For outstanding mechanical properties

The alform® grades are thermomechanically rolled, weldable, bendable, fine-grained structural steels. They combine the toughness properties of thermomechanically rolled fine-grained structural steels with the excellent bendability of cold-forming steels.

alform-thermomechanisches-walzen

Properties

We are the specialists in thermomechanical rolling with accelerated cooling. This process leads to a fine-grained structure that provides high strength, high toughness levels and good cold formability.

Rolling process

Our heavy plates (produced on reversing four-high rolling stands) and hot-rolled strips (cross-cut after rolling) are precision-rolled while ensuring that the temperature and forming processes are perfectly coordinated with each other. Both heavy plates and steel strips are accelerated-cooled directly after hot rolling.

Temper softening

The composition and microstructure of the steel grades are finely tuned to achieve the desired material properties, even after final annealing.

Surfaces and thickness tolerances

Our direct processes permit the use of modern alloying strategies with low carbon content and provide good surface characteristics by avoiding furnace scale and narrow thickness tolerances.

Comparison of thermomechanical rolling (TM) and quenched and tempered (QT)

Three ranges with different levels of susceptibility to cold cracking are differentiated according to Graville in dependence on carbon content carbon equivalent equivalent.

When compared with conventional quenched and tempered steels, thermomechanically rolled alform® steel grades achieve especially low carbon content at minimum yield strengths ranging from 700 to 960 MPa. For this reason, alform® steel grades do not tend as readily to harden in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and have low susceptibility to cold cracking. The benefits are achieved by means of a modern analysis strategy, thermomechanical rolling and accelerated cooling.