World Steel Association has drawn up a global campaign namely, “#LOVESTEEL” an annual initiative to promote the usage and adoption of steel. This year, steel beverage cans are in the limelight. Using the appealing pink symbols that will represent steel cans in future local stores, the #LOVESTEEL campaign not only aims to increase consumer and manufacturer awareness of its compelling qualities, it also intends to cultivate public understanding of the major shift in the steel technology that enabled the advancement and adoption of steel as beverage packaging material.

Although most cans were made from aluminum for decades, many of the can manufacturers in Europe and Asia have converted to steel, a trend which their steel producers expect to continue. POSCO Global Newsroom introduces this World Steel Association’s #LOVESTEEL campaign’s motives in promoting this growing trend— adoption of a material that is so familiar and common in our lives for commendable reasons. Let’s go into a deeper dive.

Steeling the Beverage Can Market

As a direct comparison to older steel cans, today’s cans can be described as state of the art—It is now stronger, lighter, and thinner than ever and great for keeping beverages cool. What is more is its ability to be shaped and decorated with different designs and colors making beverage packages more appealing to the consumers.

By how far and how much has steel transformed in its thickness, weight, and strength? Let’s quantify. During the last ten years, the average weight of steel cans was reported to be reduced by 30%, and so has the thickness. Development of ultra-fine steel materials has optimized strength and lightweighting in comparison to aluminum. Compared to aluminum, it is 30% higher crush resistance, 40% greater performance in strength, 20% higher denting resistant making steel a both efficient and highly sought after material.

With such awareness to current design technology, the growing trend in the application of steel beverage cans is not a surprise. Steel cans in Europe and Asia for example, leads the market by 55% while 45% is aluminum.

Cultivating Environmental Awareness with Eco-friendly Steel

Even with such benefits, the environmental effects of adopting steel cans offer further blessings. Aluminum cans were popularly commercialized for decades, yet has been contributing to high CO2 emissions, and waste of energy and resources.

At the other end of the spectrum, steel’s recyclability saves considerable amount of energy amounting up to 62% and 1.5 tons of CO2. As steel is a 100% recyclable material, its magnetic property allows easy separation and assembling of steel. In other words, the steel cans we recycle today can be a medical equipment, your neighbor’s bike, or a toaster tomorrow. How amazing is that? The campaign video makes inspiring comparisons of such energy conservation over a single recycled steel can:

Global Initiatives Highlight Steel Can Competency

Considering such eco-friendly, reliable, and even fashionable nature of steel cans, worldwide steelmaking companies such as POSCO, Tata Steel, British Steel, and manufacturers alike have supported the usage of steel cans by distinguishing it in the post-market stage as well.

While POSCO is one of the major members of World Steel Association, this #LOVESTEEL campaign is of great significance especially due to POSCO’s supply of BP(Black Plate) for the majority of domestic steel cans.

Tata Steel has emphasized to the manufacturers of the steel-can-making efficiency that enables fast production and reduced damage rate while achieving cost efficiency.

Competing against the aluminum market, Ecotop, is an invention by British Steel to penetrate the aluminum market. The steel top enables convenient can opening without the need to pull with an aluminum ring. Two instant pushes will create an opening resolving difficulty in can opening along with pressure resistance.

Even individual beverage brands such as Coca Cola and Carling Black Label have switched to steel due to its ability for enhanced decoration and use of more colors.

Coca Cola was one of the early adopters of steel soda cans. (Source: Coca Cola)

Observing from the myriad ways in which steel adds value to the economy and the environment, the only small trick to push this movement ahead may be for us to simply choose the soon-to-be ubiquitous beverage that prints the vivid #LOVESTEEL mark. Your future hunt to quench thirst at a grocery store or by a vending machine may just be that big break.

“Vote with your mouth” is the catchphrase for consumers. (Source: World Steel Association)

Watch hundreds of steel cans being produced at a Soudronic canning factory.

