Corus’ unique blanking tool and materials expertise helps secure contract for new Jaguar XF
29 Aug 2008
The ability to provide a unique mix of materials and blanking tool expertise during early production development stages of Jaguar’s new XF has helped Corus, the international steel company, secure a major contract to supply the OEM with complicated pressed shaped blanks for the highly acclaimed model.
The ability to provide a unique mix of materials and blanking tool expertise during early production development stages of Jaguar’s new XF has helped Corus, the international steel company, secure a major contract to supply the OEM with complicated pressed shaped blanks for the highly acclaimed model.
Corus’ Automotive Service Centre in Wednesfield, UK, is to supply complicated pressed shaped blanks from three press blanking lines for 24 key parts of the XF model, which was launched at the end of 2007.
During early production development for the XF, Corus worked closely with Jaguar Design Engineers to supply and evaluate a variety of blank shapes based on the initial model designs with tool makers in the US and across Europe. During these trials, Corus engineers also used their material expertise to assess how different grades of steel performed. This in turn helped Jaguar to determine the most appropriate grades of steel to use for different component applications.
Commenting on the added value of working with Corus, Alan Hutchinson, General Manager of the Automotive Service Centre explained: “The result of these extensive trials and Corus’ early involvement with Jaguar was the development of blanking tools that were fit for purpose. Importantly we helped Jaguar ensure optimal design of the finished blank shape and size and provided advice to help achieve the optimal method of pressed blank production.”
Corus’ Automotive Service Centre now boasts a unique tool over 4 metres in length – the only one of its kind in the UK - which it sourced from the US after these extensive trials. The tool is capable of manufacturing the unique blank required for the member front side outer, a key part for the XF model. Corus also sourced a further 9 tools from across Europe and again assessed them to ensure that they would be capable of meeting Jaguar’s high quality standards. In addition, Corus’ early development support and recommendations during press tooling trials helped Jaguar to keep start up costs to a minimum and importantly ensure that production launch dates were met.
The 24 parts will be manufactured on three dedicated blanking lines at the Wednesfield facility and will be delivered direct to Jaguar. Corus is also supplying the roof panel blank - a major full-finish exterior part - for the XF model from its Wednesfield site.
Mr Hutchinson concludes: “We are delighted to have secured this important contract with Jaguar for the XF. It underlines yet again that we offer far more than just the supply of pressed components. Furthermore, it demonstrates our ability to offer materials and production support expertise that helps our OEM customers optimise their pressed blank production, all of which are delivered via our range of unique processing equipment and services.”
Corus has invested significantly in downstream facilities at its Automotive Centre in Wednesfield, to enhance its press blanking line capability, in order to ensure it is in a position to meet the increasing demand from OEM customers, for tailor welded blanks and full-finish skin panel blanks ready for assembly. At the start of 2008, the Automotive Service Centre announced another contract win to supply precision tailor welded blanks for the new MINI Clubman.
Corus’ Automotive Service Centre boasts a comprehensive line-up of dedicated automotive processing facilities, featuring a range of Press Blanking lines from 150 tonnes to 600 tonnes, Multistrand Blanking lines, Trapezoidal/Radial Blanking lines, a Slitting line and a number of Pack turners. In addition, the site features a dedicated laser welding facility which was the first in the Europe to have the capability to manufacture production volumes of advanced, second generation, non-linear Nd:YAG (Neodymium-Yttrium Aluminium Garnet) laser-welded blanks.
Ends
Press release and pictures can be downloaded from websites: www.automotivepr.com and www.corusautomotive.com
Corus Automotive media enquiries:
Marco Ferrari +44 (0)20 7494 8050 mferrari@automotivepr.com
Belle Moss +44 (0)20 7494 8050 bmoss@automotivepr.com
Note to editors:
Corus Automotive
Corus is one of the leading suppliers of steel products, services and technology to the automotive industry. A broad range of Corus steels, ranging from strip and engineering steels to tubes, are used by our customers to make products that are used in body-in-white, closures, chassis and suspension systems, powertrain, seating systems, safety systems, interior trim and other components. Corus is committed to the global automotive industry, uniquely combining its materials and vehicle engineering knowledge to respond cost-effectively to key drivers of importance to the sector, such as safety, fuel-efficiency, innovation and the environment. The Company actively supports supply chain initiatives that improve efficiency and enhance the value of steel used in automotive applications. For further information, view the Corus automotive website (www.corusautomotive.com).
Corus is Europe's second largest steel producer with annual revenues of over £12 billion and a crude steel production of about 20 million tonnes. With main steelmaking operations primarily in the UK and the Netherlands, Corus provides innovative solutions to the construction, automotive, packaging, mechanical engineering and other markets worldwide. Corus is a subsidiary of Tata Steel, the world's sixth largest steel producer. With the recent acquisition of Corus, the combined enterprise has an aggregate crude steel production capacity of around 28.1 million tonnes with approximately 82,700 employees across the four continents.
