POSCO GIGA STEEL –  For Automakers

POSCO GIGA STEEL is like the iPhone X or the latest Xbox or PlayStation for automakers. It’s the newest, hottest must-have item for any type of car. Automakers are constantly working to lightweight their vehicles without compromising strength to meet increasingly stringent safety and environmental regulations. In order to offer its auto partners the ultimate solution, POSCO developed POSCO GIGA STEEL, an advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) that comes in 6 different types for a variety of applications in vehicles.

POSCO GIGA STEEL can be applied to different parts of a vehicle chassis. (Source: Renault Samsung)

Applying AHSS, including POSCO GIGA STEEL, resulted in a 26 percent reduction in the total weight of a vehicle. Not only that, POSCO GIGA STEEL emits about 10 kg less carbon emissions than aluminum from a life cycle analysis (LCA) viewpoint. Plus, POSCO GIGA STEEL is about 2.1 to 3.5 times less expensive than alternative options like aluminum. It’s no surprise that leading automakers like Renault Samsung, Ssangyong Motors and GM Korea use POSCO GIGA STEEL, proving it to be the all-time favorite gift for automakers.

PosMAC- For Photovoltaic Structure Manufacturers

Solar energy is the fastest growing source of renewable energy in the world, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). In India, solar electricity generation capacity quadrupled from 2014 to 2017 as it is the cheapest form of alternative fuel in the country. The government also plans to back the industry with USD 100 billion in investments. India is one of many countries looking to solar energy to meet their country’s environmental goals and stimulate the economy.

As a result, photovoltaic (PV) structure manufacturers around the world are working to keep up with the growing demand and gain a competitive edge with high-quality products. PosMAC is ideal for PV structures because it is highly corrosion resistant and cost-effective. Not only is the material itself lower in costs compared to other materials, PosMAC ensures a long lifecycle, decreasing maintenance costs to give manufacturers an added competitive edge. For such manufacturers, POSCO PosMAC steel is the perfect gift.

Magnesium- For Electronics Manufacturers

Magnesium is a common material in electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones. Magnesium is the perfect gift for electronics manufacturers such as LG and Samsung, as their competitiveness lies in delivering the most versatile, lightweight and convenient devices to their customers.

The Samsung Notebook 9 is one of the lightest laptops available. (Source: CNET)

Magnesium is also increasingly finding its way into the automotive industry, especially for electric vehicles (EVs), as magnesium plates and other parts allow automakers to further reduce the weight of the car. Magnesium will likely be the perfect gift for that manufacturer who is thinking ahead and always experimenting new ways to improve future models of their cars.

Hyper NO- EV Manufacturers

The market for EVs is one of the fastest growing, expected to expand from USD 27.84 billion in 2016 to USD 38.98 billion by 2021, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7 percent. Much of the success of EVs lies in its motors that will determine the EV’s efficiency, performance and feasibility for wide-spread use. As such, POSCO came up with the perfect gift for EV manufacturers – the Hyper NO.

Hyper NO is a type of electrical steel used to make electric motors. POSCO’s new technology increases the magnetic flux density and reduces core loss of electric motors, making it the perfect gift for electric motor manufacturers looking for ultimate efficiency.

Stainless Steel Products- For Everyone

There are some gifts that satisfy just about everyone, like a gift card for the movies or the nearest cafe. It’s not super special, but it’s a safe and sure choice for anyone as it is practical and functional.

Stainless steel is the ultimate gift for manufacturers as it’s one of the most widely-used materials in the world for a variety of products including surgical tools, watches, kitchenware, buildings, pipes, artistic sculptures and plenty more. It’s literally the foundation of cities and communities all over the world, and without it, the world would not have the most basic systems in place today. Moreover, stainless steel’s non-corrosive and 100 percent recyclable characteristics make it one of the best gifts for every kind of manufacturer.

No matter the type, there is a perfect gift for every manufacturer with steel. POSCO will make sure to provide even more customized and innovative solutions for its partners and continue to “keep on giving” in the new year.