Advantages of Steel Packaging

Steel is one of the most commonly used packaging materials by manufacturers, because it is widely available, cost-effective and easy to work with. Steel packages can be customized to just about any shape and size depending on the needs of the business, and the continuously improving quality of steel lets manufacturers use less material without losing rigidity.

Steel as a packaging material is tamper-resistant, durable and has an extremely long shelf life, hence the reason why canned food seems to last forever. At the end of its life cycle, steel is 100 percent recyclable and does not lose any of its properties or qualities in the process. Plus, at least 25 percent of every steel can must be made of recycled steel, and its magnetic properties make it even easier to recover for recycling.

Steel is 100 percent recyclable and the most-recycled material in the world. (Source: Causeway Coast and Glens)

According to the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL), steel packages are the most recycled packages out of all packaging materials, and its recycling rates keep climbing. In Europe, over 77 percent of steel packages are recycled and in countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, rates exceed 90 percent.

New Innovations

Today, there are numerous new technologies taking steel packaging to a whole new level. Higher-quality alloys of steel and innovative new methods for processing steel are making everyday products safer, more convenient and efficient. Here’s some examples to show the advances being made in steel packaging.

Bacteria-free stainless steel surfaces

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology recently invented a new way to fight harmful bacteria such as E. coli on steel surfaces. Instead of the traditional antibiotics that are temporary and can aid bacteria in developing resistance, this new process uses an electrochemical etching chemical process to create thousands of tiny nano spikes on stainless steel surfaces. By switching up the levels of voltage and current flow in the electrochemical process, the researchers ended up with a rougher, “spiked” surface.

The spikes are about 25 nanometers long, and will kill both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria on contact, without damaging human cells. The human eye cannot tell the difference between nanotextured steel and regular steel, and the technology increases corrosion resistance as well.

Nanotextured steel can kill bacterial upon contact without harming human cells. (Source: The Engineer)

Though the technology is new and is awaiting additional tests, it could be a permanent solution to treating bacteria and potentially change the medical and food industries completely. Nanotextured stainless steel can be used not only for packaging, but the manufacturing equipment that come in to contact with food. Researchers are also working to apply the technology to spine implants and other implants that come in direct contact with the body.

The world’s lightest 3-piece aerosol can

German company Henkel and packaging manufacturer Ardagh Group developed a new, sustainable aerosol spray can for Henkel’s beauty products using high-quality steel. The can is a mere 0.13mm thick, using up 15 percent less materials than its counterparts, but is also more rigid. The world’s lightest aerosol can also reduce C02 output by 3500 metric tons and water consumption by 900,000 cubic meters per year.

High-quality steel makes this aerosol eco-friendly. (Source: Pack World)

The development is in line with Henkel’s efforts to contribute to a circular economy. Thus the company aimed to design a packaging material that is not only effective and sustainable to produce, but is also 100 percent recyclable.

As the most recycled packaging material in the world, steel will continue to package food, beauty products, paints, chemicals and more manufactured goods. Especially with advances in the quality of steel alloys and innovative ways to process steel, manufacturers can be assured their products will be safe and sound in effective, cost-efficient, sustainable and safe packages.

In its October 2016 “Nerve of Steel” report, the Carbon Disclosure Project, or CDP, found that steel companies had quite a ways to go in order to meet targets set by the Paris Agreement – the industry as a whole would need to reduce emissions by 70% by 2050. While their report found that most companies were not doing enough to meet these targets, some companies, like POSCO, have been forging ahead with new technologies for more sustainable production.

Why are Reductions in Carbon Emissions Important?

In 2015, nations around the world met at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to negotiate the Paris Agreement. The goals of the Paris Agreement were to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius while also calling for zero net GHG emissions in the second half of the 21st century.

A 2-degree increase in global temperature is generally agreed upon by scientists to be the tipping point at which numerous problems arise including droughts, floods, and reductions in crop yields. However, many scientists also believe that if carbon emissions are not curbed quickly, and drastically, temperatures could rise by almost 6 degrees Celsius this century.

Due to the increasing urgency of curbing emissions, governments, businesses, and policymakers around the globe are working to find ways to cut GHG. To help inform this process, CDP transforms environmental performance data from cities, states, and businesses into detailed analysis on critical environmental risks, opportunities and impacts.

