Kobe makes air compressors

Kobe makes air compressors

TOKYO (Reuter): Kobe Steel Ltd said on Friday that its wholly owned subsidiary in Singapore began production of screw air compressors in July to be sold in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and southern China.

The subsidiary, Kobe International (S) Co Pte Ltd (KISCO), is the first company to make screw air compressors in Southeast Asia, Kobe Steel said in a statement.

The subsidiary, which formerly served as a sales office for Kobe Steel's products, installed an assembly line to its existing maintenance facility to make the compressors, with output ranging from 7.5 kilowatts to 75 kilowatts, Kobe Steel said. The company aims to make over 100 units per month by 2000, it said.

Demand for air compressors in Southeast Asia is expected to increase by five to seven percent a year in the next few years, Kobe Steel said.