In this spirit, The Steel Wire highlights the innovative use of metals in household appliances and electronic devices from air conditioners and cameras to laptops. Read on to see how innovative applications of metals have the power to present a new, more efficient way to live.

Breeze-Free Air Conditioner with Metal Cooling Panel

There may have been those even in the heat this past summer who didn’t want to use air conditioners due to direct blasts of cold air. Here’s good news: Samsung’s “breeze-free” air conditioner, Q9500, maintains a stable room temperature without blasting a single column of strong and direct wind.

How can air conditioners be “breeze-free”?

The company used a metal cooling panel and a micro hall-based air current passage system that constantly changes the direction of the air. Cold air is sent through 135,000 tiny holes and the short airways can reduce energy use by 65 percent. Also, climate control settings can be adjusted directly via smartphones using IoT technology based on weather data.

Samsung’s breeze-free air conditioner, Q9500, comes with metal cooling panels and 135,000 micro holes which maintain a stable room temperature without blasting strong and direct cold air. (Source: Flickr)

The even distribution of cool air allows air conditioners to naturally blend in as part of any space or room it occupies and eliminates the discomfort of direct, cold air.

Lightweight & Durable Cameras with Magnesium Construction

Global camera brands have long been searching for ideal materials to meet consumers’ needs for lightweight, mobile and durable cameras. For this reason, one of the prestigious features of top-end cameras in the market today is magnesium construction. This is due to magnesium’s lightness, strength and ability to shield users from electromagnetic waves. Magnesium is, in fact, the lightest structurally-used metal in the world with a greater strength-to-weight ratio than that of aluminum. This allows magnesium electronics bodies to be thinner and lighter.

For instance, the exterior shell of the Nikon D3 is made of a magnesium alloy. The product’s magnesium-alloy camera frame effectively protects the camera from invasive dust, moisture and electromagnetic interference with a self-diagnostic shutter mechanism tested to exceed 300,000 cycles.

The Nikon D3s’ magnesium-alloy camera frame effectively protects the camera from invasive dust, moisture and electromagnetic interference.(Source: Flickr)

Ultra-light Laptop with Duralumin

Over the years, new technologies have pushed PC makers to build ever lighter and thinner laptops with premium materials. Samsung also started to pursue metals that are lightweight yet durable. In the past, the company used magnesium-lithium sheets from overseas suppliers in order to keep their laptops lightweight. The sheets had good machinability but low hardness, making them vulnerable to dents. In order to overcome this, the company turned to POSCO’s specially designed magnesium sheets, duralumin*, known for its high-strength and lightweight qualities. In 2016, POSCO began supplying its magnesium sheets for the Notebook 9 that is just 840g. In 2017, the Samsung Notebook 9’s weight was brought down even further to 799g.

These magnesium sheets, made with a rapid solidification process that is capable of precision control, are tempered several times and undergo special heat treatment until they reach a final thickness of 0.5mm. POSCO succeeded in increasing the surface hardness by more than 20 percent and the yield strength by more than 50 percent, compared to its competitors, while still maintaining a high level of machinability.

Such advancements in lightweight and high-strength materials have allowed people the flexibility, mobility and convenience to work on the go and reduce inefficiencies.  

*Duralumin is a high-strength aluminum alloy made by mixing copper, magnesium and other elements.

POSCO supplies magnesium sheets for Samsung Electronics’ 2017 model of Samsung Notebook 9 that touts ultra-light, high-strength metal materials. (Source: Samsung Newsroom)

In today’s world, it’s hard to imagine life without electronic appliances and devices that provide a better quality of life. In a way, the invention and evolution of such products have redefined the way people live, work and play. The application of innovative materials has sped up and continues to allow manufacturers to add value to their products.     

In the ten years since Apple launched its first iPhone, mobile devices have gotten bigger screens, more features, and more powerful processors – all of which translates into bigger batteries.

For consumers, battery life remains a top priority. A quick search online brings up thousands of articles written on how users can improve the battery life of their phones, tablets, and wearables, even though most of these articles offer tips and tricks that only are marginally beneficial at best.

