New punching line at Salzgitter Europlatinen

In times of the Covid 19 pandemic with its restrictive effects, the Salzgitter Group is steadily pursuing its strategic investment projects.

This also applies to the subsidiary Salzgitter Europlatinen GmbH (SZEP), which manufactures tailored blanks for the automotive industry. Here, a complete hall ship was erected for the new punching line. It went into operation at the beginning of 2021.

A tailored blank is a customized blank welded together from at least two steel sheets with different material grades and sheet thicknesses. This prefabricated semi-finished product is then formed into the desired component by deep drawing, for example. They allow different parts of the later component to be adapted to local loads, which would otherwise require additional reinforcing parts. Advantages: strategic lightweight steel construction, CO2 reduction, resource-saving production.

The new Schuler AG line can process coils of up to 35 t and sheet thicknesses of 0.5 to 3 mm. Up to 70 strokes of the blanking line with a cutting force of 800 t are possible per minute.

"We process ultra-high-strength steel grades on the new line without any problems. This meets the needs of our customers," explains Dr. André Kröff, managing director of SZEP. His company will also benefit from hot-dip galvanizing line 3, which will go into operation at Salzgitter Flachstahl next year. "FV 3 will produce steel grades that are of particular interest to automotive manufacturers and their suppliers."

Heavy loads were moved during the construction phase. SZEP Technical Manager Paul Joos recalls, "The actual press came to us via the port of Beddingen. It weighed 160 tons and was then transported to the plant and assembled within two days. Our team worked excellently in cooperation with the partners."

SZEP believes it is well positioned for the incipient transformation of the automotive industry toward electromobility. "We have very good technical equipment with the two stamping lines and the six laser welding lines. And e-cars will also have a steel body," Kröff is certain.