KTR No.44 / Jul. 2026

In recent years, as various plants have grown in size, there has also been a demand for larger compressors and other key equipment. Kobe Steel has been working to meet the needs of customers who are looking for more extensive and more efficient compressors in oil and petrochemical plants, such as EO/EG (ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol) and PDH (propane ehydrogenation), as well as air separation, which has traditionally been the main application of turbo compressors. This paper discusses the details of these efforts.

The largest-ever LCM-620IM continuous mixer for polyethylene resins has been developed, and the first unit was shipped in 2024. This machine has a production capacity of over 100 tonnes per hour, improving production efficiency. By applying intermeshing rotor technology to a commercial mixer for the first time, this mixer achieves the same or better mixing performance with 12% less energy consumption compared with our company’s conventional machines. In response to the increasing volume of polyolefin production, improving the mixing performance and production capacity will contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions and achieving a carbon-neutral society. A customer has also placed an order for the LCM-560IM and its intermeshing rotor technology is highly regarded in the industry.

CO₂-free hydrogen is attracting attention as a decarbonization measure. In transitioning to a hydrogen society, the use of hydrogen in a local production for local consumption model, utilizing electricity derived from renewable sources for on-site production and utilization of hydrogen, is a realistic solution until a large-scale hydrogen supply infrastructure is established. However, electricity derived from renewable sources faces the challenge of ensuring a stable hydrogen supply. To counter this, Kobe Steel is developing and demonstrating a hybrid hydrogen gas supply system that combines two hydrogen supply sources: hydrogen derived from renewable energy sources and stored liquid hydrogen.
In addition, it is more realistic for facilities that use hydrogen to convert fuel while making the most of existing equipment rather than undergoing large-scale modifications or renovations. Therefore, in transitioning to a hydrogen society, it is important to consider how to start a realistic hydrogen supply and utilization system from the perspectives of both hydrogen suppliers and users. Kobe Steel’s Takasago Works strives to realize a hydrogen society by demonstrating a series of steps, from hydrogen production and supply to hydrogen use in boilers and heating furnaces.

Kobe Steel owns multiple types of liquefied natural gas (LNG) vaporizers to suit various applications and is developing liquid hydrogen (LH₂) vaporizers based on the design and manufacturing techniques the company has cultivated over many years. Liquid hydrogen is stored at －253℃ and must be processed at a temperature approximately 100℃ lower than LNG, posing great technical challenges for a heat exchanger. Therefore, reliability should be secured by conducting actual liquid demonstration tests to back up performance and thermal stress calculations. To this end, a small demonstration machine has been prototyped to conduct demonstration tests using liquid hydrogen. This paper describes the current status of demonstration tests of three types of vaporizers with different characteristics: an intermediate-medium vaporizer (IFV), an open rack vaporizer (ORV), and a microchannel heat exchanger (DCHE).

Due to the need to comply with environmental regulations for ships, dual-fuel engines that can use natural gas in addition to heavy fuel oil have been adopted in nearly all newly-built LNG carriers in recent years. While there are two types of propulsion engines, low pressure (X-DF) and high pressure (ME-GI), our company offers the optimal compressors for fuel gas supply for each type. This paper outlines the fuel gas supply system for propulsion engines that uses boil-off gas (BOG) generated from the LNG tank of LNG carrier, including the re-liquefaction of excess BOG while also explaining the characteristics of oil-flooded screw compressors and reciprocating compressors for this application. Furthermore, it discusses the prospects of technological development for other environmental vessels, such as liquefied hydrogen carriers.

In recent years, as environmental awareness in society has increased, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has been implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Kobe Steel has developed a high-pressure CO₂ compressor for injecting captured CO₂ into underground reservoirs and conducted pressure tests in a supercritical state using CO₂ gas in its factory. Meanwhile, the charging compressor for the mechanical battery system in Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES), which is expected to undergo technological advancement, faces technical challenges in handling high-temperature gas and operating conditions that require daily start and stop. Kobe Steel is addressing these challenges by combining its own technologies and know-how the company has cultivated to date. This article explains Kobe Steel’s product development and approach to technical issues for centrifugal compressors to support its customers by creating a better environment.

In the manufacturing process of all-solid-state batteries, pressure treatment is performed to form the interface between the electrode active material and the electrolyte. Warm isostatic pressing (WIP) technology has potential application in the pressure treatment process because it can isostatically pressurize target materials at high temperatures and pressures. However, the optimal processing pressure and temperature remain unclear for all-solid-state batteries. Accordingly, Kobe Steel has been researching the densification of all-solid-state battery electrodes using WIP technology, aiming to adopt it in the all-solid-state battery manufacturing process. The company is also developing equipment to perform WIP treatment at higher temperatures. This study demonstrates that a good electrode interface can be obtained by performing WIP treatment at a high temperature and pressure. Furthermore, heating the pressure medium inside the high-pressure piping of the WIP equipment improves the temperature distribution inside the pressure vessel. This is expected to reduce temperature variations during the processing of all-solid-state batteries, thereby improving battery quality when performing WIP treatment at high temperatures. This paper discusses the results of this research and equipment development.

