Innovative CSP Technology for Automotive Grades

D. Rosenthal, W. Hennig and S. Krämer
SMS Demag AG

The CSP technology today accounts for a share of around 10% of the total production of hot-rolled flat products at a rated capacity of 42 million tpy, with the actual production figures of most facilities clearly exceeding their design levels.

The regions in which this technology is most widely used are Asia, and here mainly China, as well as North America and Europe, with a total of 25 facilities, of which 22 are in operation and another three under construction.

The product mix of the first CSP plant at Nucor Crawfordsville/USA more than 17 years ago during the initial period after commissioning consisted only of simple steel grades, like low and medium carbon. However, due to, and in the course of, its continuous development, the advantage of the CSP technology began to be fully comprehended. The high temperature homogeneity allows a reliable production of strips of 1.0 mm and below. In parallel, the product mix was continuously expanded and today includes micro alloys and silicone grades as well as ferritic stainless steel. CSP technology is also used to produce advanced high-strength steels for the automotive industry, like dual phase and TRIP steels. In combination with thin strip technology, this offers a highly competitive way for the production of thin high-strength steels.

The paper shows developments and production results of steel grades for automotive use. One important group is HSLA for internal part of the car body. A CSP plant in the USA is producing nearly 600.000 t of the annual output for this application. The production of hot rolled DP- and TRIP grades with excellent mechanical properties was introduced in the last years in several CSP plants. Also stainless steel (ferritic grades) are used for automotive parts, like catalytic converters.

New CSP plants intend to produce a high share of multiphase steel and material for exposed parts including IF grades via the liquid steel route Electric Arc Furnace, Ladle Furnace and Vacuum Degassing with a high percentage of virgin material in the charge mix. The tendency for the future is, that more and more automotive grades will be produced via CSP technology.

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