Procobre Perú - Bulletin 1, 1999

EDITORIAL

Procobre presents its fourth bulletin and the first in 1999. As can be appreciated in previous editions, our aim is to deliver an informative newsletter in congenial language, introducing novelties and progress made by the institution's management in its various sections. On the international scene, we highlight the work of Procobre Chile, on its tenth anniversary. Regarding the organization in Peru, it is important to mention the constant support of the Electric and Education Committees through the active participation of the members' representatives. Moreover, we will report on what is going on and the progress being made in the four principal campaigns. We want you to be well informed so that you can benefit from the services provided by Procobre. In the section on new applications, copper is a surprise to us in the electronic world by IBM's introduction of the superchip.

Training being the most effective means for dissemination and promotion, Procobre continues participating in a growing number of events in Lima and the provinces. We invite you to visit us on our revised Web page giving updated information and options that will help you find what you want.

We trust your reading will be pleasant.

Procobre Peru Board of Directors

PROCOBRE CHILE

Ten Years of Ceaseless Labor

With the same enthusiasm that characterized the start up of its activities, the Promotion Center on Uses of Copper in Chile is proud of having stimulated the per capita consumption of this metal by 250% compared to 1988.

But even beyond these figures, Procobre Chile has contributed to tightening the work ties between public and private production sectors, as shown by the active participation of 23 companies producing and manufacturing copper, as well as another 19 collaborating entities among the members.

In the words of Hernan Sierralta, its Executive Director: "Procobre Chile is an institution that is still growing, and whose principal role is the promotion of copper from a highly technical point of view. Our participation in the President of the Nation's Technical Commission since 1993 seeks to defend the use of copper in its various applications, especially those which have been questioned through regulations not based on duly proven scientific research."

Photo: Mr. Hernan Sierralta Executive Director of Procobre Chile

Finally, from this office of Procobre Peru, we wish to extend to them our heartfelt congratulations. And to thank them for their constant support through the sustained interchange of experiences and materials. These have been well received in our environment, enabling us to develop an effective promotion of the use of copper in our country.

PROCOBRE PERU

Organización y Gestión

Procobre Peru's proposed goals would not be feasible without the backing of two important support committees. One is the Electric Committee that for three years has been identifying and assessing the most diverse alternatives in the area. The other, the Education, Science and Technology Committee, began its activities in May 1998 and has, until now, provided backing to any and all activities translated into seminars, training and teaching courses that the institution has organized, not only in favor of the sector's professionals, but also of the final users.

Each committee is made up of representatives of our associate companies that, in a disinterested way, have technically supported the campaigns undertaken in favor of promoting the use of copper.

We offer our most sincere thanks for the support given and the invitation to other representatives to participate actively in strengthening the institution's management. All ideas are welcome and we feel that the best way to make them known is through e-mail. (rrproc@amauta.rcp.net.pe).

NEW APPLICATIONS

Copper in SOI, the Superchip

The International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) has perfected a process for manufacturing microprocessors that are 35% faster utilizing less electricity. This could significantly increase the life of batteries for laptops, cell phones and other products. This great step forward might make chips operate at 1000 megahertz, or more than double the speed of the fastest existing microprocessor, the Pentium Intel Corp.

The process known as Silicon Over Insulation or SOI, acts as a sheath over the millions of transistors in a chip, reducing the filtrations that are detrimental to the microprocessor's performance, permitting the transistors to work faster. In order to understand this better, for example, SOI would be like modifying the motor of a car in order to achieve greater velocity while consuming less gasoline.

Let us recall that IBM, in September last year, became the first company to announce the utilization of copper cables in its microprocessors instead of aluminum of lesser conductivity. IBM has already begun selling its copper-based microprocessors to Apple Computer Inc. Moreover other manufacturers have put on their agenda the manufacture of their own copper chips.

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