The rechargeable batteries used in smartphones, laptops, and now electric vehicles, are made from lithium. Traditionally, lithium carbonate is extracted from brines gathered in salt-rich lakes. This method is extremely time consuming, taking anywhere from 12-18 months, and also inefficient with a low extraction rate. Since 2010, POSCO has been working to develop new technologies for more efficient, more eco-friendly lithium extraction methods. Earlier this month POSCO announced the opening of its lithium extraction plant, PosLX, in Korea that is able to extract lithium from recycled batteries. In addition, while working on the traditional extraction methods from saline lake water, POSCO has also found a way to reduce extraction time from 12 months to less than one day.

If MWC is any indication, mobile device manufacturers are going to continue to need more lithium-ion batteries, and POSCO is now well positioned to be a leader in providing lithium carbonate. In the gallery below, we take a look at some of the improvements made by the leading mobile device manufacturers.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

Even though Samsung is waiting until March to unpack its new Galaxy S8 smartphone, they used the opportunity at MWC to unveil the update to their popular Galaxy Tab series. The new Galaxy Tab S3 improves upon many of the features in the S2 and now comes equipped with Samsung’s S Pen Stylus. However, the 10” model includes just a 6000mAh battery. While this is a modest improvement over the Galaxy Tab S2’s 5870mAh, it pales in comparison to some other tablets like the 9243mAh battery included in Google’s Pixel C.

LG G6

LG announced its new flagship device, the LG G6, in Barcelona on Sunday. Having ditched the rather unpopular design of the G5, LG went in a completely new direction with the G6. It features a large, nearly bezel-free display, water & dust proofing, and three cameras. Last year, LG was one of few remaining manufacturers to still include a removeable battery when it launched the G5, but this year’s device drops that distinction and sees LG follow suit with a non-removable battery. To do this, LG increased the battery size from 2,800mAh to 3,200mAh, includes quick charge capabilities, and wireless charging (US models only).

Huawei P10

In 2015, Huawei’s P9 was released to generally favorable reviews. It included powerful specs with an elegant, minimalist design – and it was placed at a price range that was more affordable than many of its competitors. This year, Huawei has launched its P10 model that carries over many of the same features found on its P9. Huawei’s P9came in two sizes, one that included a 3000mAh cell and a larger one with a 3200mAh. The P10 also comes in two sizes but Huawei has decided to upgrade the size of both batteries to 3200mAh and 3750mAh respectively.

BlackBerry KeyOne

Blackberry continues to stand out as the one major manufacturer still using a physical keyboard with its new KeyOne. In efforts to extend the phone’s running time, BlackBerry included a power-efficient Snapdragon 625 processor in addition to a fairly large 3505mAh battery. Both of these together should see the KeyOne hold up against BlackBerry’s first Android phone, the Priv which included a 3410mAh battery and was listed at 22.5 hours of mixed usage.

Nokia 3310

Nokia brought some nostalgia to its announcement by releasing an update of the wildly popular 3310 phone that first debuted in September 2000. As a basic feature phone, it comes with an Opera browser, but not much else. With limited resources being used by apps and operating systems, the battery on the Nokia 3310 gives it a standby time of 31 days with a talk time listing of 22 hours.

Consumers expect to be able to go a full day without worrying about charging their phone. However, advancements in mobile technology also require more resources – forcing manufacturers to constantly find a balance between slimmer phones and an increasing drain on batteries.

As seen at MWC, the demand for lithium continues to increase, and it is expected to skyrocket as other industries, such as electric vehicles, grow. POSCO’s work on lithium extraction technology is important because we have found a way to extract lithium in an eco-friendly way that also significantly reduces time. These improvements will create a notable impact moving forward as global consumer needs for lithium-ion batteries continue to rise.