[clickToTweet tweet=”The CDP’s “Nerves of Steel” report shows how industry leaders like POSCO are leading the way toward more sustainable development.” quote=”The CDP’s “Nerves of Steel” report shows how industry leaders like POSCO are leading the way toward more sustainable development.” theme=”style6″]

Their “Nerves of Steel” report on the steel industry’s work to cut GHG emissions found few bright spots. The industry as a whole continues to be the main contributor of global carbon emissions with only a few companies, like POSCO, stepping forward to create more sustainable steel production technologies.    

Objectives and Findings of the CDP Report

CDP’s “Nerves of Steel” report found that overall progress in reducing emissions and energy use was limited and uneven across the industry. They found that in the past seven years more companies had increased their emissions intensity and energy intensity than had reduced them. Because of this lack of progress, they found that the steel industry was responsible for between 6-7% of total global emissions. Also, in order to meet Paris Agreement objectives, the industry as a whole would need to reduce emissions by a staggering 70% by 2050.  

Drew Fryer, a Senior Analyst at Investor Research at CDP noted that “The steel industry will have to play a huge part in achieving the 2-degree scenario laid out in the Paris Agreement. However, there has been no progress in reducing its emissions over the past decade. Steelmakers need to prioritize funding of a technology transformation to reduce emissions in order to ensure targets are met.”

Despite the grim outlook on the industry as a whole, CDP did highlight several companies that were working hard toward creating more sustainable steel production technology – among those top performers were POSCO, SSAB, ThyssenKrupp, and Hyundai Steel. See the table below for a full listing of CPD’s rankings.

How POSCO is Leading the Steel Industry in Sustainable Steel Production

CDP ranked POSCO first among all steelmakers for its work to produce steel through more sustainable processes. They noted that POSCO performed strongly across most key areas with below average emissions intensity. Also, unlike several other steelmakers, POSCO demonstrated an ability to reduce its emissions intensity significantly in recent years.

[clickToTweet tweet=”POSCO’s work to limit emissions has proven that more sustainable production can also be more competitive.” quote=”POSCO’s work to limit emissions has proven that more sustainable production can also be more competitive.” theme=”style6″]

While the report placed a strong focus on the industry not focusing on targets to limit global warming (six out of the 14 companies did not even publish targets beyond 2016), CDP noted that POSCO’s targets remain consistent with the goal to cut emissions significantly enough to reach the Paris Agreement objectives.

In particular, CDP highlighted POSCO’s FINEX technology that was developed and commercialized to provide incremental emissions reductions from steelmaking by eliminating sintering and coke oven processes. They also noted that the technology has the potential to be combined with carbon capture & storage (CCS) due to high concentrations of CO2 in waste gases, POSCO’s other active projects to separate and capture CO2, and their early stage work on carbon capture & use (CCU) and hydrogen-based steelmaking.

POSCO’s technological advancements in sustainable steel production have helped it reduce emissions while becoming more competitive.

In addition to these developments, POSCO continues its work to make its factories run smarter and more efficiently. AI and IIoT technology are helping to improve product quality for POSCO’s customers while also reducing waste and pollution. In addition, to be recognized by CDP as a leader in the steel industry, POSCO’s efforts have also been recognized by the Corporate Knights’ Global 100 list (#1 in Metals and Mining), and they have also been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 12 straight years.

As the world works toward hitting emission reduction targets, governments, policymakers, and industry leaders must step forward to lead. POSCO’s work to limit emissions has proven that more sustainable production can also be more competitive.

*Cover image courtesy of the World Steel Association

Don’t miss any of the exciting stories from The Steel Wire – subscribe via email today.

POSCO has been recognized as the leading company among the world’s top steelmakers for the past eight consecutive years. To note, POSCO received this year’s honor in the midst of difficult domestic and overseas market conditions due to last year’s global oversupply, tighter import regulations triggered by the spread of protectionism and internal financial restructuring.

