Valin ArcelorMittal Automotive Steel (VAMA) officially inaugurated its new advanced automotive steel plant in China, beginning a new era of automotive manufacturing in the country.
VAMA, the joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Hunan Iron & Steel Co., will produce high-strength automotive steels that currently have to be imported, for the Chinese market. Located in the economic zone of Loudi, Hunan Province, and built on a greenfield site, this is one of the major investment projects jointly approved by China’s National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce and developed with a total investment is USD 832M. The annual production capacity will be 1.5 million tons, including 800,000 tons of cold rolled coils, 200,000 tons of aluminium-coated coils and 500,000 tons of hot-dip galvanised coils. VAMA covers a large range of automotive steel products, including those for visible structural parts, chassis and wheels.
ArcelorMittal has contributed the most advanced automotive steel production technology available, including Advanced and Ultra High Strength Steel (AHSS and UHSS) grades with levels of up to 1,200MPa, Usibor 1500 – a steel for hot stamping – and assisted with the completion of the quality control and R&D systems. VAMA aims to supply international carmakers and Tier 1 suppliers as well as promote high-end solutions to domestic car manufacturers and their supplier networks.
