Hydroformed tube contract prompts expansion
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Corus Automotive product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Mar 7, 2005
Corus has invested to upgrade its precision tubes facility in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands, following confirmation that it has secured Europe's largest single automotive hydroformed tube contract.
International metals company Corus has invested significantly to upgrade its precision tubes facility in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands, following confirmation that it has secured Europe's largest single automotive hydroformed tube contract.
The major, long-term contract will see Corus continue to supply its high quality precision tubes to specialist German hydroformer Finow Automotive Eberswaldle, based in Berlin.
Finow Automotive in turn supplies hydroformed components to Chassis Systems, based in Telford, UK, the joint venture business created by DANA and GKN to produce the chassis for Land Rover's highly acclaimed Discovery 3.
The demand for lighter component solutions remains a primary driver in the automotive industry.
Tube hydroforming is one of the new enabling technologies that has the capacity to deliver cost effective mass reduced solutions and is increasingly being used by vehicle manufacturers.
As demonstrated by the international steel industry's ULSAB-AVC Advanced Vehicle Concepts programme, hydroforming can be used by automotive engineers as a way to optimise future car designs with fewer components, helping to increase the strength and stiffness of critical parts, while contributing to reduced vehicle weight and therefore lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The investment at Zwijndrecht underlines Corus's commitment to meet this growing demand from the automotive industry.
Commenting on the investment, Hugo de Zeeuw, Business Director, Corus Tubes Automotive and Engineering said: "The Corus Tubes business has been a major supplier of precision tubes to the automotive industry for use in applications such as seat head rests and axles for over 20 years".
"In addition, our tube facilities at Zwijndrecht and Arnhem have been supplying other high demand end-user businesses, such as the furniture industry for over 80 years".
De Zeeuw continued: "When CSL first approached us back in the late 1990s they knew that we had the right mix of tubes expertise, materials knowledge and relevant applications knowhow to develop precision tubes with larger dimensions needed to meet the specific requirements for the hydroformed chassis components for the new Land Rover Discovery 3".
"Working closely with CSL, we undertook feasibility and evaluation studies until the right grade of steel and tube size was met".
De Zeeuw concludes: "Following the successful launch of the Discovery 3, the investment at Zwijndrecht will ensure that we are able to continue to supply the high volumes of quality precision tubes required for this major contract".
"Importantly, the upgrade will allow us to manage the expected growth in business as we begin talking to other vehicle manufactures that are becoming increasingly aware of the cost and weight benefits of using tube hydroforming technology".
The strip steel used to make the precision tubes at the Zwijndrecht mill will be supplied from Corus' Strip Product business located in nearby IJmuiden and forms an integral part of the supply chain solution.
The Corus Tubes Automotive and Engineering business has also recently acquired certification to the new ISO/TS16949:2002 quality approval standard.
Until recently car manufacturers focused on their own quality standards.
TS16949:2002 is a breakthrough in the automotive industry in that it represents a consensus amongst most of the world's largest car makers and is a starting point in the harmonisation and globalisation of designer specified standards.
Aimed primarily at Tier One suppliers, TS 6949:2002 is a technical specification developed and supported by vehicle manufacturers in Europe, America and Japan and will help define quality system requirements for the global automotive supply chain.
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Contact Corus Automotive
Tel (UK) 44 24 76 241200
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