Hyundai Steel has launched ULTREX, a high-strength rolled steel brand whose products are both extremely strong and highly malleable. Through the launching of the new brand, the company’s efforts to increase its competitiveness in the future global market have come to fruition.
Hyundai Steel has been focusing its capacities on developing new steel grades and improving customer-relationship marketing by focusing on high value-added, top-quality products and advanced technologies. Along with this, the company has also been seeking to strengthen its position as an automotive steel plant.
All of these efforts have culminated in the launch of ULTREX, a high-strength automotive steel brand.
ULTREX produces ultra high-strength automotive steel sheets with a minimum tensile strength of 60 K. This means that the steel sheets can withstand a great amount of stress (60 kgf or higher), which indicates a powerful amount of force. ULTREX steel sheets are optimal materials for structural automotive components and chassis parts.
They can be used to manufacture various kinds of steel materials, such as FB, DP, as well as ACP materials, used for car panels and bumper beams. ULTREX steel sheets can be applied to the following automotive parts.
ULTREX Range of Applications
Advanced complex phase (ACP) material: Made of ferrite, bainite, and martensite. These materials are designed to have a lower carbon equivalent than existing CP steel, resulting in better welding characteristics. (Application: Front pillar inner lower panel, fender apron outer panel)
Martensitic (MS) material: Rolled steel made of hardened martensite. This material is a type of rolled steel that has the highest strength and is used for automotive parts that absorb shock from the car body. (Application: Front bumper beam, side sill outer)
Dual phase (DP) material: Rolled steel made of soft ferrite and hardened martensite. This material has a lower yield strength ratio than other materials and a high elongation rate relative to its strength. (Application: Center pillar inner panel, front seat mounting member, rear floor side member)
Transformation induced plastic (TRIP) material: Rolled steel made of residual austenite in the ferrite or bainite matrix. This material is more malleable than DP steel and is suitable for automobile parts requiring a high degree of malleability. (Application: Front side member inner, front pillar outer lower)
Ferrite-bairiate (FB) material: Rolled steel made of ferrite and bainite. This material is manufactured using a multistage cooling control method. Soft ferrite is known for its high elongation rate, and bainite is known for its high degree of strength. (Application: Rear trailing arm, front lower arm)
Despite the difficult business environment following the outbreak of COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn, Hyundai Steel plans to continuously develop new steel grades and to strengthen the marketing of its ultra high-strength automotive steel sheet brand by focusing on the company’s development and marketing capacities. The development of ULTREX provides Hyundai Steel with a unique and positive chance to move to the next level as a company.