Hyundai Steel to Start Commercial Production of Automotive Sheet in 2011

Hyundai Steel, South Korean major steel maker plans to start commercial production of steel sheet for automobiles at Danjing works in 2011. The firm will complete the sheet development within this year. Hyundai Steel supplies hot rolled coil and Hyundai Kia Automotive Group handles downstream processes including cold rolling. Hyundai Steel aims to build up the competition power of Hyundai Kia Automobile Group.

Hyundai Steel’s research & development center in Danjing has developed high grade steel products with about 200 engineers. The firm is trying to develop alloy products for weight saving of automotive steels. Hyundai steel decided to invest 85 billion won additionally for expansion of the center. The center will increase the engineer number and introduce most-advanced equipment for the development of high grade steel sheet applied to automobiles and steel plate for shipbuilding.

Hyundai Steel will start the operation of C hot rolling mill with a capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per year in July-September, which is dedicated to the production of automotive steel sheet. The hot rolling capacity will total 6.5 million tonnes per year including existent B mill. The firm starts the integrated production including 2 large blast furnaces in the works.