The Steel Survival Strategies held discussions on current trends and future strategies of the global steel industry before the WSD announced the honor. Thirty-seven steel companies around the world were evaluated on 23 different criteria such as production scale, profitability, technological innovation, price competitiveness, cost reduction, financial soundness and raw material acquisition.  

POSCO has topped the list a total of 13 times since 2002, when WSD first began its global competitiveness rankings, putting POSCO at the top of the rankings for the longest period of time.

POSCO came out on top with a perfect 10 in five categories: technological innovation, cost reduction, labor skills, restructuring and investment environment, putting the overall score at 8.31 points. The total was 0.26 points higher than last year, due to positive evaluations of POSCO’s solutions marketing activities, the expansion of high-value-added products as well as its financial restructuring.

Other notable companies on the list include Russian steelmaker Severstal (second place) for iron ore and coal mines, US steelmaker Nucor (third place) for their technological innovation and profitability, NLMK steelmaker (fourth place) for their iron ore, and NSSMC (fifth place) with positive evaluations in business diversification and restructuring.

Don’t miss any of the exciting stories from The Steel Wire – subscribe via email today.

Upcycling ensures that resources are used to their fullest extent, minimizing the number of trips made to the landfill. Vivian Kim, a travel writer, takes us deeper into this topic and introduces two examples of upcycling architecture from her time in both Korea and the Netherlands.

Steel, an Ideal Material for Upcycling

Steel is 100% recyclable, which makes it one of the most ideal materials for upcycling. Other construction materials, such as wood and plastic, can only be recycled a limited number of times before they lose its original properties and functionality and need to be downcycled (recycled into a material that is of lower quality than the original material). Steel, on the other hand, never loses its original quality. In fact, it can even increase in value and be upgraded to a higher grade of steel with the same amount of energy it would take to recycle it.  

High-strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) steel being recycled. (Photo courtesy of Recycling International)

Steel is also reusable. Entire buildings made of steel can be reused or have their lives extended by years, just by making small improvements. Because steel can be easily reused for its original purpose, there is less of a need to use raw materials from scratch, allowing for more sustainable construction.

Let’s take a look at some of the most widely recognized pieces of upcycling architecture in the Netherlands and Korea.   

Amsterdam’s Abandoned Shipyard Reborn as Cultural Hub

Utilizing recycled materials in the design of a building is nothing new. In fact, upcycling in the Netherlands had its beginnings in the 1960’s when a small, social movement began in Jordaan, a well-known neighborhood in Amsterdam. The Dutch began to mobilize the community to protect their historical buildings and prevent constant demolition from taking place. Local governments also recognized the importance of reusing and remanufacturing materials from an economic standpoint and began to push for more upcycling initiatives.

A great example of this is the NDSM ship wharf, the site of the former Dutch Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. Just a 15-minute ferry ride from Amsterdam Central Station, the NDSM was once one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world. However, a shortage of shipbuilding orders led to the company’s eventual closure in 1984. The abandoned shipyard soon became the breeding grounds for “city nomads” and local artists to take their place and breathe new life into the empty buildings. Through their efforts, the NDSM quarter was transformed into what is now a cultural hotspot in Amsterdam.

The NDSM ferry stop in Amsterdam Central.

As soon as visitors step off the ferry, they are greeted by what looks like a scene from an eerie, sci-fi movie. The NDSM ship wharf is full of gray, bleak buildings covered with graffiti and steel containers that are painted bright red and blue.

The former NDSM wharf is now Amsterdam’s newest creative hot spot.

Crane Hotel Faralda in the Sky of Amsterdam

At the center of the NDSM wharf stands a monumental, 50-meter-high crane called Crane 13. It is painted in red, blue and yellow, the signature colors of Dutch artist Mondrian. Built in 1951 by Hensen Ltd., it was one of the largest cranes in the world but slowly faded from the public’s memory with the closure of the shipbuilding company.

The Crane Hotel Faralda, transformed from a rusty, old crane into a luxurious high-end hotel.

