Products and solutions Oct 26, 2004 2:00 AM
Steel and service from a single source
ThyssenKrupp Stahl and ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center break new ground in customer service
Innovative materials, competent advice on design and processing questions, precisely prepared sheet metal blanks and sophisticated logistics concepts for delivery right to the production line - all these are now available in one complete package from ThyssenKrupp Stahl. Together with its subsidiary ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center GmbH, the steel producer is breaking new ground in customer service. Key account teams with staff from both companies offer full support, from material selection in the product development phase through to just-in-time delivery of products processed exactly to customer requirements.
One current example of this new kind of customer support is the Chrysler Crossfire, being built for DaimlerChrysler by Wilhelm Karmann GmbH. Via the key account team, the Osnabrück-based company not only got the optimum materials for the sports coupé but also gained direct access to the processing capabilities of the Bochum plant of ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center GmbH. Among other things, this plant has a state-of-the-art cut-to-length line with a pivoting shear head capable of producing trapezoidal blanks - a perfect solution for the body outer panels of the Crossfire.
The Bochum plant of ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center-GmbH is currently producing blanks for virtually the entire body of the Chrysler Crossfire and Crossfire Roadster: the four fenders, the hood and the trunk lid, the panels for the doors as well as the roof for the Crossfire coupé. The parts are manufactured so that they are available exactly in accordance with an agreed delivery schedule for transportation to the Karmann plant in Lower Saxony. As part of the integrated logistics system offered by the service center, the customer can track the progress of the order at all times and for example look up how much stock is available in Bochum and how much steel has been ordered.
The cut-to-length line with pivoting shear head started operation at the Bochum steel service center at the beginning of 2003. As well as trapezoidal blanks, it can also produce triangular, parallelogram and curved shapes, with cutting angles of up to 35 degrees. The ThyssenKrupp steel service center in Radebeul operates a similar line. Automotive manufacturers and suppliers are unable to produce shapes like these on their own equipment, or only with substantial scrap losses.
The cut-to-length lines in Bochum and Radebeul process 300 to 2,000 millimeter wide steel coil in thicknesses from 0.5 to 3 millimeters. The lines are designed so that the surface quality of the steel, necessary for exposed body parts, remains intact during processing. For example they are equipped with powerful magnetic stackers which stack the finished blanks either continuously or in start-stop mode depending on customer requirements.
The products stocked and processed by ThyssenKrupp Stahl-Service-Center include hot-rolled, cold-rolled, high-strength and metallic or organic coated steels. Stainless steels and tinmill products are also part of the range. The company has seven service centers in Germany as well as service centers or subsidiaries in France, Spain and the UK.
Contact:
Dietmar Stamm
Phone: +49 203 / 52 - 2 62 67
Fax: +49 203 / 52 - 2 57 07
E-mail: dietmar.stamm@tks.thyssenkrupp.com
Bernd Overmaat
Phone: +49 203 / 52 - 4 51 85
Fax: +49 203 / 52 - 2 57 07
E-mail: bernd.overmaat@tks.thyssenkrupp.com