A national economy without steel products is hardly imaginable. Machinery in manufacturing and processing industry, petroleum refineries, and chemical plants for producing basic materials or pharmaceuticals are constructed of steels that withstand exposure to pressure and temperature. No giant of the ocean could travel the seas without the use of steel plates. No ICE express train could connect Germany's most important cities without sectional steel for the supporting structure of its coaches, without wheel sets and special rails that enable speeds of over 300 km/h. No air- or space craft could take off. Automobiles and many other things needed on a daily basis could not be manufactured unless there were structural parts and components made of steel.

The end products of steel making include hot- or cold-rolled strip, coated strip, plate, sectional steel, bar steel, wire rod, bright steel, open-die forgings, and rolled disks and rings. The processes used to produce hot metal and steel, as well as the downstream shaping and coating methods and associated plant and installation types, are described here. Plant management in the steel industry is also discussed. ....more

It is no longer possible to imagine industry, transportation, medicine and households without steel as the main material. Steels are being newly and further developed all the time in order to meet the demands in their particular fields of use. Approximately 2000 different steel grades, which are also available in many product forms for these various fields of use, are currently registered with the European Steel Registration Office. The further development of test methods to determine the material and technological properties, and the numerical simulation of manufacturing processes and components, additionally play an important role. Required in this respect are steel-related materials data as well as data for the production and downstream processing of steel. ....more

The steel industry is facing up to its responsibility to conserve the environment and make rational use of energy. Compiled here are interesting facts on energy and environmental technology in the steel industry. ....more

Research is the deciding factor for the future viability of any industry. Although steel has long been known as a material, it is however also synonymous particularly for continual renewal. Steel is actively helping to shape the future through new steel grades constantly being developed for new fields of use. The advancement of steel as a material goes hand in hand with the improvement of already familiar production processes and the development of completely new ones. The steel industry is thus on the right road toward shaping the future of our society also from the aspect of environmental and resource conservation. Essential research activities of our industry are coordinated at Stahl-Zentrum. ....more

Standards are an important element of an industrialised society. In the steel industry, too, standards promote international trade and serve the purpose of rationalisation, quality assurance and communication. ....more

Here you can have access to technical knowledge around the world concerning the production, downstream processing and use of iron and steel. Our qualified information services include expert and specialist advice, online searches, database evaluations, and supply of original literature. ....more