In the spirit of upcycling, the 60-year-old rusty crane was transformed into the Crane Hotel Faralda in 2013 despite immense technical challenges. The hotel, named after a female Dutch spy who saved hundreds of people during World War II, is made entirely of steel.

As a crane’s main purpose is to lift heavy objects, only the strongest of steel is used to build it. For this reason, High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel (HSLA) is often employed. It contains 0.05% of carbon and other raw materials such as chromium, nickel, molybdenum, and vanadium – the secret behind its enhanced strength. HSLA steel is also more resistant to atmospheric corrosion, enabling Crane 13 to withstand the strong Netherland winds of the North Sea for over 60 years.

In the following time-lapse video, watch how the rusty crane transforms into an iconic symbol of the NDSM quarter and one of Europe’s most unique and sensational hotels.

An old rice mill transforms into one of Seoul’s hotspots

Another example of upcycling that shifts the culture can be found in the quaint neighborhood of Seongsu-Dong, South Korea. Known as the “Brooklyn of Seoul”, Seongsu-Dong is known for its trendy and hip cafes embedded in between old warehouses and factories. Its roots can be traced back to the 1970s where steel, leather and printing factories once dominated the streets. But, beginning in 2010, a wave of cafés, galleries, and studios began to break into the bleak space, transforming the once gray industrial district to a colorful vibrant scene brimming with new sights and sounds.

Daelim Warehouse in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. (Photo courtesy of Daelim Warehouse)

Hidden within the streets of Seongsu-Dong is the Daelim Warehouse, an old rice mill that has in recent years, been upcycled into a multi-cultural hub that doubles as a café and performance/exhibition venue for the artist community. From the bare concrete walls to the metal rod ceiling structure, it retains the distinct flair of a warehouse, cultivating a special atmosphere that has people flocking to it on a regular basis. Because of its unique interior, it has even been acknowledged as one of the most Instagram-worthy spots in Seoul.  

[clickToTweet tweet=”Upcycling is more than just a passing fad – it will continue to be an integral part of a sustainable lifestyle.” quote=”Upcycling is more than just a passing fad – it will continue to be an integral part of a sustainable lifestyle.” theme=”style6″]

From the NDSM quarter in Amsterdam to the Seongsu-Dong neighborhood in Seoul, upcycling has become a worldwide trend improving our surroundings as we live, create and build. Just as steel has been with mankind for thousands of years, it will continue to play a crucial role in recycling, reusing and upcycling.

Cover image courtesy of Crane Hotel Faralda

What is the Circular Economy?

The circular economy concept gained momentum in the 1970s as academics, businesses, and thought leaders realized that there needed to be a change in the way products were manufactured and disposed of. The general goals of a circular economy involved eliminating waste, using renewable energy to manufacture goods, and to be more respectful of the natural environment.

In a circular economy, resources need to be allocated efficiently while making products that earn a return for the businesses without being too costly to consumers. Products should be durable, recyclable, and easily repaired. Simply put, manufacturers and consumers need to extend the life of their products before they are thrown away.

A well functioning circular economy ensures that products retain value even at the end of their use stage. Ideally, products would be-be 100% recyclable, and even before reaching that stage, they should be durable enough for reuse or remanufacturing. Steel represents a critical piece of this concept as it can be reused, repurposed, and remanufactured after use and then still remains infinitely recyclable. Beyond that, advances in steel production technology have created more energy efficient and green processes for steelmakers.

Steel in the Circular Economy

Steel is used to manufacture and ship almost every product on the globe. Its ubiquity makes it a central piece of the concept of a circular economy and more sustainable production. It can be reused, remanufactured, and recycled without losing any of its properties. Also, due to technological advancements in recent decades, steel has become both lighter and stronger making everything from cars to ships more energy efficient.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Steel is 100% recyclable without losing any of its original properties or strength.” quote=”Steel is 100% recyclable without losing any of its original properties or strength.” theme=”style6″]

In addition to lightweighting, one must look at steel’s life cycle assessment in order to measure its effect on the circular economy, Last month on The Steel Wire, Dr. Roland Geyer from the University of California at Santa Barbara took an in-depth look at the life cycle assessment of steel. His research aims to show that steel’s benefit to the automotive industry lies not only in its lightweight properties but also in its ability to be recycled and used over and over again – making it the most optimal material for automakers in a circular economy.

