Salzgitter AG unveils new hot-dip galvanizing line
With the "Hot-dip Galvanizing 3" (FV3) project, the Salzgitter Group has made the largest single investment of the past ten years. Around 200 million euros have been invested in the complex large-scale plant, with which the Group subsidiary Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH is expanding its position as a leading supplier in the premium segment.
The new production facility with an annual capacity of 500,000 tons complements the two existing hot-dip galvanizing lines at Salzgitter. It is a key component of the Salzgitter Group's strategy, which focuses on qualitative growth for the flat steel segment. According to the company, this will strengthen its position as a leading manufacturer of premium products for national and international customers in the automotive and household goods industries. The operation of the plant will create 70 new jobs. The project partner as plant builder is the SMS Group from Düsseldorf. The new plant will produce hot-dip galvanized sheet with thicknesses between 0.7 and 2.5 millimeters and widths between 900 and 1,700 millimeters. The strips wound into coils have a maximum weight of 32 tons. The annealing furnace is the heart of the new line. Compared with previous hot-dip galvanizing processes, the material is now heated and cooled much faster in the annealing furnace and a higher annealing temperature is achieved. These are precisely the properties that enable the production of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel grades. At the same time, the configuration of the overall plant provides the structural and technical conditions to realize further innovative material concepts.
Operational readiness was achieved in October 2022. High-strength and ultra-high-strength steel grades will soon be produced for body and chassis applications which play an important role in lightweight automotive construction and vehicle safety. For the household appliance industry, the steel products find applications in sophisticated surface components, among other things. Ulrich Grethe, member of the Group Executive Board and Chairman of the SZFG Management Board: "The new hot-dip galvanizing line is an essential building block for the future viability of the Salzgitter steel location and the jobs there, because with this investment we are further expanding our already high-quality product portfolio. We accompany and support the further development of our customers, to whom we offer the necessary material concepts with the associated service." "My thanks go to the many companies and employees involved in the project: Despite adverse circumstances due to the Covid 19 pandemic, we kept to our schedule," explains Dr.-Ing. Michael Brühl, Operations Director Cold Flat Salzgitter Flachstahl. "Even in the planning and construction phase, we closely communicated with customers on material concepts. The ramp-up phase is in full swing and we are convinced that we will be able to deliver the desired grades quickly."