Kobe Steel to ship aluminium forging to U.S. "big
3" automakers
Kobe Steel will make a delivery of aluminium forgings to "big 3",
General Motors, Ford Motor, and Daimler Chrysler, for the first time.
Kobe Steel established "Kobe Aluminium Automotive Steel Product" in
the
U.S., which will supply from June 2005, but it aims to increase the
sales to "big 3" before the supply in the U.S.
Kobe Steel has shipped aluminium forgings as underbody parts used in
luxury car, sports car, and so on to Japanese carmakers. The first
aluminium forging business with "big 3" shows increasing aluminium
usage for automobile.
Kobe Steel's capacity of production of aluminium forgings in the U.S.
will be two million units. The capacity at the plant in Mie prefecture
is three million units, and the products this year are increasing to
2.5 million units from 1.8 million units of last year.
By the way, 3 of 5 executives of "Kobe Aluminium Automotive Steel
Product" are from Kobe Steel, 1 from Mitsui & Co and 1from Toyota
Tsusho representing interests of Kobe Steel with 60%, Mitsui & Co with
25% and Toyota Tsusho with 15%.
Kobe Steel
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