SDK Strengthens R&D Function for Aluminum Alloy Materials

─Opens the Facility of Aluminum Product Evaluation Center in Kitakata─

February 28, 2018
Showa Denko K.K.

Showa Denko (SDK) (TOKYO: 4004) has decided to newly establish “Aluminum Product Evaluation Center” in its Kitakata Plant located in Fukushima Prefecture, as a laboratory subordinated to the Institute for Integrated Product Development, Business Development Center, in order to accelerate development of aluminum alloy materials. Today, SDK held a ceremony to open the facility of Aluminum Product Evaluation Center.

These days, many automotive parts manufacturers adopt aluminum alloys as materials to produce parts with reduced weights, including suspensions and driving gears. Thus the demand for aluminum alloys for automotive parts is expected to show steady growth. To respond to such demand for light-weight aluminum parts for automobiles, SDK produces and sells “ShoticTM” continuously cast aluminum stick, products forged from ShoticTM, large-sized aluminum extrusions, and cooling devices for power semiconductors used in electric vehicles. ShoticTM especially has homogeneous and fine metal structure, which is realized by SDK’s proprietary continuous casting technology, and shows high strength under high temperature, high abrasion resistance, and high corrosion resistance. In addition, forged products made from ShoticTM also show high strength, high abrasion resistance, and low thermal expansivity. In order to make these products contribute to further weight reduction of automobiles, we believe we should furthermore improve our aluminum alloy production technology, aiming to realize higher strength. Therefore, SDK decided this time to newly establish Aluminum Product Evaluation Center in its Kitakata Plant, which is SDK’s main base to develop and produce cast and forged aluminum products.

The Showa Denko Group will make Aluminum Product Evaluation Center have enriched companywide functions to analyze and develop aluminum alloys, and will accelerate the Group’s development of alloys to produce aluminum products including cast, forged and extruded products. In addition, the Group aims to propose new multi-material products through composition of organic, inorganic, and metal materials by strengthening the Group’s analysis technology, which will be realized by close cooperation among Aluminum Product Evaluation Center, Analysis & Physical Properties Center, and Computational Science and Technology Information Center, the latter two of which are located in Chiba Prefecture and also subordinated to the Institute for Integrated Product Development.

Under its ongoing medium-term business plan “Project 2020+,” the Showa Denko Group aims to provide the five target market domains of “Energy,” “Electronics,” “Infrastructure,” “Living environment,” and “Mobility” with high-value-added products and services, thereby contributing to the creation of global society where affluence and sustainability are harmonized. The Showa Denko Group will continue striving to give birth to sprouts of new businesses which will contribute to further growth of the Group in the future, through deepening and integration of its R&D activities in various fields.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony
(left to right)Kanji Takasaki, Corporate Officer
Jun Tanaka, Director, Managing Corporate Officer
Tetsuo Wada, Corporate Officer

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