Posted on 25 Feb 2013
Wuhan Steel develops 1.2mm high strength HR
The world first and WISCO exclusive hot rolled ultra thin sheets with
1.2mm thickness and 700Mpa strength have been successfully applied in
the container plates and automotive frames, which is regarded as a new
breakthrough in replacement of cold rolled sheets.
Recently, a batch of hot-rolled ultra-thin sheets produced by General
Plant of Long Product delivered to China International Marine Containers
(Group) Ltd will be used in the manufacturing of container plates
required by the land transport in North America.
Prior to the success in the hot-rolled ultra-thin sheets with high
strength by WISCO, there is no hot-rolled high-strength steel with the
thickness less than 1.5mmin the world. The plain carbon steel products
are used in the general automotive frames and the container plates;
while the cold rolled high strength steel products are used in the high
end automotive frames and the container plates. Due to the high cost,
poor processability and crackability of cold rolled steel, WISCO grasped
the opportunity to research and develop the hot-rolled steel. After the
trial each parameter of hot rolled high-strength steel is superior to
that of cold rolled steel from the customers feedback. From then on, the
hot rolled steel of WISCO has succeeded in replacing the cold-rolled
steel and taking over the high end market.
Nowadays, energy conservation and emission reduction are the main trend
in the world. High strength and light weight will be the typical
characteristics of the iron and steel products in the future. The whole
world is facing a top urgent: how to maximize the reduction of energy
consumption on the precondition of satisfying the social end-use
demands. If the cold-rolled steel is replaced by the hot-rolled steel,
100kwh power consumption and 100 cubic meter gas will be saved per ton.
Focusing on the main trend, WISCO is making great efforts to research
and develop the hot-rolled high-strength ultra-thin sheets. Finally, the
ultra-thin sheets with 1.2 mm thickness and 700 Mpa strength which made
the new world record in the thinnest dimenstions and highest strength
were successfully produced in July, 2011. Since then, WISCO has been
further investing in the application of high strength steel.
Up till now, the next-generation steel products for containers which are
independently developed by CSP (Compact Strip Production) Plant of
WISCO have become the favorites in the steel market. The steel products
for automotive structures with thin dimensions and high strength have
successfully replaced the cold rolled steel products in the fields of
commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles. The pickling steel products
for automotive structures with thin dimensions have replaced the
imported products and been supplied for the domestic Top 10 automotive
companies. The hot-rolled pickling steel products for the tank of water
heater have been certified by Haier, Midea and Ariston. In 2012, the
sales volume of ultra-thin sheets with the thickness below 1.6mm by CSP
Plant of WISCO has seen a year on year increase of over 30%, and the
output of ultra thin sheets accounts for 43% of the total output of thin
sheets, an increase of 17% over the previous year. The market share of
thin and ultra thin sheets by CSP Plant of WISCO has reached almost 60%
merely in the eastern China.
Source – Wuhan
