Open / Close Advertisement

SSAB to Introduce New Roll-Forming Steel at EuroBLECH 2008

09/09/2008 - SSAB will introduce Docol Roll, its new ultra-high strength steel optimized for roll forming, at EuroBLECH 2008 this October 21–25.

SSAB announced plans to introduce Docol Roll, its new ultra-high strength steel optimized for roll forming, at EuroBLECH 2008 October 21–25, 2008.
 
Docol Roll, SSAB’s latest product development milestone, can be formed to very tight bending radii. Available in two strength levels, the new cold-reduced steel offers high yield strength and the high dimensional stability typical of finished profiles.
 
According to the company, one of the reasons for Docol Roll’s outstanding bending characteristics is the dual-phase steel’s very well balanced distribution of ferrite and martensite. A special annealing process results in a very well balanced hardness distribution in the material combined with a slight difference between the yield strength and the tensile strength of the steel.
 
Docol Roll is a particularly advantageous development for the automotive industry by offering the ability to create more complex constructions that are able to tolerate high stresses. In addition, its homogenous microstructure results in improved formability. Such characteristics make Docol Roll a natural choice for components in complex mechanical applications such as those built by the manufacturers of seat rails.
 
“The special advantage offered by Docol Roll is the fact that it is ultra-high strength while also offering very tight bending radii,” said Karl-Inge Nilsson, Development Manager for cold-reduced and metal coated products at SSAB. “In addition, it is suitable for the manufacture of products with very good geometric stability.”
 
During development of the new alloy, SSAB worked closely with profile producers, many of who expressed a desire for a product whose tighter bending radii would make it possible to build more rigid constructions, and thus facilitate further weight reductions. “As a leading provider in this niche market, it is especially important for SSAB to maintain a continuous dialogue with end users, suppliers and other market participants, in order to recognize trends at an early date,” said Anke Meyer, Vice Manager Marketing Communications for the SSAB Strip Products Division.
 
During early development, contacts from the automotive industry expressed a great deal of interest in Docol Roll. The product was subjected to extensive testing, and resultant data were evaluated in detail. The new alloy also underwent early utilization by Johnson Controls, who applied it in the production of seat rails in South Korea. Johnson Controls, South Korea noted the good bending characteristics, as well as the overall high quality of the Docol Roll material in the production.
 
For the automotive industry, the new alloy offers unique benefits by combining the roll-forming of profiles with the advantages of ultra-high strength steels, making it possible to achieve high productivity with reasonable production costs. With its extremely good bending characteristics, Docol Rolls is suitable not only for roll-forming, but is also advantageous in other manufacturing processes, such as in the construction, electronics and furniture industries. These industries are also exhibiting the same trend toward ever-thinner profiles capable of withstanding powerful stresses.
 
SSAB notes that it is able to supply coils, slit strips and sheet from its test stock on short notice. Other available products include Dogal Roll (hot-dip galvanized) and an electro-galvanized version of Docol Roll. All steels are manufactured in SSAB’s steel mill in Borlänge, Sweden.