ArcelorMittal France tests MPI automotive steel blank line

ArcelorMittal France has inaugurated its Multi Part Integration (MPI) line assembled at its Montataire research centre, a line specifically designed for the production of automotive steel.

This laser ablation and welding facility will test different manufacturing processes and shapes of laser-welded blanks (LWB), also referred to as tailored blanks. It will produce prototypes for ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks, the steelmaker’s division that supplies laser-welded and unwelded blanks to the automotive industry worldwide. In Europe, it has sites in Belgium, France, Germany, Slovakia, Spain and the UK, Kallanish notes.

The new MPI line caters to the requirements of automakers for simplified assembly and modular design in electric driving. An LWB is a sheet that combines different grades. Each grade can have different thicknesses and coatings. “The separate grades are laser welded together to create a single sheet of steel which has the best grade in the best place for strength and deformation. Each sheet can be hot or cold-stamped to give the part its final shape,” the steelmaker explains in a note. The result is a tailor-made solution employed in automotive manufacturing, specifically for the body-in-white and closures of a vehicle.

The new MPI now being tested at Montataire incorporates press hardened steel (PHS) grade and laser welding technology. This allows for the creation of a component that can be fine-tuned to meet various crash requirements and accommodate different types of motors.

The technology offers numerous benefits, such as reducing the number of structural parts and shaping steps, as well as minimising the surface area of the workshop. It also helps in reducing assembly times and weight, thanks to the utilisation of new-generation steel grades. The new line’s features will allow for the development of new laser welding processes on large blanks, ArcelorMittal concludes.

Natalia Capra France

kallanish.com