United States Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, and Kobe Steel Ltd., Japan, announce that they will begin construction of a new continuous galvanizing line at their subsidiaries’ joint venture, Pro-Tec Coating Company in Leipsic, Ohio.
The new line, an investment of approximately $400 million, will utilize a proprietary process, and will have a yearly capacity of 500,000 tons. It will be capable of coating advanced high-strength steel that will help automakers manufacture economically lightweight vehicles while maintaining exceptionally high safety standards. Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2017, and the line is expected to commence startup in 2019.
U.S. Steel is the exclusive manufacturer of its cold-rolled Generation 3 steels, which provide superior formability and high-strength properties because of their low-alloy chemistries, which also enable robust weldability. The new galvanizing line will allow Pro-Tec to produce these Generation 3 steels with a hot-dipped zinc coating. Automakers can utilize these steels with their existing stamping and assembly methods to produce safe, strong, and cost-effective structural components for vehicle bodies.
U. S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt said, “This line will be the first of its kind and utilizes proprietary technology capable of producing the high-quality, cutting-edge advanced high-strength steels that will meet our automotive customers’ needs and solve some of their most pressing challenges.”
Pro-Tec Coating Company was the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner. It is an innovative leader in technologically advanced steel, which it supplies in coil form, primarily to the automotive market. The product helps to improve vehicle crashworthiness as well as fuel economy through weight reduction.
Pro-Tec is a 50/50 joint venture partnership of subsidiaries of United States Steel and Kobe Steel Ltd. The company is privately held.
