OREANDA-NEWS. August 22, 2012. POSCO is the first in the world to prepare a mass production system to provide 490MPa class tensile strength advanced high strength steel (AHSS) as outside panels of automobiles, reported the press-centre of POSCO.

AHSS which can withstand up to 50?in weight per 1? has recently been provided for a new SUV model of automobile company H, serving as a foundation to spread the material to all domestic automobile brands. POSCO has continued to develop the market through EVI (Early Vendor Involvement) since starting commercial production of this steel type in 2007.

As a result, it has been applied to the new SUV model of automobile company H being produced in Korea`s Ulsan factory, Beijing China, Georgia USA since April, securing grounds in mass producing and supplying 490MPa class automobile outer panels. AHSS is generally thinner than 270~340MPa class automobile outer panels, allowing lighter vehicles and is expected to grow in demand in the automobile outer panel market.

Currently, approximately 60% of outer panel materials applied to domestic and international automobiles are 270MPa class while 40% are 340MPa class. With the set up of the mass production supply system, client companies can now apply 490MPa class steel materials to doors where 340MPa class steel materials were used. Molding automobile outer panels, where surface appearance is important, is more difficult as tensile strength is stronger, but POSCO overcame this with technology, succeeding in mass producing and supplying 490MPa class steel materials as outer panels. Currently, steel companies worldwide are only providing 340MPa class steel materials to automobile companies due to processing limitations.

With AHSS being applied as outer panels, automobile companies are expecting to increase durability and fuel efficiency due to lighter bodies, thus increasing customer satisfaction. Especially AHSS can withstand up to approximately 1.5 times the load of 340MPa class material withstands. And it has excellent strength and dent resistance, making it unnecessary for supplementary materials. For these reasons, it leads to great cost reduction effects for automobile companies.

POSCO has been promoting these advantages of 490MPa class AHSS to client companies to create a market among client companies. Since 2003 where development of AHSS was started, the Company has strictly evaluated the quality level of the product surface and secured great process-ability through multiple test productions. Product production manufacturing standards were proposed through EVI activities with domestic automobile companies, successfully expanding it to new automobile models. As a result of jointly designing molds and press technology with the client company and applying it to the outer plan, the automobile door weight was successfully reduced by 7%.

Based on this success, POSCO plans to expand the outer panel for doors to the automobile body, while also developing supply to overseas automobile companies based on the know-how in supplying to domestic companies.