Steel Division

Electrical industry

Faster, more resource-saving, more economical, more durable, lighter

Properties that are constant companions in handling and development in the course of the electrification of diverse areas in our daily lives and in industries. For voestalpine, they are an incentive for top performance in the development of non-grain-oriented electrical steel and pole sheets for the electrical industry. From generator design to motors of all kinds and static machines. In close cooperation with international customers and research institutions, tomorrow's solutions are continually being developed.

Efficiency as a hobbyhorse

There is hardly an industry that is growing faster and has greater demands on efficiency than the electrical industry. In this highly competitive industry, solutions are constantly being created at the highest level. In an effort to remain one step ahead, voestalpine has made it its business to permanently monitor research results and to collaborate with international customers in developing tailor-made solutions that can be readied for serial production. The focus is not exclusively on the material itself. voestalpine thinks ahead and has comprehensive expertise in the area of insulating varnish systems. First and foremost, Backlack technology, an innovative joining process for electrical steel strip packages, has become indispensable for demanding customers.

Precision as a success factor

The pressure to optimize in the electrical industry is enormous, not least as a result of legal requirements. One of the prerequisites to high-precision component production is the use of high-precision electrical steel. voestalpine is aware of this and supplies tailor-made material that meets the highest demands in terms of shape tolerance and processability. Precise geometric properties as a result of continuous cold-rolling processes, consistent mechanical properties, low tension levels in wide and slit strip, clean surfaces, high adhesiveness and abrasion-resistant insulation coatings with best adhesive properties in the Backlack coating make isovac® a product that more than meets high industry demands.

Green power as motivation

Are you ready for a green future? voestalpine is optimizing its ecological footprint along the entire lifecycle. From the extraction of raw materials, steel production and further processing to the use and reuse of the material. 

Its use in the field of e-mobility or alternative energy generation in wind or hydroelectric power plants makes isovac® an irreplaceable material for customers who demand 100% performance and at the same time want to set the course for a green future.

0% troubles as a philosophy

100% customer-oriented. voestalpine thinks in terms of solutions. From preliminary contact to delivery of the finished product. In addition to sophisticated logistics strategies, voestalpine offers practical and industry-specific process support. Whether it be in annealing trials, the adjustment of a stamping tool or assistance in making the transition to a new grade, highly qualified specialists will offer their expertise to you each step of the way.

Backlack, a coating that connects 

Insulating varnishes and bonding processes are absolutely essential. With backlack technology, the foundation has been laid for an electrical steel that meets the ever-increasing demands on the efficiency and performance of electric motors. The most non-damaging and flexible process is full-face bonding of the lamellas. Freedom of design in large-scale industrial production, unique mechanical stability, best magnetic properties, improved thermal conductivity and enormous advantages in acoustic behavior speak a very clear language.


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Steel strips

Electrical steel strip

Electrical steel strip

isovac®, electrical steel made by voestalpine, offers best magnetic properties and provides highest energy efficiency.

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Electrical steel strip

isovac® is the non-grain-oriented electrical steel made by voestalpine and stands for highest energy efficiency. Electrical steel is a material used in many different forms in the construction of magnetic cores in electrical appliances and machinery. voestalpine is Europe's market leader for non-grain-oriented semi-finished electrical steel.

Applications

isovac® made by voestalpine is a high-quality electrical steel for electric motors, generators and transformers of all kinds. 

The high demands of motors in general and especially drive motors in the field of e-mobility are met by isovac® with respect to efficiency and performance, highest permeabilities, lowest losses and, where required, high strength. 

Together with the pole plates of voestalpine, isovac® electrical steel makes a significant contribution in generator design with respect to increases in the efficiency of a wide range of generator types and sets new standards in terms of performance and sustainability.

The specialists of voestalpine are continually developing and optimizing special high-quality isovac® grades for static machines such as transformers, reactance coils or magnets for particle accelerators.

