Sumitomo Metals to Double Crankshaft Output by 2015

Sumitomo Metal Industries increases the automobile crankshaft output to 10 million units in 2015, which is double of output in 2005. The firm adds new forging line at Chinese plant in November 2007 and at US plant in January 2009. The firm builds new Southeast Asian plant by 2015 expanding the world market share to 13% in 2015 compared with 8% in 2005. The firm tries to expand the market share to more than 10% through the expansion at Osaka plant, International Crankshaft in USA and Huizhou Sumikin Forging Corporation in China. The firm also decided to acquire US machinery processors to improve the supply chain. The firm targets 4 million units of output at Osaka, 2.7 million units in USA, 2.1 million units in China and 1.2 million units in new Southeast Asian plant in 2015. The firm expects world automobile output increases to 69 million units in 2008 and 76 million units in 2015 compared with 65 million units in 2005. The firm also estimates the crankshaft demand increases more when the users shift to forging products and V shaped shaft, which is hard to be formed.