Due to the growing concern about environmental issues, the use of oilless and cold working process is increasing in mold processing, and the operating environment is becoming more challenging each year. In order to extend the service life of molds, their surfaces are coated with metal nitride using the AIP (cathodic arc deposition) method, and AlCrN coatings are often used due to the requirement for high hardness. Additionally, the properties of the coating are greatly influenced by the properties of the evaporation source used for the deposition process. This paper evaluates the properties of AlCrN coatings deposited by varying the deposition conditions and Al content using a new evaporation source (hereinafter referred to as μ-ARC) while also assessing carbide punches coated with this coating and subjected to cold forging. AlCrN coatings deposited by μ-ARC demonstrated excellent durability due to the formation of a cubic structure with a high Al content and exceptional smoothness. In addition, reciprocating sliding tests were conducted, and the mold processing test results were examined from viewpoint of tribology.

The architecture and civil engineering sectors face a range of pressing social challenges, including the need to respond to increasingly frequent natural disasters, a shrinking workforce caused by a declining birthrate and aging population, and the urgent task of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To address these challenges, the KOBELCO Group has identified five materialities (key issues) and is actively pursuing initiatives to resolve them. The Kobe Steel Group operates a diverse range of businesses, and in addition to leveraging the technologies cultivated in each field, KOBELCO Group contributes to society by integrating expertise across its business areas to generate powerful synergies. This article introduces the materials and solutions that the KOBELCO Group provides for the architecture and civil engineering sectors, organized according to these key materialities.

As steel building structures become taller, there are high hopes for the use of 780 N/mm²-class steel for welded box columns. However, it has been difficult to ensure the strength and toughness of welded joints when using high-heat input welding. To counter this, Kobe Steel has developed a steel plate that improves the toughness of the heat-affected zone in high-heat input welding by suppressing the formation of the M-A constituent (island martensite), a brittle hard phase, through increased Cr and Mo and reduced C, Si, and Mn. Evaluation of the mechanical properties of the base material, electroslag, and submerged arc welded joints confirmed favorable results in terms of strength, toughness, and weldability, making this plate suitable for high-efficiency construction.

In transportation infrastructure such as bridges, there is demand for reduction of life-cycle costs from construction through to rebuilding. For steel bridges, a key challenge is addressing corrosion under paint coatings, particularly in areas exposed to harsh environments, such as girder ends and edges. “Eco-view Plus” is a corrosion-resisting steel that contains Ta, Mg, and rare earth metals (REM) which inhibit the underfilm corrosion of steel by enhancing the corrosion resistance of inclusions, and promoting the formation of zinc rust by zinc-rich paint which shields steel surface and the coating-steel interface from corrosive environments. Eco-view Plus can extend the time for the growth of coating blisters to approximately twice than that of conventional steel materials. Its application to girder ends and edges is therefore expected to significantly reduce the life-cycle cost of steel bridges.

Joining is the most important production technology in the manufacturing and assembly of architectural steel frames. The Kobelco Group has long contributed to advancement of the construction industry through its high-tension bolts and arc welding technologies. Recent labor shortages have increased the need for automation by robotization. This has led to a notable trend toward the expansion of large-scale arc welding robot systems in steel frame manufacturing factories, as well as the adoption of portable arc welding robots on-site. In addition, efforts are being made to lower the barriers to training for welders, who are becoming increasingly rare, by combining practical and virtual training methods.

This paper presents the latest trends in consumables for gas shielded arc welding, submerged arc welding, and electroslag welding, which are commonly used in the construction of structural steel. Also introduced is the lineup of welding consumables, which is tailored to the strength class of the steel.

In recent years, there has been an increasing incidence of traditional wooden architecture collapsing or suffering damage as a result of earthquakes. These buildings often have open structures with few walls, making their seismic reinforcement challenging. This paper proposes a seismic reinforcement method utilizing high-strength, galvanized steel wire, which possesses sufficient yield strength, toughness, and rigidity to meet the required earthquake resistance performance. Both ends of each steel wire are processed with so-called button heads, allowing the steel wire to bear the stress through the button heads when a tensile load is applied. When a compressive load is applied, the steel wire-end escapes to avoid bearing stress. Therefore, it is expected that the stress generated in the metal-fitting body or column/beam members will be reduced. A horizontal load test has confirmed that the proposed reinforcement method yields sufficient strength and toughness. Going forward, the arrangement angle and fixing anchoring fittings will be employed as parameters to expand the scope of application.

Steel frame fabricators are facing challenges such as shortages of skilled workers and the need to improve productivity, driving demand for automation solutions.
Kobe Steel has developed beam welding software that integrates with steel frame design CAD data and has also created a system that automates the assembly process, which is the process before beam welding. The developed software automatically generates operating programs for the system directly from the CAD data of the frame design. The automated assembly system supports a wide variety of beam and column shapes, enabling automated assembly and welding. This facilitates deskilling and improved assembly precision, while also achieving high-quality welding, which helps resolve the challenges faced by steel frame fabricators.

The use of welding robots in the welding field is on the rise, driven by a shortage of skilled welders and the growing demand for higher productivity. Concurrently, research involving vision sensors is being explored to address complex welding tasks that are difficult to handle with traditional robotic systems. This paper presents our work on automating horizontal first-layer penetration welding using a compact, portable robotic welding system equipped with a vision sensor. The system achieves welding automation by integrating a vision sensor with a portable robot. During first-layer welding, the system automatically tracks variations in the root gap and follows the welding path by identifying key features of the molten pool, adjusting the weaving motion as needed.
From the second layer onward, the system updates the build-up parameters based on groove information acquired during the first layer, enabling fully automated welding through to the final layer.