Sumitomo Electric Makes Aluminum Bet as Automakers Shed Weight
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Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., the world’s second-largest maker of wire harnesses in cars, is preparing to start selling an aluminum-based product that may help the company vie for the lead in the market.
“We’re near the point where the quality is high enough and we can make final safety checks,” Senior Managing Director Mitsuo Nishida, who oversees Sumitomo’s auto-related business, said in an interview last week in Nagoya. The material is strong enough to be used in the engine area of a car and is lighter than the copper wiring commonly used, he said.