POSCO Innovates in Sustainable Steel Production

For its part in the circular economy, POSCO has been pursuing advancements in sustainable steel production from multiple angles. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, POSCO helped develop the FINEX® process. It is based on the direct use of iron ore fines and non-coking coal while eliminating the coke-making and sintering processes, which are most critical to the conventional blast furnace process. Combining these two decisive advantages led to lower production costs and a reduction of environmental emissions in comparison with the conventional blast furnace route.

For automakers, the steel used to manufacture vehicles is critical to the circular economy in both its production and use. POSCO has been at work developing new automotive steel solutions that are lighter, stronger, and more affordable. They have also begun utilizing advanced AI and IIoT (internet of things) solutions in its automotive steel plants to reduce waste.

Because POSCO GIGA STEEL is lightweight, strong, and affordable, it is the ideal material option for automakers looking to build more sustainable vehicles.

For its manganese steel production, POSCO developed new technology that cut production time in half while increasing efficiency by 10%. Now, instead of melting the iron, lowering the temperature, and then melting it again, POSCO can store the molten iron at its new PosLM facility helping to reduce energy costs and shorten production time.

In order to move toward a circular economy, businesses and industries must make fundamental changes to how their products are manufactured and used. Steel remains a critical piece of this concept as it can be reused, remanufactured, and recycled. However, more needs to be done, and companies like POSCO are taking the lead to develop more sustainable production processes.

*Graphs courtesy of the World Steel Association

While consumers are able to see benefits added to their daily lives with IoT, it is the adoption in the industry and manufacturing sectors that are seeing the most significant economic gains, reductions in waste, and higher quality production. IoT is expected to see massive growth in the next ten to fifteen years, and most of that growth is expected to come from enterprise adoption, or what is now called IIoT, the industrial internet of things.

Below we take a look at how businesses are implementing IIoT and how it is revolutionizing industries all over the world.

Volkswagen Truck & Bus Launches RIO Platform

Beginning in 2017, Volkswagen Truck & Bus began offering its  RIO platform, an open and cloud-based “operating system.” RIO is unique in that it can connect multiple pieces of the global supply chain regardless of brand. Because the shipping and logistics industries utilize many different brands and types of equipment, it has been difficult to make the process more connected and more sustainable – but RIO does just that.

Shippers, dispatchers, carriers, drivers, and recipients can all be connected with a uniform logistics platform that includes forecasting features. RIO looks at information from traffic, weather, and navigation and combines it with information from tractors, trailers, bodies, drivers, and orders so that it can offer recommendations in real time.

Volkswagen Truck & Bus utilize IIoT technology to help compile information across multiple brands and types of logistics equipment. (Photo courtesy of Volkswagen AG)

In utilizing IIoT technology, Volkswagen can streamline the vast information sources across brands that will help improve the transportation and reloading process. As Volkswagen Truck & Bus CEO Andreas Renschler noted, this is not just good for efficiency and the company’s bottom line, it is also good for the environment. Being able to real-time decisions through multiple sensors and input, there will be fewer empty trucks on the road and far less waste.  

Caterpillar IIoT Saves Money, Increases Uptime

In the U.S., construction and mining equipment company Caterpillar is utilizing IIoT to help customers monitor their equipment to increase efficiency. Partnering with Uptake, a predictive analytics firm, Caterpillar sends data gathered from sensors on its products and sends it into the cloud for diagnostic analysis. Caterpillar then provides its customers with vital information related to their equipment so that they have the ability to plan maintenance schedules more efficiently. If customers can know that several parts are likely to need to be replaced, these can be fixed all at once while the equipment is offline instead of having each one break individually while in use. This ultimately helps prevent costly downtime providing customers with uninterrupted productivity.

