Tata Steel Ijmuiden and processing company Wuppermann Staal Nederland BV have agreed to jointly increase capabilities of producing thicker high-strength galvanized steels meeting stringent automotive requirements.
Tata will introduce a new range of hot-rolled steels for chassis applications, in thicknesses of 2-4mm, Kallanish learns from the steelmaker. The new range will combine the benefits of hot-rolled high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) grades and advanced high strength steels, with a protective zinc layer against corrosive influences, it says.
“The chassis of a car is subject to a lot of wear and tear, day in day out. At the same time, further downgauging of chassis parts plays an important role to meet light-weighting targets. This combination makes effective corrosion protection a necessity,” says Paul Cremers, marketing manager Chassis & Suspension at Tata.
He notes that significant improvements have been made in relation to zinc layer thickness control, oil types, and many other areas to ensure these products adhere to German automotive association VDA standards, among others. Both companies are committed to extend this programme further in the future.
Christian Koehl Germany
