Sumitomo Metals to Launch Dent-resistance High Tensile GA

Sumitomo Metal Industries accelerates the development for commercial use of dent resistance high tensile galvannealed steel sheet with 390 mega pascal and 440 MPa. The firm tries to market the sheet as door and outer panel material when automakers try to improve the crash safety and to reduce weight at same time. The firm will launch the hot-dip galvanizing sheet version for Japanese automakers after the firm already commercialized the electro-galvanizing sheet. The high tensile sheet with resistance for dent, which is made by fry stone or other external forces, has better yield strength to avoid quality damage by dent. With the sheet, the user can reduce the sheet thickness and reduce the bodyweight by around 20%. The firm started mass production of electro-galvanizing version of the sheet with 390 MPa in summer 2006 to ship offshore automakers. The production is around several 100 tonnes per month. The firm expects the demand will increase under severer regulation for crash safety and fuel efficiency. The firm tries to finish the development phase by improving the surface finishing stably in mass production process. The firm has high tensile steel sheet items up to 980 MPa and can produce more than 980 MPa of sheet in separate process. The firm tries to expand the menu and develops 980 MPa hot rolled flat steel with high yielding point.