Daido Steel to Expand High Performance Material Sales to 50B Yen

Daido Steel, Japanese major special steel maker, aims to increase the sales of high performance material business to 50 billion yen by fiscal 2011 ending March 2012 compared with about 23 billion yen in fiscal 2007. The firm plans to grow up the high performance material business as a core inside the non-ferrous products department. The firm will also raise the overseas sales ratio to 50% from current 30%. The firm expands high performance material business as a new part or unit component in order to cultivate new markets. The firm sophisticates the business by the development of electromagnetic wave absorption materials, light-emitting diodes and vibration control alloy products. The firm expanded production capacity of lamina electronic industry materials in April 2008, increasing sales of new metals such as niobium for flat-panel display backlights. The firm provides new performances of niobium products by controlling crystal grain sizes. The firm will also develop new target materials for next generation lithium ion batteries from fiscal 2009 and superconductive materials such for as new generation electric cables. The firm develops new application of electromagnetic wave absorption materials such for contactless battery charge components of cell phones. The firm expands application of light-emitting diodes to factory automation such as joint reason of robot or electronic device encoders. The firm builds up the application development of vibration control alloy products to battery car, acoustic equipment or machine tool.