TPi September 2015

business & market news

AK Steel breaks ground for research and innovation centre

and modelling of new technologies and products, including the development of next-generation advanced high-strength steels for the automotive industry. The facility will also house pilot lines that simulate the company’s steel manufacturing operations, ranging from melting and casting, to hot- and cold- rolling, to final finishing. The pilot lines will be used for enhancing existing products, and in experimentation for new and improved products. The pilot line section will include a high bay area with a mezzanine from which customers may view the pilot processes. Construction of the new facility is expected to be completed by late 2016. It will replace the company’s existing research facility, which is located at another site in Middletown.

they need to accelerate development of future game-changing products and processes.” The new facility will be home to the company’s 76 researchers, scientists and engineers who will perform research, applications engineering, advanced engineering, product development and customer technical services. The company also expects to add 15 new full-time research positions. The building will feature some of AK Steel’s stainless steel products as part of the exterior design. Other features of the new facility will include state-of-the-art steel research and testing equipment and analytical tools; a ‘customer experience’ lobby showcasing the company’s products and technologies, as well as its heritage of steelmaking; a tiered auditorium for technical conferences; and a technical information centre. Various types of new research equipment will be incorporated into the building for improved testing, design

AK Steel has broken ground for its Research and Innovation Center at a ceremony held in Middletown, Ohio, USA. The ceremony marked the start of construction of the company’s new 135,000ft 2 facility, which is being built on a 16-acre site in the city’s Renaissance District. The company said that the $36mn facility will be customer-focused, providing advanced technical support to the company’s valued clients, as well as developing new and improved steel products for a number of markets. “Today’s ground-breaking ceremony represents another important milestone in AK Steel’s long history of innovation in steelmaking technology,” said James L Wainscott, chairman, president and CEO of AK Steel. “Once completed, our new state-of- the-art Research and Innovation Center will provide our talented researchers, scientists and engineers with the tools

AK Steel – USA www.aksteel.com

At the ground-breaking ceremony (with shovels, from left), Eric Peterson, vice president of research and innovation at AK Steel; James L Wainscott, AK Steel’s chairman, president and CEO; and Larry Mulligan Jr, mayor of Middletown, Ohio, were joined by AK Steel’s executive officers

Photo credit: PRNewsFoto/AK Steel

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