Product portfolio

Customized solutions are indispensable in a dynamic market marked by a wide variety of individual demands. With respect to compact engine design and high efficiency, voestalpine has just the right product for each customer.

Insulating varnish systems

The insulating varnish applied to the strip surface is a key factor in the highest performance of machines made of isovac® electrical steel. This is why voestalpine also relies on the highest quality of the insulating varnish systems. In close collaboration with leading European varnish manufacturers, voestalpine supplies insulating varnishes that contain no toxins, carcinogens, mutagens, formaldehyde or chromium compounds. The coatings meet all applicable EC directives (RoHS Directive 2011/65/EC).

Processability

Consistent mechanical properties across the entire length of the strip and clean surfaces that cause minimal abrasion on the punching tool are prerequisites to optimized punching processes.

The result of our stable and continuous rolling process is a reduction in the steel strip thickness tolerance value. Subsequent continuous annealing reduces material stress to a minimum. This enables voestalpine customers to manufacture components with the highest precision.


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Hot-dip galvanized steel strip

Hot-dip galvanized steel strip

Hot-dip galvanized steel made by voestalpine is characterized by high corrosion resistance, excellent working properties and a wide spectrum of applications.

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Hot-dip galvanized steel strip

An excellent all-rounder

Hot-dip galvanized steel made by voestalpine is characterized by high corrosion resistance, high-quality appearance, excellent working properties and a wide spectrum of applications. The portfolio of steel grades ranges from super deep-drawing grades to grades with highest strengths (advanced high-strength steels). Depending on customer requirements, voestalpine supplies a comprehensive range of available widths and thicknesses with tailor-made metallic coatings. A variety of surface finishing treatments also make it possible to extend the range of applications. voestalpine supplies high-strength steels with unique exposed-panel quality and offers a ZF coating for this purpose. The world's only hot-dip galvanized press-hardening steels made by voestalpine round off the extensive portfolio.

Materials for cold forming

Some steel grades are available as galvanized hot-rolled strip:

  • Hot-rolled low-alloyed or microalloyed steels
  • Hot-rolled ferritic-bainitic steels
  • Hot-rolled complex-phase steels

Materials for hot forming

Press-hardening steels for hot forming are available in various strengths and are coated with zinc or zinc-iron. Best crash behavior, high dimensional accuracy and very good joining properties are the hallmarks of components made of these materials.

Metallic coatings

  • Zinc (Z) for applications subject to average corrosion (galvanized)
  • Zinc-iron (ZF) for corrosion protection with highest weldability requirements (galvannealed)
  • Zinc-magnesium (ZM) for best cathodic corrosion protection (corrender)

Metallic coatings Z and ZM are available with normal (N) and small spangles (M). The surface of zinc-iron coating is spangle-free. Upon customer request, voestalpine supplies different zinc coatings per side (differential galvanizing).

corrender is the high-performance zinc-magnesium-aluminum coating made by voestalpine.

This surface treatment provides excellent corrosion protection and processability, offering a high-performance alternative to conventional protective coatings for hot-dip galvanized steel strip. Corrender has been supplied in series since 2007, and voestalpine has established comprehensive product know-how and expertise in this area.

Coating
Thickness/mm
Width max./mm
Coating
Z and GI0.45 – 4.001730Z70 - Z600
ZF and GA0.45 – 2.301730ZF70 - ZF140
ZM (corrender)0.45 – 2.301730ZM90 - ZM200

"At the Linz site, we manufacture a very extensive product mix in five different hot-dip galvanizing lines. We apply zinc coatings in various surface qualities on mild to high-strength steel grades. Our team of specialists meets the challenge with a high level of commitment and quality awareness every single day. We set the standards with additional chromium-free and environmentally friendly treatments such as clearcover® or multiface®.

