Corus introduces the Tubular Blank for the Automotive Industry

28 Mar 2000

Corus Hyfo is the new interface to the market in the field of hydroforming within Corus Group plc. It can give significant support in fields such as material selection, automotive component engineering, hydroform feasibility and optimisation. Corus Hyfo’s latest breakthrough is the Tubular Blank: a laser-welded, thin-walled tubular product which can be either conical or tailor-made. Because of its properties the Tubular Blank is especially suitable for hydroforming and can expand the scope of hydroforming applications.

Corus Hyfo developed the Tubular Blank together with Soudronic, the leading company in tailor-welded blank technology. the Tubular Blank is a custom-made input for modern hydroforming processes. These processes manufacture hollow metal components from tubular stock by using a fluid medium under high pressure. Hydroforming is of growing importance, especially within the Automotive Industry, as it offers interesting opportunities for cost and weight reduction.


The Tubular Blank can facilitate the hydroforming process and optimise its benefits. This is possible because of the innovative combination of aspects which lies at the root of the Tubular Blank’s production process: the use of blanks, a dedicated forming process, laser-welding and monitoring.


The Tubular Blank can be produced extremely thin-walled (high diameter/thickness ratio) and is interesting for Body in White applications. When using a tailor-made blank, wall thickness can be varied along the blank. The manufacturing process allows A-class surface quality and provides excellent formability. Formability can be increased even more, when the Tubular Blank is produced from a blank out of the width of a coil.

The Tubular Blank can be produced out of steel, stainless steel or aluminium. The technology applied allows for galvanisation which guarantees optimal corrosion resistance. Because of the blank-based production process the Tubular Blank can be tailored or conical, exact to length and burr-free. These advantages make the Tubular Blank directly suitable for hydroforming.


The Tubular Blank overcomes many existing barriers and opens the door wide to extensive hydroforming applications. Its specific properties allow the integration of components and thus a more efficient use of materials. The Tubular Blank can lead to weight reduction, a related cost reduction, component integration as well as e.g. better crash performance. As such the Tubular Blank is an important new asset to the Automotive Industry.

For more information, please contact:

Jacquie Goacher

+44-20-7539 2671

Marketing & Sales Manager Hydroforming - Corus Hyfo:

Maurice van Giezen

+ 31 (0) 6 23 61 75 47