Kobe Steel to Expand Output of Aluminium Tube for OPC Drum

Aluminum & copper company of Kobe Steel aims to expand production and sales of aluminium extrusion pipe for organic photoconductive (OPC) drum within 2006. The company will increase the output capacity to 4 million units per month from current 3.5 million units as total of domestic and offshore production, especially strengthening overseas bases.Kobe Steel currently produces 1.5 million units of aluminium extrusion pipe for OPC drum per month at Chofu plant in Japan and 2 million units at Kobe & Shinsho Tube Specialties in Malaysia. Kobe Steel plans to expand Malaysian output to 2.5 million units per month in order to meet increasing demand.Demand is increasing for precise aluminium extruding pipe for photoconductive drum in laser-beam printer in recent years. More pipes are used when printers have shifted from monochrome to full color.Japanese aluminium extrusion makers are expanding their output systems under the situation. Showa Denko establishes a new plant in Oita Prefecture, Japan with about 2.5 billion yen of investment, which is the 6th plant to produce aluminium pipe for OPC drum worldwide. Showa Denko could expand the world total output to 15 million units per month with the 6 productive bases located in Oyama, Nasu, Hikone and Oita in Japan, Ohio in the USA and Dalian in China.Kobe Steel also aims to reinforce its aluminium pipe business more for office automation equipment.