Posted on 10 Nov 2010
Rautaruukki is using special steels to develop new lightweight wall panels for France-based Alstom Transport’s train coaches, the company said.
The first panels were made at Ruukki’s service centre in Uusikaupunki, Finland, and were delivered to Alstom's French operations in October.
Ruukki used high-strength, hot-rolled Optim special steels that were laser welded and cut into components ready for installation.
The steels have enabled wall thickness to be reduced, lowering the coach side panel weight below 500 kg, Ruukki said.
"Using high-strength special steels enables the coaches to be made of thinner material [but] still retain the required properties," a spokesman at Alstom Transport said.
"This is a new application for special steels and the manufacturing method used in this case can be utilised in a number of special steel applications," senior vp of sales at Ruukki Metals Kari Lehtinen said.
