ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products

Online client newsletter | March 2017

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High-tech corrosion protection

ArcelorMittal unveils world-first vacuum coating technology for automotive steels

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On 2 February 2017, ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products unveiled the first Jet Vapor Deposition (JVD) line in the world. This breakthrough technology will be used to coat ArcelorMittal’s automotive steels for cold forming such as Dual Phase, Trip, MartINsite® and Fortiform®.

The JVD line coats a moving strip of steel in a vacuum chamber, vaporizing zinc onto the steel at high speed. Advanced high strength steels (AHSS) for automotive applications are coated with Jetgal®, a coating specifically developed for this application.

The JVD chamber at ArcelorMittal Liège



The JVD technology ensures:

  • An exceptionally even coating (up to 10 µm thick)
  • Excellent adhesion of the coating, no matter which steel grade
  • Ultra high strength steels do not become more brittle under the influence of hydrogen
  • A ‘pure’ environment which prevents the zinc and steel oxidising.




Flexibility built-in

Jetgal® can be applied to one or both sides of the metal, and different thicknesses can be applied on each side. The JVD line can also coat a variety of substrates, regardless of their chemical composition. ArcelorMittal has also future-proofed the line to ensure new AHSS steels of the future can be coated.



Implementation of the JVD line has required major investment at ArcelorMittal Liège

Several leading carmakers have already shown interest in the innovative Jetgal® coating.

Orders have been placed by some, while other OEMs are still in the testing phase. Demand is expected to be strong.

A key benefit of the JVD process is its significantly lower environmental footprint. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of the entire JVD process including the coating, the use phase of the coated products, and the management of waste products.

The LCA showed JVD achieved a higher yield and lower energy consumption than other coating techniques. This gives JVD the lowest global warming potential of any industrialised steel coating technology available today.



Relative contribution of coating step to global warming indicators



Complete coating range for cold forming

The arrival of JVD technology adds to ArcelorMittal’s unique range of metallic coatings for cold forming automotive steels. Coatings available include Alusi®, Extragal®, Galfan, Ultragal®, Zagnelis® Surface and Zagnelis® Protect, and now Jetgal®.

For more information about Jetgal® and ArcelorMittal’s other coatings for automotive applications visit:

automotive.arcelormittal.com/coatingscoldstamping

















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