Maximilian Kaiser, Main Process Manager, Hot-dip Galvanizing

Surface quality

  • As-coated surface (A)
  • Improved surface (unexposed and B)
  • Best surface (exposed or C) for special requirements such as exposed panels (IF steels) in the automotive industry for additional benefits:
  • Minimum waviness
  • High contour sharpness in reflections
  • Also for ZM (corrender coatings)
  • Optimum forming properties
  • Efficient painting
Design for Z and ZM
Mean roughness value Ra [µm]
Standard0.6 – 1.9
Roughness: especially smooth0.5 max.
Roughness: smooth0.9 max.
Special option: half matt0.7 – 1.3
Special option: matt1.3 – 1.9

Numerous additional treatments

Subsequent surface treatment additionally improves the existing product properties in comparison to the high-quality base material and provides solutions to special applications:

  • Anti-fingerprint (multiface®) for the household appliance and construction industries
  • Chemical passivation and/or corrosion protection oils protect against white rust formation and are free of chromium. (clearcover®)
  • Forming aids such as a phosphating or passivation layer 
  • Optimized tribology and excellent oil distribution (prelube2)
Zusatzbehandlungen - Übersichtsbild

Further processing

Hot-dip galvanized steel strips available in a wide range of widths and lengths:

  • Wide strip
  • Slit strip (slit)
  • Cut-to-length sheets
  • Blanks

Supply pursuant to EN 10346 and VDA 239100 Deviations upon agreement.


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Cold-rolled steel strip

Cold-rolled steel strip

Cold-rolled steel strip made by voestalpine combines best surface appearance and narrowest thickness tolerances for a wide range of applications.

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Cold-rolled steel strip

Outstanding surface quality, excellent cold formability and high uniformity of mechanical properties are characteristic of this material.

Portfolio

The comprehensive steel grade program makes cold-rolled steel strip a genuine all-rounder. These materials are used in applications ranging from simple sections to complex deep-drawn parts. Cold-rolled steel strip is used in the household appliance industry in washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, refrigerators, ranges and hot water tanks. Cold-rolled steels are also used in the radiator industry, the automotive industry (car body parts with low corrosion stress), the packaging industry and the tube and section industry.

Steel grades

Cold-rolled steel strip

  • Excellent surface quality 
  • Excellent cold formability 
  • Highly uniform mechanical properties 
  • Narrow thickness tolerances thanks to modern production systems

Cold-rolled enamelable steels

Development continues unabated in this area, and high-performance cold-rolled steels made by voestalpine have become an alternative to OC annealed steels used in numerous applications in the household appliance and sanitation industries.


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Organic-coated steel strip

Organic-coated steel strip

colofer®, organic-coated steel strip made by voestalpine, features highest-quality surfaces and excellent processing properties.

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Organic-coated steel strip

colofer® is the high-tech composite material that consists of steel strip of the highest surface quality and a colored paint that can differ according to respective requirements. Excellent product properties and service tailored to the specific needs of the customer make colofer® a popular material in the construction and household appliance industries.

colofer® is the brand name that stands for a highest-quality product characterized by the following features:

  • Many years of experience
  • Products and solutions for every application
  • Service and benefits for our customers
  • Environmental awareness for many years 

The only true pioneer

colofer® is a true pioneer when it comes to protecting the environment and employee health and safety. In 1998, voestalpine developed an environmentally compatible colofer® production technology by completely eliminating chromium from the process, without compromising the excellent product performance and long warranty periods.

colofer® for both indoor and outdoor protection

colofer® is available in a wide variety of designs and is ideal for indoor and outdoor use. Please use our product finder to find the right product for the right place.


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Hot-rolled steel strip

Hot-rolled steel strip

Hot-rolled steel strip made by voestalpine is tailored to specific customer needs, and the product portfolio ranges from mild steels to meet the highest forming requirements to ultra-high-strength steels for the most demanding applications.

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Hot-rolled steel strip

Hot-rolled steel strip made by voestalpine is characterized by high product quality and is a true all-rounder. It is as versatile as its many applications.

