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5. Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Business Report FY ended Mar. 2020

Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Business Report FY ended Mar. 2020

Recent Business Developments

Established AM Solutions Center
-On April 12, Hitachi Metals, Ltd. (Hitachi Metals) announced that on April 1, it would establish “AM Solution Center,” a new organization in the metal material business headquarters to strengthen its metal additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing) business. In addition to metal additive manufacturing, the company will be offering proposals in a wide range of molding fields such as powder injection molding and precision casting. The proposals will include materials, design, processing, and recipes, tailored towards the request of the client. In April 2017, Hitachi Metals established the “Global Research & Innovative Technology Center” (GRIT), a new corporate research center for research and development of advanced materials over the medium to long term. It is working on developing metal powders and recipes for additive manufacturing. The company plans to use the know-how cultivated at these research centers and open innovation bases at the AM Solution Center. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on March 13, 2020)

Magnetic Materials Business Reorganized
-Hitachi Metals, Ltd. (Hitachi Metals) announced on October 29 that it will rebuild its magnetic material business. Profitability of the company’s magnetic material business deteriorated due to prolonged sluggish demand and escalated price competition in the electric vehicle magnet market, which led to impairment loss of about JPY 40 billion in the period April-September 2019. Hitachi Metals will restructure its production system and reduce the number of personnel, in order to shift its business strategy to focus on swiftness and cost competitiveness. For the restructuring of its magnetic material business, the company will consider closing and integration of plants, as well as reducing development and production costs. Regarding its plants outside Japan (China and the Philippines), where demand is likely to expand, Hitachi Metals will establish a production system that can adjust inventories flexibly. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on October 31, 2019)

R&D Facilities

Signed Agreement with Oxford University to Establish a University Technology Centre on Amorphous Metals and Nickel-based Superalloys
-Hitachi Metals, Ltd. (Hitachi Metals) announced that it has signed an agreement with the University of Oxford based in the U.K. regarding the establishment of a joint research organization on amorphous ribbon and Ni-based superalloys. By integrating the metallurgical technologies held by the University of Oxford and the material development technologies of Hitachi Metals, this joint research organization will promote efforts to build a process model of Fe-based amorphous ribbon and to identify dominant structural factors affecting mechanical properties of Ni-based superalloys. The joint research organization aims to establish processing and material technologies that will contribute to the advancement of next-generation energy-efficient motors and aircraft engines. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on March 30, 2020)

Developed High-power Density Onboard Charger with Germany-based Fraunhofer
-On April 16 Hitachi Metals, Ltd. (Hitachi Metals) announced that the company and Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB (Fraunhofer IISB), the largest research institute in Europe, have jointly developed a technology to enhance the power density in the on-board charger (OBC) used in electrified vehicles. They have successfully created an OBC prototype that offers the industry’s highest power density of 3.8 kW/L. The new technology, if it is incorporated into electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, will contribute to a reduction in charging time. The new technology was developed using Hitachi Metals’ soft magnetic materials and Fraunhofer IISB’s circuit technology. Specifically, they have adopted the FINEMET FT-3K50T nanocrystalline alloy with excellent magnetic properties for the common-mode choke coils in the input/output noise filter, and another choke coil made of the HLM50 amorphous powder core with excellent direct-current superposition properties for the rectification and power factor correction circuit. An isolation transformer with resonance inductors made of the low-loss soft ferrite core ML29D is used in the DC/DC converter to provide increased output. The two partners have also confirmed 11 kW output and three phase input operations by using three OBCs connected in parallel. Up to six OBC units can be connected in parallel to produce a maximum output of 22 kW. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on April 17, 2019)

<Vietnam>
-Hitachi Metals, Ltd. (Hitachi Metals) announced that it will strengthen global production capacity of its electric parking brake (EPB) harnesses. With the increasing number of models equipped with EPB due to the electrification of powertrain and control systems, the company will introduce a harness cable manufacturing facility at its plant in Hai Duong province, Vietnam as well as increase its EPB harness production capacity in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Expansion at both sites is expected to be completed during the first half of 2020. (From a press release on May 27, 2019)

<Group company>
-Waupaca Foundry, Hitachi Metals group company, announced that it has opened its Ironwood operation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The company’s expansion into the city of Ironwood is expected to generate an investment of USD 4.3 million and create 61 new jobs. The new facility will process iron castings produced at its Waupaca, Wisconsin plants. (From Michigan Economic Development Corporation release on July 18, 2019)