Tata Steel increases commitment to sustainability and digitalisation

The future is becoming increasingly complex and the pressure to adapt is continuously growing. Tata Steel believes it is well prepared for these challenges, particularly through its continually close customer relationships and wide array of products and services that promote sustainability and digitisation. Tata Steel is already one of the world's leading integrated steel companies for CO₂ efficiency, and has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming a climate-neutral steel producer by 2050. Tata Steel is also a pioneer in the field of digitisation in the steel industry. At this year's Blechexpo, under the motto ’Let’s talk about the future’, the company will demonstrate how it supports its customers in mastering future challenges. In addition to its award-winning Advanced Analytics concept, Tata Steel will present Valast^®450, its new high-endurance steel sheet. The company will also show new applications of its automotive steel XPF1000^® in conjunction with its current investment program, as well as EPD, a product declaration programme for the construction industry.

More lightweight, less wear and tear
Since 2018, Tata Steel has continuously invested in sites in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands to expand its manufacturing capabilities for high-quality steels and increase manufacturing flexibility. These investments serve the growing demand for high-performance ultra-high-strength steels in sectors such as the auto industry. The recently available automotive steel XPF1000 was originally developed to meet customer requirements for the lightweight design of complex chassis parts. The UHSS combines exceptionally good formability with ultra-high strength and an optimised processing efficiency. However, it is also suitable for applications in body-in-white and in seat and interior structures. An 8 mm version for the truck sector and a coated version are currently being planned. It can also be used in electric vehicles, which lack the engine as a crush zone, because XPF1000's high strength enables it to absorb a particularly large amount of impact energy in the event of a crash.

Also on display at Tata Steel’s Blechexpo stand is Valast 450, a high-endurance steel sheet with the typical hardness of 450 HBW. It was developed in close collaboration with world-leading OEMs for use in equipment that is subject to high abrasion wear (e.g. tipper trucks, dump trucks and asphalt pavers). Meeting ASTM G65 Standard, the abrasion resistance of Valast 450 is 2.5 times greater than structural steel and extends the product life of these applications for more sustainability. Tata Steel is the first company to offer this abrasion-resistant strip product in special dimensions from 2 - 12 mm thick and 1,000 - 2,000 mm wide.

More digitalisation for more sustainability and planning security
As a pioneer in the use of Advanced Analytics (AA), Tata Steel received the prestigious Lighthouse Factory Award from the World Economic Forum and McKinsey in early 2019. The advanced digital analysis method, which also enables forecasting, ensures extensive improvements throughout the entire process chain, including more efficient use of raw materials, higher manufacturing quality and optimised logistics. To exploit this potential, Tata Steel recently set up its own Advanced Analytics Academy in IJmuiden, the Netherlands. At Blechexpo ‘Expertentreff’, Dr Menno van der Winden, primary responsible for Advanced Analytics at Tata Steel, will present the AA concept.

Tata Steel is the world's first steel producer to recently launch a programme for digital environmental product declarations in the construction industry. This EPD programme (Environmental Product Declarations) is a validation tool that provides transparent and scientifically sound data on the environmental impact of steel products and supports their sustainability throughout the entire life cycle.

“Due to progressing digitalisation and the ever more urgent demands for more sustainability, many of our customers worry about having to spend enormous sums of money on new equipment and the training of their staff. That’s where Tata Steel steps in, by facilitating the access to important data for our customers and developing sustainable products and services in close cooperation with them, we support them to become more digital, more sustainable and more efficient,“ said Henrik Adam, CEO of Tata Steel Europe.

Source and Photo: Tata Steel in Europe