GENERAL NEWS
POSCO wins ‘ Best Technology Award ’
South Korean materials specialist , POSCO , won the Gold Award in the ISSF-26 technology category at the 26th International Stainless-Steel Forum , hosted by the World Stainless Association , for its highperformance ferrite stainless steel ‘ 430RE ( Ridging Endurance )’.
The material was developed to meet recent trends in large household appliances by improving the processibility and corrosionresistance of welded parts , compared to existing steel grades . POSCO intends to continue developing R & D in this field .
“ As home appliance makers manufacture large-scale washing machines and dryers , it has become more important to improve the formability of the drum bottom and to reduce the stripe pattern defect on the material surface ( ridging ). In addition , as high-speed rotation of the drum is required to save water and power during spin drying , the welding method ( with excellent bonding strength ) is preferred over the Lock Seaming method of connecting by folding and compressing the plate material when connecting the centre of the drum ,” explained POSCO .
POSCO therefore developed 430RE , a specialised steel grade that has features such as enhanced formability , anti-ridging and corrosion-resistance at welds compared to existing steel types , and plans to expand its supply to overseas as well as domestic home appliance companies .
POSCO has won awards 12 times ( since the first year ) for products such as 470FC ( Gold Award in Technology ) for hydrogen electric vehicle divider plates in 2018 ; a fuel tank for PHEVs ( Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle ) in 2020 ( Silver Award in Technology ) and a stainless-steel sealed container ( Gold Award in Market Development ) in 2020 .
The name was changed from the previous ISSF ( International Stainless Steel Forum ) to the World Stainless Association at this conference . Forty-eight organisations from 25 countries participated in the conference
Cold-rolled stainless steel by POSCO ’ s Pohang Works .
to exchange information on the challenges and developments that the stainless steel industry faces ( such as raw materials , new demand and the environment ).
Since 2015 , the World Stainless Association has selected the best practices every year in four areas including market development , technology , safety and sustainability to improve the market development efforts of member companies and inspire new idea proposals . n
EV-related investments and capacity challenges
Based on updated Electric Vehicle ( EV ) introduction plans announced recently by automakers , the complete transition to EV production for many OEMs could come as soon as 2030 . According to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research , auto OEMs will invest an estimated US $ 515 billion in EVrelated technologies and manufacturing plant upgrades over the next five to ten years .
However , in its new white paper , “ The Electrification Wave and its Impact on the Automotive Supply Chain ”, ABI Research argues that automakers have not adequately recognized other impacts that the EV transition will have on the supply chain and , consequently , the impact on the ability to achieve their new vehicular model rollout plans .
“ Specifically , automakers , from GM and Ford to VW and Mercedes , will need to maintain the simultaneous development of new / updated Internal Combustion Engine ( ICE ) models and the introduction of differentiated EV models ( models that are not powertrain variants of existing ICE models ). Incumbent automakers also need to contend with an influx of new OEM entrants beyond Tesla , including Lucid Motors , Rivian and Fisker . These market pressures will require an elevated level of new model “ programmes ” that will address operational capacity constraints , which have been largely overlooked ,” explained Ryan Martin , Industrial and Manufacturing Research Director , ABI Research .
A modern automobile is assembled from tens of thousands of parts , most of which are sourced from a global supplier network and many of which are custom components designed for a specific OEM vehicle model or platform programme .
“ From our ongoing research , automotive programme management has not received the same managerial attention or level of investment as the supply chain that it supports ,” added Jake Saunders , Vice President , ABI Research .
Suppliers ’ resources to manage new model launches are finite and are already stretched thinly .
“ Unless automakers and suppliers take the initiatives needed to expand overall programme launch capacity , their electrification goals are under threat ,” Martin concluded . n
CWIEME Berlin 2022
Hyve , organiser of the global CWIEME events ( the world ’ s largest event series dedicated to coil winding , transformers , electric motors , generators and e-mobility ), successfully restarted CWIEME Berlin 2022 . Held from 10-12 May 2022 , it enabled technical engineers and procurement professionals to connect with manufacturers and shape the future of coil winding , electric motors and transformer manufacturing .
Thousands of international attendees enjoyed three days full of business talks , industry trends , presentations and networking opportunities . New trade show elements , such as the Meet the Engineer programme , were successfully launched . Highlights included a three-day conference and the presentation ceremony of the CWIEME Global Awards , which were given out in six categories . CWIEME Berlin also celebrated its 25th anniversary this year .
The trade show will take place next year from 23-25 May 2023 . n
www . ismr . net | ISMR July / August 2022 | 9