In October, students at Higher Technical College (HTL) Leoben had the unique opportunity to look behind the scenes of the wire industry and gain important experience for their future careers. As part of sponsorships and class visits, voestalpine Wire Rod Austria opened its doors for the HTL Leoben.

In 2024, voestalpine Wire Technology received the first ball bearing approval for its wire products. Teamwork, technological expertise, strong customer relationships and the CC4 continuous casting plant made this possible. You might not think at first that wire becomes a ball in a ball bearing. However, wire is a high-performance product that can be turned into a variety of end products. Material from ingot casting is usually used for further processing into balls. 

At the 14th edition of InnoTrans, the world’s leading trade fair for transport technology, voestalpine Railway Systems, a sister company of the companies of voestalpine Wire Technology, presented groundbreaking innovations. With a focus on sustainable railway infrastructure, visitors explored eco-friendly materials, innovative life cycle tools, and circular economy strategies that are designed to create a greener future for the railway industry.

We are pleased to present a summary of the recent WIRE TECH DAY France 2024 event held in Lyon. The event brought together our experts and valued customers for a day of innovation, sustainability, and collaboration. The event provided an exclusive opportunity to explore our latest technologies in wire technology, our commitment to sustainability and production facilities. A distinctive sporting event held prior to the main event provided a novel networking format.

Christian Steflitsch, Senior Sales Manager, and Johannes Gallobitsch, wire production expert, explain how voestalpine Wire Technology is making the textile industry more efficient. For more than two decades, the company has been supplying high-precision wires for cards and carding machines that meet the highest standards of quality and wear resistance. Cards are used in spinning preparation for cleaning and parallel alignment of raw fibers to form a fiber sliver. Carding cards perform a similar task in the production of nonwovens. Find out how these advanced wire solutions not only revolutionize textile production, but also increase efficiency and reduce the CO₂ footprint through innovative manufacturing processes.

In an exclusive report, Bernd Strohhäussl, Head of Sales and Application Engineering, provides insights into an innovative material concept for AFP steels (advanced ferritic-pearlitic steels). Together with the teams from voestalpine Stahl Donawitz, voestalpine Wire Rod Austria and voestalpine Wire Austria, this sustainable wire solution was implemented. It shows how this concept revolutionizes the manufacturing process.

Together with our partner SKF and voestalpine Stahl Donawitz, we have successfully produced the first prototype bearing made from steel containing hydrogen direct reduced iron (H-DRI). As H-DRI is a low-emission alternative to conventional iron ore-based steelmaking and one of the most important methods to make steel sustainable in the future, this collaboration represents a breakthrough in the efforts to decarbonize bearing production. 

The annual employee information event at the sites, including voestalpine Wire Austria in Bruck/Mur, was very popular: 80 employees accepted the invitation to learn about important updates and developments at the company. The 80 or so employees were warmly welcomed with an ice cream.

From the billet to the finished wire product - we are revolutionizing wire testing technology with a cross-border approach. This breakthrough not only optimizes quality assurance, but also offers our customers in the wire industry decisive advantages.

The partnership between the manufacturer of tools and fastening technology Hilti and voestalpine Wire Rod Austria has been in place for more than 20 years. As a highlight of the successful collaboration, the top customer presented voestalpine Wire Rod Austria with the Innovation Excellence Award 2023 in June 2024.

In the wire industry, voestalpine Wire Technology stands for excellent, customized wire solutions that meet and exceed even the most demanding requirements. Our modern R&D infrastructure and digital product simulations enable us to develop products impressively quickly and efficiently. Today, we are pleased to present the innovation of the 2023/2024 financial year that we are proud of. It includes a number of benefits for our customers.

Die Lange Nacht der Forschung 2024T, Europe's largest research event, took place at our sites in Austria under the motto "Sustainability - greentec steel". Products and solutions made of wire could be experienced up close in our production facilities. Numerous visitors did not miss this opportunity.

voestalpine Wire Technology produces quality wire rod in the modern wire rolling mill of voestalpine Wire Rod Austria in St. Peter/Freienstein. Customers have the option of receiving deliveries in the format of 3 tons of coils or alternative delivery forms such as 2.5 or 2.7 tons of coils by prior arrangement. Convince yourself of the many advantages that the undivided 3 ton coils offer you.

Well prepared, almost 60 employees of voestalpine Wire Austria, voestalpine Wire Rod Austria and the divisional Marketing Communication Agency took part in the business run in Bruck an der Mur, where the rainy weather and cool temperatures did not dampen the good mood and motivation. Participation in the 20th Bruck Business Run on May 16, 2024 was a complete success.

The Wire & Tube 2024 in Düsseldorf, the world's leading trade fair for the wire and cable industry, opened its doors from April 15 to 19, 2024 and offered a fascinating insight into the latest developments and trends in the industry.

voestalpine has produced the world's first high-quality "green" wire rod from hydrogen-reduced pure iron and scrap at its Donawitz site. The hydrogen-reduced pure iron was produced in the Hyfor pilot plant, while the landmark melting was carried out in the Group's own Technikum Metallurgie (TechMet) research facility, a unique complete steel plant in miniature.

Our new brochure entitled "Fast Track Tailor-Made Wire Solutions" has arrived and offers you an exclusive insight into the company's state-of-the-art research and development processes. The brochure shows how customized wire solutions can be implemented quickly and efficiently.

13 voestalpine employees recently took part in a sporting charity campaign as a team. They cycled for 12 hours on ergometers. A total of 16 teams competed against each other and collected donations for a good cause.

In total, all four apprentices at the two sites successfully completed their final apprenticeship examinations. These successes underline not only the commitment and diligence of the apprentices, but also the excellent training opportunities offered by voestalpine Wire Rod Austria, the modern wire rolling mill in St. Peter/Freienstein, and voestalpine Wire Austria, the premium supplier of wire in Bruck an der Mur.

A company visit to voestalpine Wire Austria in Bruck an der Mur marked the start of a five-year cooperation in the form of a class sponsorship with the first class of the mechatronics specialization (1BHME) at HTL Kapfenberg. The focus is on practical experience for the students.