Milestones of Kobe Steel’s Steel Casting and Forging / Steel Powder

Milestones of Steel Casting and Forging

Milestones of the Steel Casting and Forging Unit

Region	Year	Key milestones
Kobe	1905	Launched steel casting and forging business
	1914	Installed 3-ton hammer and maximum 1,200-ton hydraulic press, establishing foundation for forging operations
	1938	Designated as a military-controlled factory; expanded wartime production; built steel casting plants in Ako and Tamashima
	1945	Shift from end of war to civilian demand; consolidated operations from the damaged Yamate Plant to the East Coast area
Takasago	1953	Acquired buildings and two 5,000-ton open-die forging presses from the Osaka Army Arsenal Harima Works; began operations as a steel casting and forging plant in Takasago City 1953, Kobe Steel’s Takasago Works at the time of opening
	1958	Began production of solid crankshafts using RR forging method
	1962	Completed roll and forging plants
	1969	Installed high-speed 4-column forging press in the forging plant
	1971	Installed 4,000-ton press in small-scale forging plant
	1975	Completed large-scale steelmaking and casting plants; Installed 100-ton electric arc furnace
	1976	Completed large-scale forging plant; installed 13,000-ton press
	1985	Installed 20-ton electric arc furnace and 20T/50T VHF（Vacuum Heat Treatment Furnace）in the steelmaking plant
	1992	Installed dedicating ultra-large lathe for built-up crankshafts; Developed die-forging method for steel cast throws
	1995	Commercialized production of steel throws using die-forging method
	2004	Upgraded 4,000-ton press in small-scale forging plant
	2007	Upgraded 18-ton ESR（Electro-Slag Remelting）
	2010	Installed 10,000-ton press
	2011	Converted built-up crank throws to steel forgings; installed 230-ton vacuum tank
	2018	Replaced 600-ton press in forging plant; installed 2,000-ton open-die forging press

Milestones of Steel Powder

Milestones of the Steel Powder Unit

Year	Major events
1968	Launched steel powder business at the Iwaya Plant, Kobe Steel Works Installed steel powder production equipment at the Iwaya Plant
1970	Launched sales of 300M atomized steel powder (Japan’s first)
1978	Released free-cutting steel powder 600MS
1982	Released high-compactability steel powders　250M and 270MA
1988	Released pre-alloyed low-alloy steel powder 46F2H
1989	Started production and shipping at Kobelco Metal Powder of America, Inc. (KOMPA) in Seymour, Indiana, USA
1989	Released high-purity iron powder 300NH
1990	Released SEGLESS^™ graphite segregation-free steel powder
1992	Established new steel powder plant at the Takasago Works; PM Center also established Exterior of steel powder plant at the Takasago Works 3.3 ton Steel powder containers at the Takasago steel plant
1994	Released high-compactability free-cutting steel 250MS-A
1995	Expanded second reduction furnace at KOMPA
1997	KOMPA certified under ISO 9002 / QS 9000 for quality management (June 1997)
1998	Takasago steel powder plant certified under ISO 9001 for quality management (January 1998)
1999	Takasago steel powder plant certified under ISO 14001 for environmental management (March 1999)
2002	Released magnetic iron powder MAGMEL^™
2002	Released high-machinability SEGLESS^™ KS Series
2002	Released environmental-use iron powder ECOMEL^™
2005	Installed new 3-ton blender at Takasago
2005	Released high-density SEGLESS^™ KP Series
2009	Closed KOMPA
2010	Opened Kobelco (China) Holding Shanghai office for steel powder
2011	Expanded reduction capacity (Iron Powder: 84,000 t/year)
2012	Installed new No. 2 mixer (SEGLES^™: 36,000 t/year)
2013	Started operations of magnetic material plant
2020	Expanded mixer capacity (Mixed products: 60,000 t/year)
2021	Expanded steel powder reduction capacity at the Takasago Works; Expanded reduction capacity (steel powder products 110,000 t/year)

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