Swiss Steel Group aims to produce the steel of the future at the Steeltec AG

When standard steels need to have specific characteristics, expensive alloying additions and supplementary heat treatment are generally used. Steeltec AG, a company of the Swiss Steel Group, has developed an innovative, alternative technology for this very reason.

The company is progressive and trendsetting with its development of “Extreme Performance Technology (XTP®)” and with high-quality technology has found a way to produce an ultra-fine-grained and tough high-grade steel which makes the need for additional alloys and special treatment obsolete thanks to a controlled thermomechanical processing phase.

Systematic temperature control and alternative forming processes produce an extremely ultra-fine-grain microstructure with grain sizes of less than 5 µm. Steel produced in this way is noted for improved properties with better dynamic and mechanical characteristics, including:

• Improved tensile strength of up to 2,050 MPa
• Improved dynamic load capacity by at least 10 percent, leading to longer service life and higher operational safety
• Significantly improved properties despite higher tensile strength
• Formability and machinability
• Components can be redimensioned without losing mechanical-technical properties making component design more flexible
• Given the straightness of the bars, lengths of up to 8,000 (-0/+200) mm available with tolerances compliant to DIN EN ISO 286-2 *h11
• No thermal distortion and no need for additional heat treatment

While XTP®-treated steel looks like conventional steel on the outside, its true excellence is hidden beneath the surface: the ultra-fine-grained steel microstructure provides an unprecedented level of material resistance and strength. This creates possibilities and paves the day to versatile designs and unconventional component engineering.

XTP steel withstands even difficult challenges, such as intense vibration, high internal pressure or extreme cold. Even at ultra-low temperatures of -101°C at which conventionally produced steel can become brittle and crack or break, the technically optimized steel grades have a high toughness (notched bar impact work of well over 27 joule in notched bar impact testing). Treatment with XTP technology guarantees the highest resistance to crack propagation.

Source and Photo: Swiss Steel Group