TK Stainless

stainless steel
MaGaZine
MaTeriaLs DeVeLopMenT is a CoMBinaTion oF eXperienCe,
CaLCuLaTion anD Vision
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Success on the market means always coming up with something new. That’s
true of many sectors, and none more than the stainless steel industry. New or
improved materials are a must to meet rising demands in processing and use,
to keep pace with new products and technologies – quite simply to stay ahead
of the competition.
BuT hoW are neW MaTeriaLs DeVeLopeD?
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Far removed from the alchemy of the Middle Ages or the trial-and-error approach
to the earliest stainless steel metallurgy around 100 years ago, nowadays
knowledge of the mechanisms of modern steels is an exact science. When
today’s materials experts design new steels with outstanding properties, they
do it on a solid scientific basis, using computer-aided processes and advanced
research techniques which permit a detailed insight into the complex inner
workings of today’s high-performance materials.
Modern stainless steel materials need to meet a wide variety of
requirements: fracture-proof at very low temperatures e.g. for liquid gas
transportation, resistant to temperatures up to 1,000 degrees in combustion
engines, non-corrosive to withstand aggressive media, glossy, hygienic and
elegant for aesthetic requirements in kitchens and bathrooms – and at the same
time formable into the most demanding shapes, readily weldable or polishable
for mirror finishes.
Materials experts have to be able to provide the most suitable and most
cost-efficient stainless steel for each requirement. Their extensive knowledge
of material structures and profiles is invaluable in this.
Where do the ideas for new developments come from? Gert Weiß, head
of technical product service at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta, provides the answer:
“Thanks to our presence on the market and our direct contact with customers,
we know what projects they are working on and what contribution we as
materials manufacturers are expected to make. A stainless steel structure is to
be made lighter yet at the same time stronger; the lifetime of a heat-resistant
stainless steel in an exhaust manifold close to the engine is to be extended; the
cycle speeds of highly automated sheet forming processes are to be increased:
These are examples of requirements and inquiries which often push the
materials to their limits.“ ---
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