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October 07, 2008


Kobe Steel’s Kobelco Welding starts production in Netherlands

Kobe Steel Ltd announced that its Netherlands based subsidiary, Kobelco Welding of Europe BV has begun production of fluxed cored welding wire for carbon steel at its new production lines at Heerlen in the southern province of Limburg. It will produce 7,000 tonnes per year from 2008.

Kobelco Welding of Europe started out by manufacturing flux cored welding wire for stainless steel in 1995. Production capacity is approximately 1,000 metric tonnes per year. However with demand for carbon steel FCW growing in Europe, Kobelco added production capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes per year for this type of welding wire, investing EUR 10.9 million. This will enable Kobelco to produce a combined total of 7,000 metric tonnes of welding wires in 2008 when full production is anticipated to be achieved.

Tomorrow, Kobelco will celebrate the official opening of the new production lines at its plant in Heerlen located in the southern province of Limburg. Attending the commemorative event will be Mr Heerlen Mayor AMG Gresel and over 160 guests. From Kobe Steel, Mr Isao Aida a senior MD of Kobe Steel and president of the Welding Company will participate.

This type of electrode is commonly used to weld ordinary steel in large quantities in shipbuilding and offshore marine structures such as oil rigs. The market for flux cored welding wire for carbon steel has been growing rapidly in Japan, South Korea, and China. The supply side of carbon steel FCW continues to be tight. In Europe active resource development in the oil and natural gas fields has led to a sharp demand for carbon steel flux cored wire.

Flux cored welding wire consists of a steel sheath with flux in the middle. Flux cored welding is generally around 1.2mm to 1.6mm in diameter. Flux contains a deoxidant slag generator, arc stabilizer, alloys, steel powder and other substances. Flux composition contributes greatly to the mechanical properties, welding workability and other capabilities of the welding wire.

Kobelco Welding of Europe BV is owned 94.6% by Kobe Steel and 5.6% by Sojitz Group.