JFE Steel, thyssenkrupp to License Each Other's Sheet-Forming Technology
08/25/2016 - Japan’s JFE Steel Corp. and thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG have signed an agreement to cross-license each other’s flangeless automotive sheet-forming technologies, the steelmakers have announced.
In a statement, JFE Steel said the cross-licensing agreement will allow each to offer customers a better solution for producing certain flangeless structural parts than they could on their own.
JFE said each had been developing technology for forming flangeless parts, but each had drawbacks. One couldn’t ensure consistent dimensional accuracy when forming longitudinal bends in parts. The other can, but it requires special metal molds, JFE said.
“Under the new cross-licensing contract, the two steelmakers now will offer customers a combination of technologies that enable general-purpose press machines to stably mass produce light, highly accurate flangeless components that can be bent longitudinally, such as automobile front pillars,” JFE said in a statement.
The agreement furthers an existing relationship between the two companies – they have had a cooperation agreement since 2002 and have worked on developing automotive sheet steels and related technology.
JFE said each had been developing technology for forming flangeless parts, but each had drawbacks. One couldn’t ensure consistent dimensional accuracy when forming longitudinal bends in parts. The other can, but it requires special metal molds, JFE said.
“Under the new cross-licensing contract, the two steelmakers now will offer customers a combination of technologies that enable general-purpose press machines to stably mass produce light, highly accurate flangeless components that can be bent longitudinally, such as automobile front pillars,” JFE said in a statement.
The agreement furthers an existing relationship between the two companies – they have had a cooperation agreement since 2002 and have worked on developing automotive sheet steels and related technology.
