Next-generation structural product from Tata Steel reduces weight, time and cost
24 March 2015
Tata Steel, one of Europe’s largest steel suppliers, has announced the launch of Celsius® 420, a stronger hot-finished structural steel hollow section which reduces the weight in agricultural vehicles and equipment.
Celsius® 420 was developed for applications where structural performance at a reduced weight is required and represents innovative advances in steel manufacturing. Offering a high yield strength of 420 megapascals (MPa) and weight savings of up to 17 per cent compared with Tata Steel’s Celsius® 355 products, Celsius® 420 is designed for use in chassis applications, structural components and cab systems.
Tata Steel works with some of the world’s largest original equipment manufacturers in the demanding earthmoving, mining, crane, material handling and agricultural sectors. Reducing the weight of the vehicles used is a constant focus for equipment manufacturers, who are under pressure to meet strict emissions and fuel consumption targets. The use of Celsius® 420 hollow sections helps them meet these aims, due to the fact it can be used as a thinner section, with a higher yield strength.
Celsius 420’s manufacturing process ensures that the product has no weaknesses around its whole perimeter and weld line. This enables the product to be used in more demanding applications. Combined with the steel’s lower Carbon Equivalent Value (CEV) of 0.45, compared to the 0.5 product standard of EN 10210, this product is also easier to weld and fabricate. Not only is steel with a lower CEV better for welding, but it requires no additional heat treatment, making the steel more cost-effective to process. The steel’s strong weldability – unique in high-strength tube products – means high-strength components can be produced without changing standard weld procedures. In addition, tighter radii can be maintained on the corner profiles of square and rectangular sections to ensure a smaller surface area, reducing weight and risk of fracture, as well as providing a pleasing and consistent aesthetic.
Henrik Adam, Tata Steel’s Chief Commercial Officer in Europe, said: “While our Celsius®range is already very well established in the structural hollow sections market, we know our customers are always looking for new materials with enhanced properties. This is why we focus so much on innovation to develop next-generation products. We’re bringing to market an entirely new range of hot-finished hollow structural sections that we believe is in a class of its own. Celsius®420 guarantees proven performance and quality assurance, offering customers design freedom and manufacturing confidence.”
Kevin Edgar, Head of Marketing, Engineering Sectors for Tata Steel’s European operations, adds: “Being a hot-finished structural hollow section product with added strength, Celsius®420 offers equipment makers big advantages through lower material costs, good weldability and improved performance thanks to the high degree of uniformity in wall thickness. Customers can reduce the weight of the material they use for equivalent performance, which gives further benefits in terms of weight savings.”
The Celsius®420 range of circular, rectangular, square and elliptical hollow sections is now in production and available to the market. The sections are made from strip produced at Tata Steel’s plants in south Wales, which is formed into hot-finished tubes at the company’s Hartlepool and Corby mills in the UK.
To learn more about Celsius® 420, visit http://www.tatasteelconstruction.com/celsius420
For further information, contact Caroline Holmes on T. +44 (0) 20 7952 1072 or cholmes@torqueagencygroup.com
About Tata Steel’s European operations
Tata Steel is Europe's second largest steel producer, with steelmaking in the UK and Netherlands, and manufacturing plants across Europe. The company supplies products and services to the most demanding markets, including construction, automotive, packaging, rail, lifting & excavating, energy & power and aerospace. The combined Tata Steel group is one of the world’s largest steel producers, with a steel capacity of 29 million tonnes and 80,000 employees across four continents.
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