Caterpillar also integrated advanced IIoT systems in their Marine Division to help monitor almost every aspect of their tugboats and shipping vessels. The generators, engines, GPS, air conditioning systems, and fuel meters are all connected and providing valuable data for the systems operators.

Caterpillar’s IIoT systems can now look at GPS and weather information to help guide the ship operators in how much power to use when operating their vessels. Also, when Caterpillar looked at performance data and hull cleaning correlations, they learned that dirty hulls were costing more than $5 million per year in decreased performance. By changing the cleaning schedule from once every two years to once every six months, they were able to save $400,000 per year per ship.

POSCO Implements AI Into Its Smart Factories

POSCO’s Gwangyang Works is one of the top automotive coated steel plants in the world, providing 10% of global supply. During automotive steel production, one of the most critical steps is the coating weight process. When coating weight is controlled manually, quality deviates depending on the skill level of the worker, inevitably resulting in significant amounts of wasted zinc, so POSCO implemented IIoT technology to improve efficiency and product quality & consistency.  

POSCO workers monitor the optimal coating weight predicted through IIoT and AI. It is now possible to collect hundreds of different types of data and make adjustments in real time for complex coating weights

This highly-sophisticated technology helps keeps the thickness of the coating layer consistent – even when operating conditions change suddenly. They have installed a data integration infrastructure that uses an automated control technology that predicts the coating weight of zinc in automotive steel to precisely control the Continuous Galvanizing Line (CGL). In combination with the coating weight system, they have also created a data pre-analysis system that can preemptively detect abnormalities. The implementation of this technology has helped to increase the quality of POSCO’s automotive coated steel while also decreasing production costs.

Advancements in IoT technology are changing the way people live, but behind the scenes, at manufacturing facilities around the world, IIoT is having an even greater impact. Companies like Volkswagen, Caterpillar, and POSCO are leading the way to create more efficient and sustainable production methods using IIoT.

POSCO has held its annual community service tradition, the POSCO Global Volunteer Week, since 2010.  This year, from May 24 to 30, over 79,000 POSCO Group employees from 52 different countries, including Korea, Turkey, Vietnam and the U.S., rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

POSCO Group in Korea

In Korea, POSCO Group employees made home improvements for underprivileged neighborhoods, mentored local youth and had a blast painting wall murals.

In the nation’s capital of Seoul, POSCO employees cleaned up marine waste with the Clean Ocean Volunteer Group, and another group delivered freshly baked bread to the community’s elderly.

On May 30, POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon and over 30 employees visited Myeongryundang of Sungkyunkwan Munmyo (a Confucian shrine), to repair and replace Korean traditional paper called Changhoji on windows and doors.

POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon visited Munmyo, the main temple for Korean Confucianism located in Seoul, to help replace traditional Korean paper known as Changhoji

In the city of Pohang, POSCO’s volunteer groups visited Sangdo Middle School to conduct first aid and CPR training. Other volunteer groups in Gwangyang, another city in Korea where POSCO conducts business, launched a lunchbox delivery business to create jobs for the elderly and held classes for women for minority communities.

POSCO Group Across the Globe

POSCO subsidiaries in Turkey, Vietnam and the U.S., also took part in Global Volunteer Week.

In Turkey, POSCO ASSAN TST employees opened a Korean culture school for local elementary school students in March. During Global Volunteer Week, Students got to try on traditional Korean clothing called hanbok and volunteers built a playground made out of recycled tires for the kindergarten students.   

POSCO-Vietnam carried out activities to improve the environment of the POSCO steel village and installed safety bars in the POSCO steel bridge. POSCO-VST employees visited local orphanages to deliver healthy meals and deftly handled some exterior painting.

In the U.S., employees at POSCO-America gathered to clean up Centennial Olympic Park. The Detroit office went to the local food bank to distribute food to underprivileged neighborhoods and the Houston office cleaned up the memorial parks in the neighborhood to contribute to their respective local communities.

As one of the world’s leading steelmakers, POSCO will continue its efforts to contribute to global sustainable development by not only developing eco-friendly technologies but also giving back to local communities.

