Perfectly prepared for electro-mobility

The continuing technological development of electric drive systems will make steel service centres capable of reliably and economically fabricating high strength and ultra-high strength steel more important for the automotive industry. Stahlo Stahlservice is perfectly prepared these demands. At the upcoming Blechexpo international trade fair for sheet metal working from 5 to 8 November 2019, the Friedhelm Loh Group company presents its capabilities when working with high strength and ultra-high-strength steel.

Electric and hybrid drive systems are expected to become a major part of vehicle production in the foreseeable future. This has extensive effects on the upstream production chains. The trend away from combustion engines toward other drive technologies holds significant potential for steel as a material – this includes crash-relevant components that will not only have to protect the vehicle occupants but also the vehicle’s sensitive batteries in future. As a consequence, steel service centres with expertise in working with high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel will be in greater demand than ever – such as Stahlo Stahlservice.

Reliable partner for ultra-high strength steel

The steel service centre belonging to the Friedhelm Loh Group now presents its expertise in processing high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel and aluminium from 5 to 8 November at the Blechexpo 2019 international trade fair for sheet metal working in Stuttgart (hall 10, booth 10509 ). By constantly expanding its processing expertise while making continuous investments, Stahlo Stahlservice has successively established its position as a solid partner for diverse special industries and the automotive industry in particular in recent years.

With its recently completed plant in Gera, Stahlo Stahlservice has doubled its capacity at this location to 400,000 t and reinforced its technology leadership. In addition to the existing equipment, the plant now includes a second contour cutting system with a pressing force of 800 t along with a slitting line capable of processing coils of this steel grade with an coil outside diameter of up to 2,100 mm and up to 60 strips in a single operation. Stahlo Stahlservice has positioned itself as a reliable partner capable of keeping pace with technological development and effectively processing both high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel with a tensile strength of up to 1,900 MPa.

“The development towards electro-mobility is a growth opportunity for steel service centres”, says Oliver Sonst, the new Managing Director of Stahlo Stahlservice as of October 2019. All things considered, some experts predict that the use of flat steel could increase by 10 per cent per electric vehicle in comparison to conventional vehicles. Yet at the same time, increasing price pressure in the automotive industry is also expected. High-strength and ultra-high-strength steel provides automotive manufacturers with the materials group that offers both outstanding chemical properties and is also economically efficient while the production has a good carbon footprint.

The trend toward higher strength steels is, therefore, expected to continue. However, greater material strength also results in increasingly demanding steel processing. Expertise in working with steel is predicted to become even more important in future, because high-performance and reliable partners such as Stahlo Stahlservice are essential for the automotive industry.

“With its highly qualified technical application consultant employees, Stahlo Stahlservice it is perfectly prepared", says Oliver Sonst. Its investment in state-of-the-art fabrication capabilities and by doubling its capacity in Gera to a total of more than 800,000 t per year the company has made an investment in the future.