TPi May/July 2020

Business & market news

Tata Steel outlines sustainability strategy for the future of the automotive sector

are built with steel. Steel is forever recyclable, and so can be the most sustainable material for cars, vans and trucks today and in the future.” project towards a future that Tata Steel predicts will be an automotive market based on mobility services using shared autonomous vehicles, with the majority These plans

Tata Steel has outlined a future-facing strategy that aims to move the company into the next era for manufacturing in the automotive industry. Outlining short-, medium- and long- term ambitions, the plan, developed by Tata Steel, addresses three key areas: electrification, autonomous driving and shared use; digitalisation and service offering; and sustainability. Basjan Berkhout, marketing manager, automotive, at Tata Steel Europe, said: “We are committed to pioneering the next generation of steel products for car manufacturers, allowing them to further lightweight vehicles and reduce vehicle emissions as well as improving their manufacturing efficiencies. “We have plans to create the steel plant of the future as we set out our commitment to sustainability. “In different ways, steel is expected to play an increasingly important role in the vehicle structure in the future as in our vision the most sustainable vehicles Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has recent- ly celebrated the grand opening of its new flagship 50,000ft 2 ServicePLUS Centre in Wisconsin, USA. The company also plans to expand the ServicePLUS Centre model globally, with the next centre opening in Portland, Oregon. Will Bacon, ServicePLUS segment manager, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, said: “Trelleborg acquired the previous site in September 2016. Since then, we’ve steadily expanded the business to include advanced delivery and other value-added ServicePLUS services. “In doing this, we outgrew the original space, necessitating the move to the

of vehicle sales being on a business- to-business basis as fewer consumers own cars. Tata Steel predicts that by 2050, these will primarily be propelled by an electrified powertrain though other technologies, such as H2 fuel cells, will also increase in popularity until then. The plans will support vehicle manufacturers today and in the future as they develop the next generation of hybrid and electric vehicles. The short- term strategy outlines how Tata Steel deploys a range of lightweight steels for reducing weight and cost of crash components in vehicles that are more efficient by using less energy to move. In addition, deployment of reliable steel solutions for energy storage and E-motors will help to improve driving range and cost of the vehicles in the medium term while a longer-term strategy invests in the development of new solutions for a further optimisation in future generations. Tata Steel www.tatasteeleurope.com Trelleborg celebrates grand opening of its flagship ServicePLUS centre in the US

The new site is almost double the size of the previous site in Wisconsin, USA and will enable Trelleborg Sealing Solutions to further expand its support capabilities for existing and new

new location in Menomonee Falls. We’re very excited to continue our growth and to use this location as a template for the continued expansion of ServicePLUS.”

ServicePLUS custom- ers within a 200-mile radius. ServicePLUS Centre performs light manufacturing and complex assembly work as well as kitting, quality testing, dock-to-stock deliveries and vendor- managed inventory. Trelleborg www.trelleborg.com The

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May/July 2020 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL