In the 1-st quarter of 2005, the portfolio of HSS orders for the first time included up to 10% of export orders.
Among the major clients, using these steel grades, are the largest Russian car manufacturers.
Higher strength steels utilization allows automanufacturers to reduce the car weight and fuel consumption and to improve the car passive safety characteristics. That, in its turn, would lead to further improvement of the competitive qualities. In future, after "Severgal" start-up, mastering of the hot-dip galvanizing technology for these steel grades is planned in view of the large-scale industrial production of the product, most demanded in the automotive market.
Note: In automobiles, manufactured by world leading automotive producers, the use of higher strength steels makes 40-50 %.
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