Hyundai Heavy Industries Adopts Nippon Steel’s High Strength Plate

Nippon Steel announced on Tuesday its high strength steel plate was adopted by Hyundai Heavy Industries, which has yield stress of 47 kilogram forth per square millimeters. Hyundai Heavy uses the plate for 10 large container vessels which are appreciated by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Japanese major shipping business organization. The plate was adopted by an overseas shipbuilder for the first time.Nippon Steel developed the plate with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in September 2006 to adopt for larger container vessels. The plate has been used for total 30 container vessels including 6 vessels built in Nagasaki shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, 14 vessels built in other domestic shipyards and 10 container vessels of Hyundai Heavy.Nippon Steel’s high strength plate realized both high tensility and high crack arrest toughness by the thermo mechanical control process. The plate can stop crack emergence in upper decks and hatch side combings. Additionally the plate reduces the weight of a vessel with its high strength and thin thickness. As a result, fuel efficiency and carrying capacity can be improved.Nippon Steel developed the plate sized at maximum 70 millimeters thickness which can be supplied to super large container vessels with capacity at 12,000-14,000 units. The firm acquired the classification of vessels for American Bureau of Shipping (AB) and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK) while in negotiations for acquisition of European classifications.Nippon Steel is expanding the production capacity of high grade steel plate to meet strong demand for shipbuilding or energy industries. The firm invests approximately 20 billion yen for steel plate lines in Oita iron works.