OREANDA-NEWS. February 25, 2013. The world first and WISCO exclusive hot-rolled ultra-thin sheets with 1.2mm thickness and 700Mpa strength have been successfully applied in the container plates and automotive frames, which is regarded as a new breakthrough in replacement of cold-rolled sheets. Recently, a batch of hot-rolled ultra-thin sheets produced by General Plant of Long Product delivered to China International Marine Containers (Group) Ltd. (CIMC ) will be used in the manufacturing of container plates required by the land transport in North America.

Prior to the success in the hot-rolled ultra-thin sheets with high strength by WISCO, there is no hot-rolled high-strength steel with the thickness less than1.5mmin the world. The plain carbon steel products are used in the general automotive frames and the container plates; while the cold-rolled high-strength steel products are used in the high-end automotive frames and the container plates.

Due to the high cost, poor processability and crackability of cold-rolled steel, WISCO grasped the opportunity to research and develop the hot-rolled steel. After the trial, each parameter of hot-rolled high-strength steel is superior to that of cold-rolled steel from the customers’ feedback. From then on, the hot-rolled steel of WISCO has succeeded in replacing the cold-rolled steel and taking over the high-end market.

Nowadays, energy conservation and emission reduction are the main trend in the world. High strength and light weight will be the typical characteristics of the iron and steel products in the future. The whole world is facing a top urgent: how to maximize the reduction of energy consumption on the precondition of satisfying the social end-use demands. If the cold-rolled steel is replaced by the hot-rolled steel, 100kwh power consumption and 100 cubic meter gas will be saved per ton. Focusing on the main trend, WISCO is making great efforts to research and develop the hot-rolled high-strength ultra-thin sheets. Finally, the ultra-thin sheets with 1.2 mm thickness and 700 Mpa strength which made the new world record in the thinnest dimenstions and highest strength were successfully produced in July, 2011. Since then, WISCO has been further investing in the application of high-strength steel.

Up till now, the next-generation steel products for containers which are independently developed by CSP (Compact Strip Production) Plant of WISCO have become the favorites in the steel market. The steel products for automotive structures with thin dimensions and high strength have successfully replaced the cold-rolled steel products in the fields of commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles.

The pickling steel products for automotive structures with thin dimensions (SAPH) have replaced the imported products and been supplied for the domestic Top 10 automotive companies. The hot-rolled pickling steel products for the tank of water heater have been certified by Haier, Midea and Ariston. In 2012, the sales volume of ultra-thin sheets with the thickness below 1.6mm by CSP Plant of WISCO has seen a year-on-year increase of over 30%, and the output of ultra-thin sheets accounts for 43% of the total output of thin sheets, an increase of 17% over the previous year. The market share of thin and ultra-thin sheets by CSP Plant of WISCO has reached almost 60% merely in the eastern China.