Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Metals) received two gold awards from Panasonic Corporation for its ECO-VC (Value Creation) Initiative. The awards are given to suppliers of Panasonic Group companies that make a significant contribution towards advancing their products and decreasing CO2 emissions; 5 suppliers out of 668 accomplishments from 444 suppliers received awards. Sumitomo received an award for their heat release steel sheet which acts as an ultra thin heat sink for TV’s and their welded light weight H beams, used for housing construction. By focusing on emission, Sumitomo moved away from conventional aluminum heat sinks that transfer heat and created paint with thermal emissivity. When coated with paint, the heat release steel sheet creates an ultra thin heat sink, reducing CO2 emissions and costs. By assessing the strength and vibration of composite beams and adjusting the shapes and welding conditions of the metal joints used to connect the columns to the beams, Sumitomo reduced the gauge of the H beams. SMart BEAM’s save material cost as well as CO2 emissions.
