Kobe Steel Ltd. is investing in a new continuous annealing line, with cutting-edge heat-treatment functions, for steel sheet at its Kakogawa Works in response to growing demand for automotive ultrahigh-strength steel (UHSS). The facility, which is scheduled to start up in February 2021, will combine a continuous annealing line with hot-dipped galvanizing and galvannealing equipment. The production line and associated equipment will produce both cold-rolled steel and hot-dipped galvanized/galvannealed steel.

Kobe Steel has established a global production network for automotive high-strength steel in three locations: Kakogawa Works in Japan, PRO-TEC Coating Company in the U.S. and Kobelco Angang Auto Steel Co. Ltd. in China.