Tata Steel has announced that an investment will be made in an additional zinc-pot operation at the company’s IJmuiden works located in the Netherlands.
The operation will specifically focus on MagiZinc Auto coated steel production for use in the automotive industry.
The new zinc-pot equipment will be installed on a Continuous Galvanizing Line No 3, which is one of the automotive production lines of Tata Steel. The company will commence the production at the end of 2012.
Automotive manufacturers have started using completely galvanized auto bodies in order to manufacture more sustainable, eco-friendly and durable vehicles. Carmakers have been forced to reassess the usual anti-corrosion coatings, as there is a need for vehicle mass reduction and for lowering the ownership cost.
There is a demand for thin zinc-coatings with enhanced performance. Hence, the company has developed MagiZinc Auto, which is a hot-dip and thin galvanized coating that is alloyed with magnesium and aluminium. This zinc-coating protects from corrosion twice that obtained from standard galvanized finishes and offer considerable enhancements in performance for automotive press shops.
Dr. Henrik Adam, Tata Steel’s Chief Commercial Officer in Europe stated that Tata Steel’s investment in the zinc pot operation for the MagiZinc Auto production reinforces the company’s position as a dedicated provider to the automotive industry. This product development has responded to the customers requirements and has large potential in the automotive segment. The zinc pot operation extends the offering of MagiZinc Auto coated steel to the complete portfolio of Advanced High Strength Steels. The company’s next phase is to look for the outer panel quality product development and therefore, automotive customers can form a MagiZinc Auto-coated body-in-white, according to him.
Source: http://www.tatasteeleurope.com/