NISC Shuts Down 1 Galvanizing, 3 Color Coating Lines

Nippon Steel & Sumikin Coated Sheet, Japanese largest construction galvanized steel maker, shuts down one continuous galvanizing line and 3 continuous color coating lines at 3 plants, announced on Monday. The galvanizing capacity decreases by about 20% to around 700,000 tonnes per year. The firm tries to improve the profitability enough to secure profit even at 65% capacity utilization in fiscal 2010 through the additional reorganization after the firm shut down the cold rolling mill at Sakai plant in June 2009.

NISC shuts down one CGL at Sakai plant in end of March. The firm also shuts down one of three CCL at Sakai plant, one of three CCL at Amagasaki plant and one of three CCL at Funabashi plant. The firm stops operation of each CCL at Sakai and Funabashi by the end of March and stops CCL at Amagasaki by the end of September.

Sakai plant starts manufacturing color steel sandwich panel from October when NISC moves the facilities to Sakai from other company, which signs an OEM deal. Sakai plant manufactures 55%-aluminium-zinc sheet at the remaining CCL.