WiredInUSA March 2016

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wiredInUSA - March 2016 37 ASIA / AFRICA NEWS
Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal
Corporation (NSSMC) is to establish a new
company called Nippon Steel and Sumikin
Cold Heading Wire Indiana Inc (NSCI), to
manufacture and sell steel wires for cold
heading and forging for the automobile
industry in Indiana.
NSCI will be established through joint
investment from Matsubishi Metal Industry
Co Ltd, Nippon Steel and Sumikin Steel
Processing Co Ltd, Miyazaki Seiko Co Ltd,
Sanyu Co Ltd, Toyota Tsusho Corporation,
Nippon Steel and Sumikin Bussan
Corporation, Metal One Corporation, and
Sumitomo Corporation.
Steel wires for cold heading and forging
are mainly used for automobile fasteners
and parts, and are produced by adding
a secondary process (such as pickling,
coating, wire drawing or heat treatment)
to steel wires. Most uses are for important
safety-related parts and the quality
requirements, such as materials and
dimension accuracy, are extremely high.
In order to satisfy these requirements strict
quality management is necessary for wire
rods and secondary processes.
NSCI will be the twelfth member company
of NSSMC’s SteeLinC ® bar and wire rods
business brand.
Cold heading venture
Japan-based fiber optic products
manufacturer Furukawa has reported
a sharp increase in its annual operating
profit. The cable and wire manufacturer
has seen a surge of 40 percent in its
operating profit, mainly due to the growing
demand for fiber optic products in the
North American and Chinese markets.
Furukawa’s consolidated profit for the last
financial year is expected to reach around
$208 million.
Increased data usage by smartphones is
boosting efforts to improve transmission
speeds, increasing demand for fiber optic
cable. The company’s North American
subsidiary, OFS Fitel, a fiber optic
manufacturer, is among the group’s best
performers, with operating profit more
than doubling. More efficient production
has helped raise the unit’s profitability.
Operating profit in the overall fiber optic
cable operations is widely expected to
surpass 56 percent.
Conversely, operating profit in the
electronics and automotive systems
segment is expected to drop. In North
America production costs have risen for
parts aimed at new model cars, while
demand is slumping for wire harnesses for
cars made in Japan.
Fiber’s profit boost