CORUS INTRODUCES THE TUBULAR BLANK FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

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CORUS INTRODUCES THE TUBULAR BLANK FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
28 March 2000 - Corus Automotive

Corus Hyfo is the new interface to the market in the field of hydroforming within Corus Group plc. It can give significant support in fields such as material selection, automotive component engineering, hydroform feasibility and optimisation.

Corus Hyfo’s latest breakthrough is the Tubular Blank: a laser-welded, thin-walled tubular product which can be either conical or tailor-made. Because of its properties the Tubular Blank is especially suitable for hydroforming and can expand the scope of hydroforming applications.

Corus Hyfo developed the Tubular Blank together with Soudronic, the leading company in tailor-welded blank technology. the Tubular Blank is a custom-made input for modern hydroforming processes. These processes manufacture hollow metal components from tubular stock by using a fluid medium under high pressure. Hydroforming is of growing importance, especially within the Automotive Industry, as it offers interesting opportunities for cost and weight reduction.

The Tubular Blank can facilitate the hydroforming process and optimise its benefits. This is possible because of the innovative combination of aspects which lies at the root of the Tubular Blank’s production process: the use of blanks, a dedicated forming process, laser-welding and monitoring.

The Tubular Blank can be produced extremely thin-walled (high diameter/ thickness ratio) and is interesting for Body in White applications. When using a tailor-made blank, wall thickness can be varied along the blank. The manufacturing process allows A-class surface quality and provides excellent formability. Formability can be increased even more, when the Tubular Blank is produced from a blank out of the width of a coil.

The Tubular Blank can be produced out of steel, stainless steel or aluminium. The technology applied allows for galvanisation which guarantees optimal corrosion resistance. Because of the blank-based production process the Tubular Blank can be tailored or conical, exact to length and burr-free. These advantages make the Tubular Blank directly suitable for hydroforming.

The Tubular Blank overcomes many existing barriers and opens the door wide to extensive hydroforming applications. Its specific properties allow the integration of components and thus a more efficient use of materials. The Tubular Blank can lead to weight reduction, a related cost reduction, component integration as well as e.g. better crash performance. As such the Tubular Blank is an important new asset to the Automotive Industry.

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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