Innovations
Innovativeness increased
To further increase the performance potential of our products and production processes, employees in the development centers and departments of all segments implemented numerous innovation and research projects, working together closely with customers and external scientists.
The new anti-corrosion coating EcoProtect containing 1% magnesium widens our range of sheet products with zinc-magnesium coatings. The new coating, developed by the surface engineering center Dortmunder OberflächenCentrum, provides better protection against corrosion, so a thinner coating is enough to achieve the same effect. The new zinc-magnesium alloy also offers significant advantages in combination with organic coating. Production trials have been successfully carried out. The auto industry in particular is showing interest in these corrosion-protected sheet products. Components made from them could replace batch-galvanized parts in production.
Newly developed high-formability steels for can making ideally meet customer requirements for sophisticated designs and brand-customized shapes. These high-formability steel grades are used specifically for complex deep-drawn products and cans but they also reduce costs in standard deep drawing applications. The edges and bodies of the cans remain wrinkle-free and increase the attractiveness of the products. Preparations are currently being made for market launch and tests are being carried out with selected customers.
Nickel prices remain relatively high, strengthening demand for stainless materials with lower and less volatile prices than the standard chromium-nickel and chromium-nickel-molybdenum steels. The Stainless segment has developed a series of alternative materials for different applications which are meeting with great interest from the market.
The transfer of the idea of tailored strips and tailored blanks from the carbon steel to the stainless steel area is resulting in wide-ranging innovations for our customers. These tailored material combinations reduce costs and improve part properties. A combination of stainless steel and carbon steel is currently being developed which will allow the production of particularly light auto parts.
For the cement and mining industries Technologies has developed a trend-setting grinding and processing system which delivers outstanding operating results and at the same time simplifies the entire grinding process. The now market-ready system is extremely compact, uses much less energy than conventional systems and produces fewer CO2 emissions. The system is attracting great interest from the market; several orders and numerous inquiries have already been received.
Another development attracting major interest is a solution devised by our engineers to simplify the installation of camshafts in engines. The assembled camshafts produced by the new Presta method feature integral bearings and lobes. Customers receive a completely ready-to-install camshaft module.
Elevators, escalators and moving walks from ThyssenKrupp Elevator are being used in numerous prestigious buildings around the world. 318 new installations will transport athletes and guests in buildings in Beijing and Qingdao during the 2008 Olympic Games in China. In Barcelona (Spain) the former bullring "Las Arenas", currently being transformed into a shopping and leisure center, will feature 25 escalators and 13 elevators from ThyssenKrupp. They will include six customized panoramic elevators installed inside and on the facade of the building. Six TWIN systems with a total of twelve cabs will move people around quickly in a 105 m tall glass office tower in Utrecht (Netherlands). In a new use, TWIN bed elevators will transport patients quickly and sensitively at the Royal London Hospital in the UK.