It sir ported that Ruukki has developed an unrivalled direct quenching method for rolling steel. The result is that customers’ products are lighter, more wear resistant and cause less environmental impact.

High strength steels have long been used in lifting, handling and transportation equipment to make equipment lighter and thus increase payload. High strength steels have traditionally been made using a method involving separate heating and quenching.

Ruukki’s active product development and collaboration with customers have resulted in direct quenched steels, which are considerably more wear resistant and stronger than traditional structural steels. Other benefits include lower energy consumption and thus environmental loading, as well as improved steel quality and shorter delivery times.

Ruukki’s direct quenching method developed at the Raahe Works in Finland has taken Ruukki to the cutting edge in the production of hard and high strength steels, even by international standards. Strong growth in demand for special steels shows that the products are meeting customer needs.

Investments of around EUR 100 million have been made in steel production and the rolling mills at the Raahe Works to ensure production capacity and high product quality also meet considerably greater demand than at present. The latest stage in the investment program is a direct quenching unit for plates, which started up in 2007. However, production equipment alone does not ensure good end results. Direct quenching also calls for good process control and expertise on the production line, in product development and throughout the order to cash process.