ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel and mining company, unveiled its first electrical steel product range designed specifically to meet the requirements of the electric vehicle (EV) sector at the Coil Winding, Insulation and Electrical Manufacturing Exhibition (CWIEME) in Berlin.
The result of a significant investment in research and development, the iCARe™ portfolio has been created to help carmakers create innovative new mobility solutions for a more sustainable world. As part of its strategy for this market, ArcelorMittal has also committed over €90m of fresh investment in its St-Chély d’Apcher production facility in France.
Together, these material innovations will help carmakers deliver lower CO2 emissions and improve fuel consumption for hybrid vehicles, while contributing to a longer range of pure electric vehicles and a lower total cost of electrification. The iCARe™ steels also promise to deliver increased power density from electric motors, helping to reduce the size and weight of low-emission vehicles via enhanced energy-efficiency.
“As the leading supplier of steel to the global automotive industry, ArcelorMittal already enjoys enviable heritage and expertise in this space,” comments Greg Ludkovsky, vice president – global research and development (R&D), ArcelorMittal. “The launch of the iCARe™ portfolio reflects not only the global shift towards more energy-efficient vehicle technologies, but also the benefits delivered by our R&D-driven approach to innovation. In 2011 alone, we invested $306m in researching and developing new steel products, solutions and processes to support a low-carbon world, demonstrating the sustainable advantages available through product innovation,” he adds.
The iCARe™ portfolio includes three distinct grades of electrical steel developed to meet specific challenges presented by the shift towards electro-mobility. The iCARe™ Save range offers very low electrical loss, maximizing the use of current batteries and allowing electric vehicles to drive further on one charge. iCARe™ Torque products ensure the highest levels of mechanical power output from EV motors, generating improved acceleration and ensuring a more dynamic driving experience. Finally, iCARe™ Speed steels deliver very high strength, making them ideal for the manufacture of high-speed rotors that allow a further weight reduction of the motor. With these three types of iCARe™ steel, machine designers now have access to the most suitable electrical steel to maximize the efficiency of their motor design.
ArcelorMittal also offers coatings for the iCARe™ range, designed to further customize the application of each of the iCARe™ steel grades. A suite of iCARe™ advanced services offer further technical support for automotive customers, encompassing areas including modeling, prototyping and material handling. With this advanced technical service, ArcelorMittal is a real partner in magnetic and mechanical machine design for electric vehicles.
As part of the iCARe™ project, ArcelorMittal has also committed to a €90m investment in the creation of a new continuous annealing line at its production facility at St-Chély d’Apcher, France. Potentially capable of producing up to 120,000 tonnes of iCARe™ steels per year, this production line will support the development of further breakthrough innovations for the automotive steel sector, helping to meet growing global demand from EV manufacturers.