Kobe Steel to start up new titanium melt shop in January

Archiv – After undergoing trial operation a new 3.5-billion-yen (US$ 31.3 million) titanium melt shop will go into full production in January 2008 at Kobe Steel’s Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture, located in Western JapanJapan | After undergoing trial operation a new 3.5-billion-yen (US$ 31.3 million) titanium melt shop will go into full production in January 2008 at Kobe Steel’s Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture, located in Western Japan
The melt shop uses the company’s proprietary Kobe Method (a vacuum arc remelting method), which makes possible the use of titanium scrap. Kobe Steel aims to make the new facility the most cost competitive melt shop in Japan. The new melt shop is located adjacent to the current melt shop to stabilize production and improve the operational efficiency of both shops. The company aims to steadily grow its business to effectively respond to the expanding demand for titanium mill products.
Since 2006, Kobe Steel has been increasing its overall integrated production capacity of titanium mill products. The inauguration of the new melt shop completes a series of capital investments that covers all of Kobe Steel’s locations involved in titanium production: Takasago Works, Kakogawa Works and Kobe Special Tube Co., Ltd.
The other projects consisted of upgrading the counterblow hammer for closed die forging at Takasago and constructing a new welded tube line at group company Kobe Special Tube Co., Ltd. in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Both projects were completed in May 2007. Completed in 2006 was the expansion of the continuous annealing-pickling line for titanium sheet at Kakogawa Works in Hyogo Prefecture.
The higher capacity enables Kobe Steel to manufacture more titanium alloy forgings for next-generation aircraft engines and meet the growing demand in China and the Middle East for commercially pure titanium products used in infrastructure projects. Japan’s titanium industry has been undergoing strong growth in recent years, and in the current fiscal 2007 (ending March 2008), production and shipments of titanium mill products are anticipated to be robust. Not only for Japanese manufacturers, this trend is similar worldwide. Bolstered by rising aircraft orders and growing demand from the energy industries, demand for titanium products is brisk.