Ministry of Industry Drives Domestic Brass Industry Using Recycled Raw Materials

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta, the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) continues to push the development of national brass-based industry to be more competitive.

One of its strategic efforts is through the utilization of recycled brass or copper raw materials from the remaining household appliances or unused projects.

Director General of Metal, Machinery, Transportation and Electronic Equipment (ILMATE) Kemenperin Harjanto said that this effort is also a form for environmental conservation.

"Especially with the current technological development of modern, quality is maintained with recycled raw materials," said Harjanto at the inauguration ceremony of the Association of Indonesian Brass Foundry Industry (GIPELKI) in Jakarta, Monday (26/3/2018).

He added that the domestic brass industry has been able to produce casting and extrusion products, including valve, water meter, and wire and derivative products.

According to him, the use of raw materials derived from scrap has an advantage in terms of energy efficiency and control of the environment is simpler than the base metal industry derived from metal.

To that end, the Ministry of Industry continues to spur products that are more valuable so as to meet the needs of the export market.

"There is still a portion of brass scrap that can still be exported, with the presence of GIPELKI, we expect to facilitate the identification of the needs of brass scrap raw materials," he said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of GIPLEKI Eric Wijaya who is also Commissioner of PT Prima Copper Industri conveyed, the need for brass scrap for the brass smelting industry in Indonesia is estimated at 25,000 tons per year or Rp2, 5 trillion.

"From the scrap, companies incorporated in GIPELKI have been producing all kinds of brass products and sell them to behalf of industries with world brands," he said.

In fact, from exported products, it has been used for sanitary water faucet industry, LPG gas tube head, as well as for electronics industry component and textile industry such as brass for zipper.

"Until now there are already supplying silicon brasses to help brass craftsmen produce high quality goods," he added.

Outside the craftsmen who traditionally produce brass products, in Indonesia there are currently 12 companies that engage in large-scale brass smelting activities.