Portfolio

Hot-rolled steel strip to meet every customer requirement We supply strip widths up to 1,750 mm and thicknesses up to 20 mm. Our products are available in both pickled and unpickled condition, as slit or wide strip or as cut sheets. Consistently high quality and production within the narrowest tolerances are our claim. Hot-rolled steel strip made by voestalpine is available in a wide variety of grades. A variety of different alloys and rolling programs provide our customers with just the right steel for their specific applications.

Steel grades

  • Mild steels
  • Structural steels
  • Micro-alloyed steels
  • Case-hardening and heat-treatable steels
  • Martensitic steels
  • Complex-phase steels
  • Dual-phase steels
  • Ferritic-bainitic steels
  • Pole and rim steels
  • Steels for enameling
  • Steels for gas cylinders
  • Weather-resistant structural steels
  • Wear-resistant steels
  • High-strength and ultra-high-strength steels

Hot-rolled steel strip 

voestalpine builds on partnerships and highest quality claims:

  • Development of customer-specific special grades based on individual requirements
  • High uniformity of mechanical and chemical properties
  • Narrowest tolerances guaranteed 
  • Consistently high product quality based on precise rolling process in which temperature and forming are precisely matched
  • Material and processing expertise from a single source

Mild, unalloyed steels for cold forming

These steels are generally delivered in accordance with EN 10111. They are used in applications in which formability is more important than strength.

Structural steels

These steels are included in EN 10025. One of their fields of application is in machinery. The steels are characterized by minimum yield strength, a margin for tensile strength and minimum fracture elongation. They are used for light drawing stress, forming and bending.

alform® steels

alform® is a brand name in the voestalpine Steel Division and stands for hot-rolled fine-grained steel with best cold-forming properties and excellent weldability. alform® steels are available in various grades and strength classes. Whether thermomechanically or normalized rolled, as hot-rolled strip or heavy plate, in coils, slit strip or cut sheets, alform® is an indispensable material in mechanical engineering, automotive design and in the processing Industry.

durostat® steels

durostat® grades are wear-resistant steels that feature high hardness achieved through accelerated cooling directly from the rolling heat. They are characterized by a high degree of wear resistance and are especially suited to applications with high mechanical stress and high levels of abrasion.

Case-hardening and heat-treatable steels

Case-hardening and heat-treatable steels pursuant to DIN EN ISO 683-1 and EN 10084 as well as the voestalpine standard are implemented in direct-processing applications or are used for cold re-rolling. These steels generally undergo heat treatment in order to achieve the desired processing and component properties. They are used in applications that must strike an optimum balance between hardness and toughness.

Pole sheets

Pole sheets are thermomechanically rolled steels with guaranteed magnetic properties. Standard grades are pursuant to Euronorm EN 10265:1995 (corresponding to IEC 404-8-5). Ultra-high-strength special voestalpine grades are also supplied.

Hot-rolled enamelable steels

The narrowest tolerances, high material quality and highly specialized application expertise guarantee products that meet every requirement. Combinations of thick hot-rolled steels and thin cold-rolled steels, for example, are often used in industrial silo designs.

Hot-rolled strip next level

We go one step further with hot-rolled Q for the tube and section industry. Q for even more quality than you would expect as a customer. Q for even more hot-rolled strip grades, especially in the tube and section industry. Characteristics that can all be of great importance to customers or just individually. Hot-rolled Q for the tube and section industry is a package full of quality and efficiency improvements for production as well as for the end product.

Kaltwalzer - Warmband mit einem Plus an Qualität

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isovac

isovac®

isovac® is the electrical steel made by voestalpine and stands for highest energy efficiency in future-oriented sectors such as e-mobility and generator manufacturing.

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voestalpine isovac® backlack-v®

backlack-V®

Upgrade your Backlack! Excellent processing properties lead to a significant increase in production process efficiency.

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