THE HISTORY OF TITANIUM IN JAPAN IS THE HISTORY
OF KOBE TITANIUM
A 50kg titanium
ingot melted once (longer ingot on left), and ingot melted twice (shorter
ingot on right) using the consumable electrode vacuum arc melting
process that was developed with the technical support of Dr. Kroll
and Mr. Gilbert, Engineer. (1954)
Kobe Steel succeeded in the manufacture of an ingot with a good, complete
surface and exported a sample to the U.S.A. for the first time in
1955.
Dr. Kroll visited our Titanium
Laboratory to see our vacuum-type high-frequency melting furnace during
testing. (1953)
A 1-ton twice-melted titanium
ingot being discharged from the vacuum arc melting furnace. The furnace
was our original design, and began initial operation in our Takasago
Plant in 1959. The completion of this furnace initiated extensive
use of titanium products in the chemical industry.
A 1-ton VAR melting furnace
installed at the time the Titanium Melting Plant was constructed.
(1959)
The members of the Titanium
Melting Section at the time the section was established. (1959)
History of kobe titanium
1949
1949 The first research and development of titanium begins in Japan.
1955
Industrial production begins.
1959
A new melting plant with an annual production
capacity of 1200 tons is constructed (world's first practical
application of VAR with side feed system[Kobe Process]).
1959
Titanium alloy delivered for application in
turbojet engines (J-3) for first time in Japan.
1972
Mass production by strip rolling started at
the Kakogawa Works (Patented in Japan).
1979
Titanium welded tubes delivered for application
in nuclear power generation for first time in Japan (2nd Fukushima
Nuclear Power Plant, No. 1 Power Generator of TOKYO ELECTRIC
POWER COMPANY, INC.). Start of delivery of titanium parts for
application in F100 turbofan engines.
1981
Melting capacity boosted to 7200 tons/year.
1982
Delivery of the H1 Rocket part commenced.
1985
Start of delivery of fan case rings for application
in V2500 turbofan engines.
1986
World's only continuous annealing and pickling
line (APL) exclusive for titanium begins operation.
1987
Pressure-resistant shell made of titanium
alloy delivered for application in Deep Submergence Vehicle
"SHINKAI 6500." Start of delivery of components for
H2 Rockets.
1993
Titanium walls delivered for use in the Tokyo
International Exhibition Hall, Congress Tower (Big Sight) -
the world's largest building to utilize building titanium.
1997
Melting capacity boosted
to 10,000 tons/year.
1998
Special titanium tubing
production line updated.
1999
Cumulative production of
titanium ingots reached 100,000 tons.
2001
Authorized as the supplier
of compressor discs for jet engines by Rolls-Royce plc (UK).
2002
The licence to manufacture
and sell our newly developed α-β titanium alloy "Ti-9"
assigned to Titanium Metals Corporation(USA).
The Kobe Steel Group is a global enterprise with businesses in metals, machinery, natural resources and engineering, construction machinery, and environmental solutions.
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