ArcelorMittal to invest $ 15 million in specialty steels in Brazil

ArcelorMittal is investing $ 15 million in its Brazilian facility next year to establish a production of special high-strength steels for the automotive industry. ArcelorMittal's advanced high-strength steel production will be based on its flat mill at its Vega do Sul facility in Santa Catarina state in southern Brazil.

The existing production lines of the plant will be equipped with the aim of producing hardened Usibor steel with silicone-aluminum coating, especially in demand in the automotive industry. Using Usibor allows manufacturers to create lighter, safer and cleaner vehicles at an affordable cost.

With a tensile strength of 1500 MPa after hot stamping, Usibor is one of the most resistant steels used in the automotive industry. This steel is mainly intended for the production of structural parts of the car, including the A-pillars, front and rear bumpers and other parts.
Usibor steel has been imported by Brazil since 2012 from ArcelorMittal factories in Europe.

Domestic production at the ArcelorMittal factory in Vega do Sul is due to start in the second quarter of 2015. Hot coils will continue to be produced at ArcelorMittal Tubarao in Espiritu Santo, Brazil, while a proprietary silicone-aluminum coating will be applied at ArcelorMittal in Vega do Sul.

The $ 15 million investment is planned under the Brazilian government's Inovar Auto program, which encourages automakers to invest in the Brazilian auto industry to produce more efficient, safer and more technologically advanced vehicles.