Nippon Koshuha Steel Launches New Plastic Mold Tool Steel

Nippon Koshuha Steel started marketing of newly developed 2 tool steel products for mirror finished surface plastic mold and mass production plastic mold as a part of global strategy for the special steel products. The firm tries to secure certain share in the world largest steel market to establish new global standard item. The firm decided the Chinese marketing for the new products before Japanese market when rapid growing Chinese market can accept new products while Japanese mold industry is shrinking.

The firm establishes the solid sales base for the new products in China for marketing in Asian region. The firm tries to improve the technical service through the agents and offshore resident officers for better quality advantage.

The firm launched tool steel for mirror finished surface plastic mold, GHX and tool steel for mass production plastic mold, JHX. GHX with homogeneity and high cleanliness has high corrosion resistance along with mirror finished surface property. Chinese demand for tool steel for mirror finished surface plastic mold is estimated to be 450-500 tonnes per month. The demand will increase due to higher demand for automobile industry and smart phone. The firm tries to secure 10% share in Chinese market.

GHX has stable quality in mirror surface and corrosion resistance. With quenching and tempering, GHX has 52HRC level of hardness and higher wear resistance. The product with minimum dimensional change during quenching and tempering enables high precision mold making.

JHX is one of commodity grade steel products. However, the hardness is 36-38HRC level while the product has better mirror surface and cleanliness. The product has enables lower dispersion in mirror surface and grain finish while the product has lower weld crack.

Chinese demand is monthly 2,300 tonnes for commodity grade steel for plastic mold mainly in chrome molybdenum steel and P20 steel with 30-32HRC of hardness. The firm tries to realize around 50 tonnes level of monthly sales in the market. The firm tries to secure certain share in the largest market through the quality advantage even in commodity grade products.