AK Steel recently broke ground on its world-class Research and Innovation Center. The new 135,000-square-foot facility is being built on a 16-acre site located in the Cincinnati-Dayton growth corridor along Interstate 75. AK Steel said that the $36 million facility will be customer-focused, providing advanced technical support to its customers, as well as developing new and improved steel products for a number of markets. The new facility will be home to the company’s 76 researchers, scientists and engineers, who will perform leading-edge research, applications engineering, advanced engineering, product development and customer technical services. The company also expects to add 15 new full-time research positions.

Features of the new facility include: state-of-the-art steel research and testing equipment and analytical tools; a Customer Experience lobby showcasing AK Steel’s products and technologies; a tiered auditorium for technical conferences; and a Technical Information Center.

Various types of new research equipment will be incorporated into the building for improved testing, design and modeling of new technologies and products, including the development of next-generation advanced high-strength steels for the automotive industry. The facility will also house pilot lines that simulate the company’s steel manufacturing operations, ranging from melting and casting to hot- and cold-rolling to final finishing.