Sumitomo Metal Industries Limited has received the 57th Okochi Memorial Foundation Production Prize for its development of technologies that extend the campaign life of blast furnaces.

The inner conditions of a blast furnace used to be a black box but Sumitomo Metals has developed simulation technologies which enable inner conditions to be quantitatively evaluated. Thanks to operational and repair technologies based on such evaluation, the Wakayama Steel Works' No 4 blast furnace was commended for achieving the world's longest continuous operation of 10,001 days (27 years and 4 months).

The award on this occasion has resulted in Sumitomo Metals receiving the Okochi Memorial Foundation Prize for all the processes (i.e. blast furnace, steelmaking, manufacturing mill, and products) that are related to manufacturing of seamless pipes, our major products.

Commemorating Dr Masatoshi Okochi's services to academic societies and industries, the Okochi Memorial Foundation was established in 1954 and has presented the Okochi Memorial Foundation Prize with the objective to promote science and technology for production, which was the late Dr Okochi's wish. The Okochi Memorial Foundation Prize recognizes notable contributions in the areas of production engineering, production technology research and development, and the implementation of high level production methods in Japan.