Aug 31 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.
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.
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