JFE Steel Produces Electric Resistance Welded Steel Pipes for Real

JFE Steel announced on Monday that it would produce for real 780-MPa-class high strength electric resistance welded steel pipes for underbody auto parts with 70 millimeters in diameter/2.6 millimeters thick, which would be the world’s first pipe materials used by the firm. Toyota Motor adopted the products to new Crown, its car in December 2003. Afterward, the adoption by the firm was expanded to its high-class sedans such as Lexus. Further, the number of the adoption will be 40,000 units per month this fall. So JFE’s Chita Works in Central Japan that produces the pipes is planning to increase the monthly production to 30% or more from the existing production of 30,000 units per month in the future. 780-MPa-class high strength electric resistance welded steel pipe was developed so that JFE can deal with needs of high stiffness and lightness of auto parts. JFE succeeded in the development throughout optimization of composition and microstructure in the process to hot rolling from steelmaking that included technologies of high precision online seam hot rolling, etc., which was based on material design harmonizing highly 5 functional characteristics of impact property, fatigue strength, moldability, material stability, and coating compatibility. In addition, JFE will incorporate fabricating technique like bending work and performance assessment technology. At the same time, movements of its strengthening conditions of quality assurance of full page, entire length, and full quantity was appreciated.