EuroWire May 2017

13 / 84

May 2017 11
▲ ▲ Ugitech has invested almost €2m in a new ultrasonic test unit at its production site in Ugine and has thereby increased its capacity in quality assurance for steel bar
€2m testing investment
at Ugitech
Corporatenews
WHETHER brake system, fuel injector or
airbag pressure sensor – the principle of
zero defects has long been the standard
in the automotive industry for steel
products for safety-critical components.
To meet the rising demand for flawless
stainless steel, French company Ugitech
– part of the Schmolz + Bickenbach
Group – has invested almost €2m in a
new ultrasonic testing unit. This step has
allowed the company to increase capacity
in quality assurance.
Ugitech now tests almost 35,000t
annually of steel rod intended for the
automotive industry, for internal and
surface defects.
Thereby the company contributes to the
production of high-quality automotive
components.
The automotive industry is an important
sales market for the stainless steel
producer. In a demonstration of its
commitment to this market, the company
has installed a new ultrasonic testing unit
at its Ugine site in France.
With the new system technology, the
steel producer has around 50 per cent
more capacity in quality assurance. The
non-destructive testing is used for quality
control and assurance of steel bar in
accordance with the highest technical
standards.
For steel in which material inclusions
or surface defects would constitute
functional risks for the use of the
component, this type of testing is vital.
This is also an effective way of ensuring
that steel bar with material defects is
rejected from further processing.
Following machining of the steel bar,
the part’s thickness in some cases is less
than 0.5mm depending on the specific
part. Consistently flawless quality of the
bar steel core and surface is essential for
reliable component stability.
Ugitech SA – France
Website: