The Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Awards are conferred in order to develop and pass on the manufacturing and tradition that has supported Japan's industry and culture as well as the lives of citizens and to inspire further development.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism jointly created the awards in August 2005 and an awards ceremony is held once every 2 years.
The awards are conferred across 4 categories and NSSC received the Prime Minister's Award in the Product and Technology Development Category, which in turn is in the Monodzukuri Supporting Industry and Society Category. This field is subdivided into 3 sections: materials, machinery data and living. The award is not just limited to metal products but is included in a broad scope of materials that also encompassed plastics, rubber, concrete, etc. The NSSC entry was judged for its: 1. Revolutionary approach; 2. Technical level; 3. Influence on citizens’ lives and impact on industry. Only one material can be chosen from all the entrants; there is a lot of pride and honor in being the recipient of this award.
NSSC® FW1 and NSSC® FW2 are the world’s first stainless steel products manufactured through the addition of tin. This new technique can reduces rare metals such as Cr and Ni as used in the production of regular steel such as SUS430 and SUS304 by some 20% to 40%. The new approach has delivered a reduction in required raw materials as well as costs.
Furthermore, both new products display excellent anti corrosion performance and are simple to process, making them suitable for the same broad range of applications as regular steel. The new steel is manufactured in Japan and exported to overseas where competition in the generic stainless steel market is ever intensifying, and as such the new steel has been acknowledged to be the shot in the arm for domestic manufacturing.
In the year since commercial production, the total volume of FW Series manufactured has exceeded 10,000 metric tons. In terms of applications, FW Series steel is being used in a wide variety of fields, from washing machine drums, system kitchens, domestic goods such as pots and pans, etc. through to ornamental piping and ironware installed in construction projects outdoors.
The NSSC® FW Series has been created through the technologies of tin addition pioneered in the days of Sumitomo Metals with the highly pure ferrite-related manufacturing technologies developed by Nippon Steel. Working in cooperation with Nippon Steel Yawata Works, NSSC has succeeded in producing the series on a commercial basis, which represents the fusion of joint-technology between Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metals.
Driven by this Prime Minister's Award, NSSC will be devoted to put all its efforts into developing new products succeeding the FW Series and will keep contributing to society through its technologies and experiences.
