Yazaki expands its aluminium wire production capacity

Thai Yazaki Electric Wire, part of the Japanese corporation Yazaki, is set to construct a new facility dedicated to producing aluminium electric wires. This initiative is driven by the anticipation of a growing demand for the country's electricity infrastructure, prompting the need for an expanded manufacturing capacity.

The proposed facility is intended to serve as a substantial factory, encompassing tasks ranging from the aluminium melting process. It is slated to be constructed on the grounds of the current Suvarnabhumi plant site, situated about 40 kilometres east of Bangkok in the country.

Amidst significant advancements in the power sector, the company is aligning its production system to meet the demands of sizable projects. The construction for the cutting-edge plant is to begin in June 2024, and it anticipated its completion by May 2025. This initiative responds to the growing need for electric power infrastructure as the company gears up to establish a state-of-the-art facility that produces aluminium wires.

The construction will cover an approximate area of 20,000 square meters, with plans to increase the melting capacity from 850 tonnes to 2,500 tonnes per month. This expansion is poised to substantially enhance the company's production capacity for aluminium wires, necessitating an estimated investment of approximately JPY 6.5 billion.

In addition to its role in the power sector, the company is integral in supplying aluminium alloy wires, used as materials for automotive wires, to the Yazaki Group's automotive division. As the automotive industry embraces electrification, the demand for lightweight materials for automotive aluminium wires is anticipated to rise.

The new melting furnace is designed to melt both pure aluminium and aluminium alloys for electric wires efficiently, focusing on reducing setup time when switching materials.