SPECIALIST CORUS PRESSING CAPABILITY SECURES ADDITIONAL LAND ROVER CONTRACT FOR NEW RANGE ROVER SPORT

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SPECIALIST CORUS PRESSING CAPABILITY SECURES ADDITIONAL LAND ROVER CONTRACT FOR NEW RANGE ROVER SPORT
10 February 2005 - Corus Automotive

Corus’ specialist large panel press blanking capability has resulted in the international metals company securing an additional contract to supply Land Rover with the rear door outer panels for the all new Range Rover Sport, being launched this summer.

Corus will supply shaped blanks for these panels direct to Land Rover’s Solihull plant. The contract follows a successful year which has also seen the company secure a long term contract to supply the bodyside panel blanks for the company’s highly acclaimed new Discovery 3 model. It was during the early development stages for the Discovery 3, that Land Rover first recognised how Corus’ press blanking capability could help the company meet its specific design requirements.

The rear door outer shaped blanks for the Range Rover Sport are being produced at Corus’ Automotive Service Centre in Wednesfield in the UK. The shaped blanks will be pressed on the company’s 600 tonne large-bed Fagor blanking line, which also produces the body side panels for the Discovery model. The line boasts specialist tooling, designed in association with Land Rover, including an extremely heavy 26 tonne die, required to produce the shaped blanks needed to meet the Range Rover Sport’s specific design requirements.

The Fagor blanking line also features an in-line oil wash facility that can clean the steel strip and then re-oil with specific oil levels, to meet specific customer requirements, ensuring a high quality product, with no contamination, helping to produce full-finish skin panel blanks ready for pressing at Land Rover’s Solihull press-shop.

Commenting on the new contract, Richard Down, Commercial Manager, Corus Automotive Service Centre said: “On-going investment in our downstream facilities at the Service Centre, has resulted in unique pressing and blanking capabilities that give Corus the flexibility to meet a broad range of design patterns and requirements. Securing the contract to supply the Range Rover Sport underlines this capability to produce specialist, full-finish panels, increasingly in demand from our customers.'

Adrian Davey, Purchasing Manager Land Rover added: 'Corus has demonstrated through the supply of bodyside panel blanks for the Discovery 3 model that they have the required tooling, production facilities and material expertise to meet the design requirements of the Range Rover Sport and Discovery 3. Importantly, despite global uncertainty about the supply of steel, Corus has also demonstrated the ability to constantly meet our specific production schedules for the Discovery which has given us complete confidence that they will do the same for the Range Rover Sport.'

About: Corus Automotive
Corus is one of the leading suppliers of steel products, services and technology to the automotive industry. A broad range of Corus steel from strip, engineering steels, special strip and tubes are used to make products that go into automotive applications including body-in-white, closures, chassis and suspension systems, powertrain, seats, safety systems and other components. Corus is committed to the global automotive industry, and, uniquely, combines its materials and vehicle engineering knowledge to respond cost-effectively to key drivers of importance to the sector, such as safety, fuel-efficiency, innovation and the environment. The Company actively supports supply chain initiatives that improve efficiency and enhance the value of steel used in automotive applications.

Corus Group Plc is one of the world's largest metal producers with an annual turnover of £8 billion and major operating facilities in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Norway and Belgium. Corus' four divisions comprising Strip Products, Long Products, Distribution & Building Systems and Aluminium provide innovative solutions to the construction, automotive, packaging, mechanical engineering and other markets worldwide. Corus has 48,500 employees in over 40 countries and sales offices and service centres worldwide. Combining international expertise with local customer service, the Corus brand represents quality and strength.

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