Mitsubishi Materials Expands Global Carbide Tool Supply

Mitsubishi Materials expands the production capacity of cemented carbide tool both at home and abroad for the mid-term target of 100 billon yen of consolidated annual sales. The firm started the operation of new plants at Gifu plant, which produces steel holder of tool, in April and at Miracle Tools America, which produces carbide drill in Iowa, in May. The firm finishes the construction of new plant at Mitsubishi Materials Kobe Tools, which produces carbide endmill, in January 2007. The firm tries to meet the firm demand of automotive parts processing and industrial machinery. The firm expects the sales will increase by 7.5% in fiscal 2006 ending March 2007 from around 90 billion yen in fiscal 2005, which increased by 15% from fiscal 2004. The firm finished the construction and started the operation of new plant in Gifu in April to produce steel holder for carbide indexable insert. The demand increases rapidly for the tool set including holder and other accessories along with insert, which is used for metal cutting. Miracle Tools America started the new plant of carbide drill in May. The firm established the carbide drill global production network with the new plant after the firm expanded the capacity in Thailand, Spain, China and Gifu in fiscal 2004-2005. The drill output capacity doubled in past 3 years. Mitsubishi Materials Kobe Tools combines the coating process of carbide endmill and high speed steel tool in January 2007 after the firm builds new coating plant building for physical vapor deposition. The firm improves the operation though the firm has 2 coating processes in carbide endmill producing plant and high speed steel tool making plant.