autoregion international - Ausgabe 1/2021

16 Innovation and environmental protection for the mobility of tomorrow Three locations, the pursuit of innovation, and quality as a guiding principle and foundation for 400 years: this formula for success enables Saarstahl and its highly advanced plants to produce premium quality steel. Each of the company’s sites meets the highest standards for quality, efficiency and environmental compatibility. Saarstahl knows how to identify future cus- tomer requirements and changing conditions as well as how to develop solutions for them. Experts from research, production, quality and service work hand in hand with customers from the earliest stage of product develop- ment. Saarstahl is already delivering efficient and sustainable solutions for the mobility and energy transition. The company invests many tens of millions each year in modernizing its plants. Technology for the future One notable example of innovation from Saarstahl is the newly commissioned S1, in which Saarstahl has invested EUR 100 million. The five-strand plant can cast up to 180 tons of steel per hour. The S1 is the world’s first contin- uous casting plant equipped with Mechanical Soft Reduction (MSR) technology for a billet cross-section of 180 mm x 180 mm. Saarstahl is the only steel manufacturer in theworld that uses MSR technology to cast cross sections of 150 mm x 150 mm and 180 mm x 180 mm in series production. The resulting improved quality of the steel’s microstructure ensures customers better processing with lower en- ergy consumption and reduced losses. Saarstahl is a manufacturer of vehicle sus- pension springs, for example, that are ex- pected to deliver a lot: they must reliably transfer the weight of the vehicle to the wheels while also flexibly absorbing road shocks over many years. The springs must meanwhile become continuously lighter to meet the requirements of modern vehicle construction. Saarstahl’s thermomechanical rolling process offers incalculable weight advantages for this when compared to “con- ventional” steels. Saarstahl is always work- ing with its customers on new alloy concepts that will one day produce vehicle suspension springs with even higher load-bearing capac- ities, together with further savings in materi- als. The latest material development weighs 15 percent less per spring. This enables the construction of lighter vehicles and thus re- duces carbon emissions in traffic. Products from Saarstahl also help to ensure that the injection systems and hydraulic sys- tems in vehicles and machines are able to with- stand ever higher pressures and can therefore be operated more efficiently and with lower consumption values. Steel from Saarstahl is not only found in vehicles but also in things like rolling bearings, gearboxes and connect- ing elements for wind turbines. Commitment to sustainability Saarstahl is fully committed to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. The company continuously invests in projects that further improve environmental protection and con- serve resources at all its sites. The strategic approach of the Saarstahl Group and Dillinger Group is underpinned with a long-term envi- ronmental policy that has included joint in- vestments totaling EUR 700 million over the last 15 years alone to improve environmental protection and energy efficiency. The first- ever use in Germany of hydrogen as a reduc- ing agent during regular operation of the blast furnaces in Dillingen in the summer of 2020 underscores the companies’ approach. EcoVadis, an international provider of business sustainability ratings, has awarded Saarstahl a gold medal for its Corporate Social Respon- sibility (CSR) activities. The EcoVadis audit is performed annually and Saarstahl had already successfully positioned itself as a sustainable company in previous years. Saarstahl further improved its overall result in the EcoVadis rat- ings in 2020 and is among the top three per- cent in its industry category. Image: © Saarstahl Innovation und Umwelt- schutz für die Mobilität von morgen Drei Standorte, das Streben nach Inno- vation und Qualität als Leitmotiv und ein Fundament aus 400 Jahren: Mit dieser Erfolgsformel produziert Saarstahl mit hochmodernen Anlagen und Prozessen hochwertigen Stahl … Weiterlesen … https://t1p.de/9ycq Summary S H A R E Saarstahl Products https://t1p.de/ayie Saarstahl Produkte https://t1p.de/cood Saarstahl Contacts https://t1p.de/ves7