By expanding the facility, Tata Steel is increasing its production site by 5,700sqm to a size of 20,300sqm. “This new facility underlines our ambition to increase the production of premium steels for the automotive industry and encourage innovation among German and European manufacturers in the coming years,” Dr. Jens Lauber, Tata Steel’s Managing Director of Distribution Mainland Europe explained.

“The investment in this new slitting line will almost double our slitting capacity in Gelsenkirchen and is an integral part of our strategy to become a specialist centre for the automotive market over the longer term,” Jochen Hoefges, Managing Director of Service Center Gelsenkirchen GmbH, added. The total investment in the expansion of the production facility as well as in the new slitting line and associated plant equipment is about €9.5 million.

The new second slitting line at Gelsenkirchen is specially geared towards processing advanced and ultra-high strength steel, which is used to manufacture modern automotive components used in engines, wheels, seats and powertrains. The new slitter will be able to process steel coil in thicknesses of 0.4 to 4mm and widths of up to 1,650mm, with a maximum yield strength of 1,400N/mm². The new facility will add 140,000 tonnes of annual slitting capacity in Gelsenkirchen and give the plant a total annual capacity of 365,000 tonnes (including 70,000 tonnes of cut-to-length capacity).

Service Center Gelsenkirchen GmbH was founded in 2000 and is part of Tata Steel’s distribution network. The site is located in the harbour of Grimberg and currently employs 90 people. The range of services on offer by the production plant stretches from comprehensive consulting to the specific requirements in processing of slit strip, plates and cut-to-size sheets. The production centre is equipped with state-of-the-art machines, and specialises in producing tailored pickled and unpickled hot rolled band, Ymagine (product of the thin strip casting line in IJmuiden) as well as cold rolled sheet metal. Around 90% of the output is destined for the automotive supplier industry.

Contact for further information

Bob Jones on T. +44 (0) 20 717 4532 or E. bob.jones@tatasteel.com