Steel Mills
ArcelorMittal Celebrates R&D
Written by Tim Triplett
September 14, 2017
ArcelorMittal is on a mission to make sure that steel remains the material of choice for a modern world. The steelmaker invited state and local dignitaries, staff and members of the media to an open house on Wednesday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ArcelorMittal Global Research and Development Center in East Chicago, Ind.
The research center is actually one of a dozen worldwide with combined spending of over $250 million per year. ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel producer, is a leader in the development of advanced high-strength steels for the automotive industry. The company claims it has introduced six new automotive grade steels in the past year alone, as they partner with automakers to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel efficiency. Half the steels used in today’s vehicles are high-strength alloys that did not even exist 10 years ago.
Members of the media were given a tour of a handful of the 25 labs in the 150,000-square-foot research facility. Demonstrations included a miniature rolling mill, a corrosion lab where new steel alloys are tested for rust resistance, an electron microscope that allows researchers to peer at the internal structure of steels, and a coating lab that is studying the use of a carbon fiber paint that may someday add dent resistance to automotive closures such as car doors and hoods.
Speaking to the assembled crowd, Gregory Ludkovsky, head of research and development, said he is often asked to point to the research center’s most remarkable achievement. “It’s not just one thing,” he said. “It’s that over the 50 years we are celebrating we were able to continually reinvent ourselves.”
Photo: ArcelorMittal is a major supplier of steel, including advanced high-strength alloys developed in its research labs, to Subaru’s automotive assembly plant in Lafayette, Ind.
Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Steel Mills
Hybar lowers output forecast, owning up to EAF startup delay
Hybar LLC’s rebar mill in Osceola, Ark., is now melting scrap and will soon be fulfilling orders, according to CEO David Stickler, despite a six-to-eight-week delay caused by commissioning the world’s first Aura electrical system.
Steel Dynamics guides to more metal, more money in Q3
Steel Dynamics Inc. is bullish heading into the close of the third quarter, with all three of its operating segments tracking higher.
AHMSA opens doors to potential buyers as $1.3B asset auction nears
AHMSA is opening its doors to potential buyers to tour its steel plant and mining operations in northern Mexico in preparation for the next stage of its bankruptcy process: the auction of its assets.
USW seeks clarity on USS plans for Granite City Works
The United Steelworkers union has asked U.S. Steel to elaborate on its Granite City Works plans following reports that the steelmaker is ending processing at the facility.
Nucor maintains plate prices, opens October order book
Nucor aims to keep plate prices flat for a seventh straight month with the opening of its October order book.