Kobe Steel Starts High-Tensile Steel Sheet Production in USA

Kobe Steel started production of high-tensile cold-rolled steel sheet for automobile in USA. PRO-TECH Coating, Kobe Steel and US Steel’s subsidiary in USA, introduces a continuous annealing line (CAL) with a capacity at 500,000 tonnes per year. The formal release about this regard will be announced within this month by both companies. The total investment is 30-40 billion yen. Kobe Steel aims to start operation of the new CAL in 2011. Kobe Steel cooperates with Voestalpine for the production in Europe. Kobe Steel becomes to supply high-tensile cold-rolled sheet from the plants in Japan, USA and Europe.Kobe Steel is developing high-tensile steel sheet and expanding the sales globally. The firm’s Kakogawa iron works has a hot-rolled steel plant with the world longest cooling bed, a CAL with high-edge water quench equipment and a continuous hot-dip galvanizing line with fastest cooling equipment in the world. The firm took hold manufacturing technique of high-tensile steel sheet with 1,470 MPa. The firm has advantage for high-tensile steel sheet at over 590 MPa, which has a more than 50% share of super high-tensile steel sheet for automobile sheet for 980 Mpa.Japanese automobile makers are increasing the sales of fuel-economy car in USA due to higher oil price. Kobe steel judged mainly Japanese automakers request high-tensile cold rolled steel sheet thanks to crash safety regulatory. Kobe Steel considers expanding the capacity of PRO-TECH to 1 million tonnes per year by the construction of no.2 CAL in the future.Kobe Steel took hold rolling form technology of super-high-tensile steel sheet until 1,470 MPa with Voestalpine. Moreover, Kobe Steel go over the enhancement of the capacity by introduction of CAL in Kakogawa iron works.