thyssenkrupp Steel has put into operation a new high-tech annealing and isolating line for producing electrical steel in Bochum, Germany. Part of a modernization project, the modern and energy-efficient plant in the Ruhr Valley now can manufacture up to 0.2 mm thin electrical sheet with particularly homogeneous mechanical and magnetic properties tailored for advanced EV motors.
The sheets are thinner, highly silicized, non-grain-oriented electrical steel specially designed to meet the requirements of highly efficient motors used primarily in electric vehicles. The new annealing and isolating line will be capable of producing over 200,000 metric tons of non-grain-oriented electrical steel per year.
The rolling mill upstream of the annealing and isolating line, a double reversing stand incorporating the latest technology, has already been completed. The two new units are set to be complemented by a new electrical steel inspection line and a finishing line, for which the order has now been placed, to cut the finished sheets and tailor them to customers’ requirements. The finishing line is scheduled to go on stream in 2026.
“By taking the annealing and isolating line into operation, we are making an important step towards the future: Our target is to be the leader in technology and quality, particularly when it comes to demanding premium steels,” said Dennis Grimm, spokesman of the Executive Board at thyssenkrupp Steel.
“We have invested around 300 million euros in our Bochum site in order to strengthen and expand our position in steel grades for electric mobility and high-strength multiphase steels. In conjunction with the major investments in the Duisburg location, we are now on the home stretch in implementing the investments provided for in Strategy 20-30. The core of the strategy remains realistic and sound despite the changed market conditions: namely the consistent optimization of our production network and our product portfolio to cater for future markets and the growing demands of our customers.”
Through the modernization campaign, the production facility is being continuously developed into a center of excellence for electric mobility and high-strength materials. Following the completion of the double reversing stand, the construction of the annealing and isolating line marks the completion of the main transformation step. The production of highly specialized electrical steel can now be further expanded in Bochum, as the trend in electric mobility is also moving towards ever more sophisticated grades.
In the new plant, the structure of the cold-rolled strip is recrystallized during the annealing process. The appropriate texture can then be set, and the sheet is coated with an insulating layer after the annealing process. This is particularly important for the materials used in electric motors and generators to increase the efficiency of the motors and minimize core losses.
