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Technology for a sustainable future

We see consistent development as an opportunity to further strengthen our combination of materials and processing expertise. This courage to steadily transform is evidenced in our product portfolio of ever newer, increasingly advanced product and process solutions. Today, around 70 percent of our revenue is generated from industrial goods such as intelligent turnout systems, aerospace and automotive components made from a variety of metals, special coatings to satisfy the latest trends in the white goods industry, and much more.  

Technology in general

Additive manufacturing: 3D printing with metals

Additive Manufacturing

Directly printing complicated metal parts which are ready for assembly, and at the same time reducing their weight—it sounds like a pipe dream. Additive manufacturing now makes it a reality: 3D printing with metal uses lasers which melt metal powder to produce tough and highly resilient components. Layer by layer, a complex component is created. The process benefits from our extensive experience in producing metal powders which we then combine with new technologies. The products we have already manufactured include:

  • AMPO powder, a high-quality metal powder made with steel, nickel or titanium alloys, for 3D printing, produced by voestalpine BÖHLER Edelstahl.
  • By developing new metal wires (e.g., duplex, high strength, nickel, and titanium), which can be adapted for their specific field of application, we create the foundations for innovation in additive manufacturing. 
  • 3D-printed tools produced by the voestalpine Additive Manufacturing Center Düsseldorf enable the manufacture of highly complex forms, including integrated cooling and tempering channels, for example. The optimized tools lower the scrap rates, increase the service life of the tool insert, and reduce CO2 emissions.
  • In the field of medical technology, the ability to manufacture customized implants such as hip joints clears the way for new, more efficient and gentler treatment methods.
  • Parts with completely new shapes and functionalities, such as components with cavities, and bionic structures.
  • The option of producing new component geometries also makes 3D printing a suitable method for manufacturing lightweight aviation and aerospace components.
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Tailor-made functional steel: intelligent steel strip

tfs stands for “tailor-made functional steel” and is a global first in terms of technology for smart applications. Our intelligent cold-rolled steel strips manufactured in the Steel Division permit the design of pioneering solutions with a range of digital functionalities.

To create innovative tfs products, the steel strip is coated with a primer. The conductive structures are screen printed to this base, and then protected by the application of a final coat. This conductive structure allows the steel strip to be used for many functions, such as measuring, heating, operating, and monitoring:

  • tfs heating: The steel strip solution with integrated heating warms up surfaces in any indoor or outdoor application.
  • tfs monitoring: The sensors and conductor tracks are integrated directly into the coating layer and enable a wide range of applications—from fully integrated static monitoring in steel girders to theft detection. 
  • tfs operating: With this product, an area of any size becomes a control element with a wide range of functions, and without the need for additional sensors (e.g., invisible switches, full-surface operation).
  • tfs measuring: For measuring loads, temperature, and filling levels, even in areas that are difficult to access.
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New materials development

Special materials are in demand in the mechanical engineering and automotive industries, as well as the processing industry. High performance fine-grained steels, such as those in the alform® series, are the optimal solution. They offer many advantages such as lowering costs by reducing material use, outstanding weldability due to the fine-grained microstructure, excellent cold forming properties, and the best cutability.

There is also demand for a range of material options in the lightweight automotive construction and electromobility sector. Here too, we are always working to develop new material concepts.

The innovative steels and steel products lend steel its excellent forming properties. Martensitic steels in the form of Advanced High Strength Steels (ahss) are setting new standards and opening up new options in hot forming with press-hardened zinc-coated steels. There is also huge potential for martensitic steel in lightweight automotive construction, allowing safety and crash-relevant components to be manufactured using cold stamping.

Here you will find blog posts on innovative materials