current output is about 180 tonnes per month, increasing by 80% year-on-year.

Hideo Ogi, president of Kobelco & Materials Copper Tube, said some users started to examine adoption of copper alloy tubes for other applications than heat-pump type water heaters this year. He said a copper alloy tube consumes 30% less weight copper metal compared with a copper tube thanks to its thinness. The price of a copper alloy tube is higher than a copper tube of the same weight. However, the users can gain cost advantage from less copper metal consumption per meter in an alloy tube.