Sumitomo Metals to Launch High Tensile Shipbuilding Plate

Sumitomo Metal Industries developed high tensile shipbuilding plate steel with 47 kilogram per millimeter of yield strength and better fatigue resistance by using the original technology for fatigue crack arrester steel. The new item has twice long fatigue life along with high toughness and weldability compared with traditional steel. The firm tries to market the item appealing the fatigue performance when container carrier gets larger and needs more high tensile steels. Larger container carrier uses thicker plate while plate steel toughness tends to get less when plate gets thicker. Shipbuilders seek higher performance steel with higher toughness, weldability and strength. Japanese integrated steel makers launched 47 kg/mm yield strength steel products by using technology of thermo mechanical control system. Sumitomo Metals developed fatigue crack arrester steel with 47 kg/mm yield strength by introducing online cooling system, Dynamic Accelerated Cooling at plate mill of Kashima works in mid-2006. Container carrier gets larger and larger. South Korean shipbuilders build carriers with up to 12,000 twenty feet equivalent units recently compared with 4,000 TEU class carriers in early 1990.