Built in 1951 in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the Kure Works serves as our melting center. In addition to large-scale production, the Kure Works efficiently handles the small-lot needs of diverse special orders. Facilities at the Kure Works include two freestanding blast furnaces for iron making, three top- and bottom- blown converters for steelmaking, vertical semiunderground and bending type continuous casting machines, and a tandem hot-rolling mill. Constant technological upgrading over the years has helped improve the stability and quality of our steel supplies.