ArcelorMittal Florange Launches Line to Produce Extra-Wide Usibor® for the Auto Industry
02/14/2013 - Investments of more than €7 million in ArcelorMittal Florange mean that the site’s cold rolling mill now owns the first processing line in the world to produce Usibor® Alusi steel in widths of up to 1,850mm.
ArcelorMittal Florange announced the launch of the first line in the world to produce extra-wide Usibor® for the automotive industry.
Investments of more than €7 million in ArcelorMittal Florange in France mean that the site’s cold rolling mill now owns the first processing line in the world to produce Usibor® Alusi steel in widths of up to 1,850mm.
This world-first gives both the Florange site and the ArcelorMittal group a major competitive advantage. This crucial new area of production strengthens ArcelorMittal Atlantique et Lorraine’s position in the Usibor® market which is an extremely high-growth area.
The new, extra-wide Usibor® is larger than the 1,550mm currently available on the market. There are also plans for additional investments of €55 million in the Florange site, to further strengthen its competitiveness.
Adapting the Florange galvanizing line
The galvanizing line at the Florange site, with investments of €7 million, is now fully adapted to the requirements for the production of extra-wide Usibor® Alusi.
Testing for certification began in December 2012 for the company’s largest customers, and the first certifications are to be confirmed in the first quarter of 2013. Commercial production will begin immediately after this.
Usibor®: a very high-growth market
The Usibor® market is experiencing continuous growth and has benefited from very strong demand from car manufacturers which are widely using hot stamping in order to achieve lighter vehicles.
Usibor® steel meets the requirements of customers in the automotive industry to reduce the weight of their vehicles while improving their safety in order to pass the Euro NCAP crash tests.
Usibor® also complies with environmental standards. For instance, the manufacture of Usibor® releases less CO2 than aluminium. Furthermore, cars manufactured from Usibor® consume less energy because they are lighter and therefore release less CO2.
Finally, the technical characteristics of the product facilitate stamping, which is critical for car manufacturers.
