Milestones in Kobe Steel’s Aluminum Business

Milestones of Aluminum Castings and Forgings

1937	Established the Nagoya Plant as a dedicated factory for aircraft forgings by separating the magnesium alloy casting division from the Moji Plant and the aluminum alloy forging division from the Kobe Plant.
1969	Installed a 3,000-ton forging press.
1977	Obtained Boeing D1-4426 certification.
1981	Installed a 8,000-ton precision forging press and ring rolling mill.
1992	Broke ground on the new Daian Plant.
1993	Began transferring to the Daian Plant; partial operations started.
1994	Installed a 5,000-ton forging press.
1995	Completed transfer to the Daian Plant; full scale operations started.
1997	Acquired ISO 9001 certification.
1998	Received Boeing BMS7-330 (D357 alloy) supplier certification (for sand mold castings).
2002	Acquired ISO 14001 certification.
2003	Installed a high-speed five-axis machining center.
2004	Acquired ISO/TS 16949 certification.
2006	Acquired Nadcap and JIS Q9100 certifications.
2007	Installed a double column-type five-face machining center (gantry width 5.2 m).
2015	Expanded magnesium sand mold casting plant.
2017	Renamed to the Daian Works.

Milestones of Aluminum Extrusions

1938	Began construction as an aluminum alloy material plant; started operations in 1939
1945	Began production of copper and copper alloys
1972	Installed world’s first 3,600-ton dual-action indirect extrusion press
1979	Transferred copper pipe production to the Moji Plant and aluminum sheet production to the Moka Plant, leaving extrusion and copper plate at Chofu
1985	Completed capacity expansion for electronic materials (cold processing)
1987	Began production of continuous billet casting
1990	Installed bumper R/F processing line
1992	Increased aluminum melting capacity; installed one of Japan’s largest presses (5,800 tons)
1995	Expanded production of large-diameter copper coils
1998	Installed ABS production equipment (press water cooling unit, dedicated cutting/inspection lines, etc.)
2001	Acquired ISO 14001 certification
2002	Acquired QS-9000 certification for specific products
2006	Acquired ISO/TS 16949 certification; upgraded 2,000-ton press
2013	Introduced continuous billet casting machine at KAAP in North America; began production
2016	KPEX (Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions Inc.) Established KPEX in Kentucky, USA, for aluminum melting, extrusion, and fabrication
2019	Acquired ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certifications

Milestones in Suspensions

1991	Installed 6,300-ton mechanical forging press.
1997	Installed 6,300-ton mechanical forging press No. 2.
2001	Installed continuous billet casting machine.
2002	Installed 6,300-ton mechanical forging press No. 3.
2003	Established Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products, LLC (KAAP) in Kentucky, USA.
2004	Installed 6,300-ton mechanical forging press No. 4.
2010	Established Kobelco Aluminum Automotive Products (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
2020	Installed continuous billet casting machine No. 2.
2020	Installed 6,300-ton mechanical forging press No. 5.

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