ArcelorMittal invests 450 thousand euros in heat exchanger technology

ArcelorMittal's plant in Trevoux (Rhone-Alpes, France) is about to install innovative systems to produce heat exchangers for individual heating, ventilation and industrial air conditioning. This new activity adds to the current Welding and Machining Division at SoluStil, a leader in sheet metal products and a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal. An investment of 450 thousand euros will help expand and strengthen the plant's operations.

The Trevoux plant will be equipped with a steel plate roll forming system, enabling the plant to produce inner tubes used in heat exchangers. Until now, the Trevoux plant had to buy tubes from other specialized companies and then weld with other heat exchanger elements using a robotic installation. The products will now be assembled from plates supplied directly by the ArcelorMittal group.

The pipes of its own production give the plant an important competitive advantage, as it will be able to produce pipes with the dimensions and quality of steel required by customers. The new welding machine, which welds in one pass instead of two, will reduce production time by 40 percent. With these new machines, the plant will support the growth of the world leader in air conditioning, Carrier, by providing a full range of solutions to meet production needs.

Frederick Mann, Trevoux Plant Manager, said that “These investments are critical to the steel sheet market, further strengthening our plant's operations. Through the investments, we are developing towards the supply of metal parts. The Trevoux plant will now become a specialist in the production and assembly of heat exchangers for meet the needs of its customers thanks to the innovative manufacturing processes that are currently being implemented. "