Kobe Steel’s U.S. joint venture, Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products (KAAP), increased its production capacity of forged-aluminum products for automotive suspension systems by 50%. Based in Bowling Green, Ky., the company began a $66 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in spring 2013. Construction was completed in August, and the new facility has gone into production. As a result, KAAP’s production capacity of 280,000 pieces per month has increased to 420,000 pieces per month. This expansion, together with Kobe Steel’s other manufacturing locations in Japan and China, gives the Kobe Steel Group a combined production capacity of 1 million pieces per month of forged-aluminum suspension parts. KAAP is a joint venture of Kobe Steel, Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and Toyota Tsusho Corp.