Japan will invest about 50 billion yen in iron making for special steel fields such as bearings

  Japan's large-scale raw material enterprises will start large-scale investment in materials production to support a new generation of automotive technologies known as "CASE" (interconnected vehicles, autonomous driving, sharing, electrification). Japan's iron industry will invest about 50 billion yen in special steel fields such as bearings in about three years starting in 2019. Emphasis will be placed on investing in lightweight and high-strength materials.

  In March, Japan Iron and Steel will invest about 50 billion yen in Shanyang Special Steel Making, a subsidiary company, to upgrade the equipment of the company's headquarters plant in Oolu City, Hyogo Prefecture. Shanyang Special Steel Making is one of the world giants in the field of bearing special steel. Swedish OVAKO in the same industry belongs to its own enterprises. The number of bearings used in electric vehicles such as pure electric vehicles will be reduced, but in order to withstand the drive of motors, small, high-strength products are needed. For this reason, three companies belonging to the same group will accelerate the research and development of new generation automotive steel.

  In the automotive industry, CASE is becoming the focus of competition for the new generation of vehicles. With regard to the special steel and aluminium materials supporting such vehicles, Japanese enterprises have the leading technological strength in the world. Focus on areas where investment can give full play to advantages, leaving behind the catch-up of Chinese enterprises and other enterprises, and improving profitability.

  In the field of aluminium materials, Kobe Steel Institute will invest 5 billion yen in factories in Kentucky before the first half of this year. Aluminum production capacity for bumper and other components will be increased to 1,000 tons per month, twice the current capacity.