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POSCO supplies magnesium sheets for Samsung Electronics’ “2017 model of Samsung Notebook 9 Always.” The Notebook 9 series is Samsung Electronics’ flagship model that touts ultra-light, high-strength metal materials. (Photo courtesy of Samsung Newsroom)

Samsung Notebook has been working to develop laptops that are slim and lightweight without having to sacrifice durability. Typically, durable laptops and electronics had to come with heavy metals. In order to keep their laptops lightweight, Samsung previously used magnesium-lithium sheets from overseas suppliers, which had good machinability, but low hardness, making them vulnerable to dents.

Starting with duralumin (a high-strength aluminum alloy made by mixing copper, magnesium and other elements) in 2011, Samsung has been aggressively pursuing metals that are lightweight yet durable. In 2016, POSCO began supplying its magnesium sheets for the Notebook 9 that was just 840g. In 2017, Samsung’s Notebook 9 was brought down even further to 799g – helping to significantly expand Samsung’s presence in the ultra-light notebook market.

In World War II, magnesium sheets, known to be one of the lightest metals, were used in long-range bombers. More recently, they have been used in high-performance sports due to their high-strength and lightweight qualities. POSCO leveraged its own process technology to further enhance these properties and began to mass-produce and supply them in 2015. These magnesium sheets, made with a rapid solidification process that is capable of precision control, are tempered several times and undergo a special heat treatment until they reach a final thickness of 0.5mm. POSCO succeeded in improving the surface hardness by more than 20% and the yield strength by more than 50%, compared to its competitors, while still maintaining a high level of machinability.

In addition, Samsung Electronics applied the state-of-the-art plasma surface treatment method, the MAO (Micro Arc Oxidation) method, to the formed magnesium body. This improves its durability against external impacts, corrosion, and scratches – further enhancing its value as a premium product.

POSCO’s magnesium sheets were used in the bottom casing of the Samsung Notebook 9

POSCO is continuing to develop new products through close cooperation with Samsung Electronics – the two companies plan to leverage their respective strengths and technologies to launch various products according to customer needs. By developing their technology and customized materials, POSCO aims to reach their goal of providing more magnesium materials for mobile devices as well as making magnesium sheets the new standard for various mobile products.

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The bottom of the Gram 15-inch – made with POSCO’s ‘E-Form’ magnesium alloy sheet

In 2015, POSCO developed the ‘E-Form’ magnesium alloy, which significantly increases magnesium’s ability to be molded at room temperature (magnesium is known to have poor forming ability at low temperatures). The alloy was applied to the bottom of the Gram 14-inch and 15-inch.

Instead of stopping with the ‘E-Form’ alloy, POSCO continued to make further improvements and rolled out its ‘E-Form Plus’ alloy which demonstrated improved formability. LG Electronics incorporated the use of the alloy into the 13, 14, and 15-inch Gram in 2017, further solidifying their partnership.

The 2017 version of Gram features a battery life of up to 24 hours, a 40% larger cooling fan against heat, a backlit keyboard for enhanced ease of use and dual-channel memory slots for more convenient memory upgrading. In addition to these improvements, the 2017 Gram laptops recorded a lower or equivalent weight compared to the existing models [940g (13.3-inch model), 970g (14.0-inch model) and 1,090g (15.6-inch model)]. The Gram 15-inch won the 2016 iF Design Awards’ Gold Award and a Red Dot Design prize, and was also named the world’s lightest 15.6-inch laptop in the Guinness World Records.

The 2017 LG “All Day Gram” (courtesy of LG Electronics’ official blog)

The growth of the entire laptop market is slowing down due to the emergence of smartphones and tablets but ultra-light and slim laptops are enjoying growth at a rate of 15% to 20%, respectively, each year. According to market research firm, Juniper Research, when Intel announced its ultra-light laptop concept in 2011, shipments of ultra-light laptops throughout the world amounted to only 3.7 million units in 2011; but in 2016, they soared to 178 million units. And in 2017, ultra-light laptops are expected to account for 42.7% of the entire laptop market.

By steadily developing customized materials and processing solutions for its customers, POSCO is working to position magnesium alloy sheets as a valuable material for a variety of mobile products.

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