voestalpine technologies: driving innovation in motor racing and series production

28 July 2015 |

From July 31 to August 2, 2015, as the DTM motorsport series gets under way at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, high performance materials produced by the international technology and capital goods group voestalpine will also be in the running. By manufacturing ultra-light system components in ultra-high strength steel grades, voestalpine is driving the continued expansion of the growing mobility market. The Group generated 47% of its EUR 11.2 billion in revenue in this segment during the business year 2014/15; the automotive sector alone accounted for around two-thirds of this total.

Motor racing has always driven innovation in the automotive industry. Ever greater speeds and increasing safety demands, paired with a simultaneous reduction in weight and lower fuel consumption, all continually demand newer and lighter materials. As a global partner to the automotive industry, voestalpine manufactures over 250 special steels for processing into extremely resilient lightweight components.

The successes and performances achieved using our products on the race track indicate our technological leadership in the field of mobility. Components made from the world’s most innovative steel grades are used in extremely highly stressed engine parts and transmissions where stability, durability, and the ability to withstand high temperatures are all vital.

Wolfgang Eder, Chairman of the Management Board of voestalpine AG

The Group’s product portfolio includes valves, transmission components, chassis and engine parts, bearings and drive shafts which are used in prominent motor sport series including Formula One and DTM.

As Austria’s most research-intensive company, investing EUR 140 million in developing new technologies in the current business year, voestalpine is continuing to extend its quality leadership in the demanding automotive segment. In the race to create the most innovative materials the Group has set a milestone with phs-ultraform®, a hot-dip galvanized steel for ultra-high strength, lightweight body-in-white parts. Used in ultra-high strength lightweight components, this unrivaled innovation combines the characteristics of press-hardened steel with excellent corrosion protection. voestalpine is also a pioneer in joining steel with new materials to form hybrid components. In racing sport the focus lies in using special steel mesh or carbon fiber reinforced (CFK) steels to strengthen plastics. With its know-how in processing and joining technology, voestalpine is also the first company in the world able to produce components with almost bionic structures, designed to provide targeted strength to crash-relevant metal structures.

voestalpine wing – a bridge between motor racing and technology

Exactly a year ago the voestalpine Group created an architectural highlight at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg – the voestalpine wing. Constructed from 900 tons of steel and now the landmark of the Styrian race track, this state-of-the-art Welcome Center in the shape of a spoiler symbolizes the bridge between the emotion of motor racing and the fascination for technology and innovation. The building complex is also a strong indicator of the Group’s commitment to Styria and its potential as a location. With twelve production companies and a holding company spread over eight sites, three of the four voestalpine divisions – Metal Engineering, Metal Forming, and Special Steel – play a vital role in creating value in the region. During the business year 2014/15 around 9,100 employees generated an overall revenue of EUR 3.6 billion.

The voestalpine Group

The voestalpine Group is a steel-based technology and capital goods group that operates worldwide. With around 500 Group companies and locations in more than 50 countries and on all five continents, the Group has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995. With its top-quality products, the Group is one of the leading partners to the automotive and consumer goods industries in Europe and to the oil and gas industries worldwide. The voestalpine Group is also the world market leader in turnout technology, special rails, tool steel, and special sections. In the business year 2014/15, the voestalpine Group reported revenue of EUR 11.2 billion and an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 1.5 billion; it had around 47,500 employees worldwide.