Technological leadership through innovation
The foundation for our technological leadership is research and development, where we are constantly working on new products at the highest level for the purpose of optimizing our manufacturing processes. Our innovative spirit knows no bounds. All our employees are involved in the innovative process and actively shape our common future. The foundation is a network of corporate expertise comprised of numerous affiliations with national and international universities, universities of applied technologies, centers of competence and a number of development partnerships with key customers.
Focus areas of innovation
The development of new materials, coatings and processing technologies are at the heart of our R&D research activities. We are also working on new methods to combine steel with other materials. We focus our research on the development of advanced high-strength steel grades for our customers in the automotive industry.
For many years, voestalpine Stahl GmbH has been supplying innovative light-weight high-strength steels to the automotive market. Up to 60% improved forming properties are achieved with newly developed advanced high-strength high-ductility steels (AHSS HD) that attain a substantially increased strength value through cold forming, thus increasing their safety. These steels are used for all safety-related components in car bodies.
The development of steels for the energy industry is also centralized. Extremely tough heavy plates are used in sour-gas-resistant pipelines in the deep ocean or in the Antarctic. Increased power station efficiency is made possible by the resistance of our materials to extremely high temperatures.
voestalpine is a technology leader in the development and production of cutting-edge steel products and is a benchmark company for energy efficiency and environmental compatibility. Process development focuses on energy efficiency, resource efficiency, CO2 reduction, zero waste and continuous improvement of quality. All production processes are examined with respect to their potential recovery of materials and energy.
Basis of research
The development of steel as a material as well as the development of the required production processes require intensive basic research. This research is carried out in scientific institutions throughout Europe, Canada and the United States. Physical properties are comprehensively examined in numeric simulation equipment. Our efficient and cost-effective tools make it possible to obtain measurable results more quickly. All essential process steps can be realistically simulated without the risks of large-scale and expensive production trials. In close cooperation with our customers and suppliers, our research specialists ensure that voestalpine innovations are the answers the market is looking for.
Research and organization
The research activities at voestalpine Stahl are decentralized in order to guarantee solutions that are based on local requirements. The activities are coordinated and managed by central research administration. A great deal of emphasis is placed on topics of the future, innovation management, technology research and preliminary research.