On February 17, Japanese steelmaker Kobe Steel Ltd announced that its new large-capacity compressor test facility has begun operations at the company's Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture in western Japan, a company press release said.
Test facilities are essential to confirm the mechanical stability and design performance of compressors, a major product of Kobe Steel's machinery segment. The facility worth Yen 4 billion ($44 million) is the biggest in Japan and will be able to test large-capacity process gas compressors with variable-speed motors rated up to 20,000 kilowatts. The new facility, the construction of which began in April 2008, doubles Kobe Steel's testing capacity.
The start-up of the test facility will enable Kobe Steel to develop its global markets, including the US, Europe, China and the Middle East. Kobe Steel estimates that it has a 10 percent share of the global gas compressor market, which it aims to hike to 20 percent by the fiscal year 2012.