The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation

The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation was created in 2013 to mobilize support from POSCO Group employees and subcontractors. Volunteers donate 1% of their monthly salary to the foundation, which then goes to fund projects for communities that need support the most.

The Foundation has completed a number of meaningful projects under this venture utilizing the company’s advanced steel products, such as PosMAC and PosCozy. From Korea to Myanmar and Vietnam, POSCO employees have helped with the construction of numerous houses, playgrounds, and villages.

Myanmar Steel Bridge

In Hmawbi, a village outside of Yangon, Myanmar, villagers were struggling to cross the wooden bridge they had used for years. The wooden planks were rotting with holes making it unsafe and difficult to cross. During the rainy season, it was near impossible to use. In order to help the residents of Hmawbi commute safely, the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation decided to replace the old bridge with a new one made of steel.

Residents of Yoewa Village crossing the steel bridge built by POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation

The newly built bridge, 3 meters wide and 20 meters long, utilized POSCO steel plates and PosMAC, a World Premium Product known for its unique strength, lightweight, and durable properties. On May 24, the foundation completed the construction of the steel bridge with the help and collaboration of the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation. Over 150 people including POSCO employees, residents of Hmawbi, and other partners in Myanmar gathered to celebrate the completion of the project.

POSCO Vietnam Steel Village

On June 13, POSCO Group holds a ceremony for completing the construction of 104 steel houses in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

In response to the request of Vietnam’s government to build a residential complex for the underprivileged in the Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province, POSCO Group began building houses in Vietnam’s largest business clusters near Ho Chi Minh City in 2014. Over the course of three years, over 1,500 POSCO Group employees and student volunteers have participated in various construction work, including a steel framing job, building walls, and painting, to help build houses for low-income families.

[clickToTweet tweet=”The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation uses its advanced steel solutions to provide support for those in need.” quote=”The POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation uses its advanced steel solutions to provide support for those in need.” theme=”style6″]

With donations from the POSCO 1% Foundation and using POSCO’s advanced steel solutions, the project was completed on June 13. Together with Habitat for Humanity, the POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation built a total of 104 steel houses in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province for 500 low-income families. While POSCO SS-VINA provided H Beams for building the house frames, POSCO A&C was in charge of supplying insulation materials that can absorb rain impact noise and block direct sunlight as well as designing the natural ventilation system.

POSCO Korea Donggurang Steel Land

In Korea, the POSCO 1% Foundation built Donggurang Steel Land, an indoor playground for children, and donated it to the local government in Incheon. Previously in 2013, the foundation established an agreement with the Incheon Government Office to build public facilities for children of dual-income families and began the construction. The playground includes an artificial rock climbing wall, a smart gym board, and other facilities that provide children with a safe environment in which to play.

POSCO 1% Sharing Foundation’s Donggurang Steel Land

The two-story facility was designed and constructed using POSCO’s own materials and technology. While the roof was built with corrugated steel plates with corrosion-resistant steel, the outer wall was constructed by applying a steel curtain wall system. In order to reduce noise between floors, POSCO’s flooring system, PosCozy, was also applied.

POSCO hopes that the newly built bridge and facilities can represent POSCO’s strong desire to connect community goals with the company’s resources and expertise to accomplish healthy and sustainable neighborhoods. Building on years of successful contributions to local communities around the world, POSCO will continue to strive to become an exemplary case of sustainable growth. 

This year, the Corporate Knights released their 13th annual Global 100 list, examining the sustainability efforts of about 4,000 companies with a market value of at least $2 billion. Their methodology looked at 14 key performance indicators (KPIs) covering environmental, social, and financial performance metrics.

The following list looks at the leaders of several industries and what they are doing to remain competitive in today’s challenging market.  

#1 in Metals & Mining – POSCO (#35 overall)

The metals & mining industry is typically associated with high emissions due to the high energy consumption required. POSCO is the only corporation listed in the mining & metals industry, ranking 35th among all corporations across all industries.

[clickToTweet tweet=”POSCO strives to be a leader in sustainable manufacturing and smart factory solutions.” quote=”POSCO strives to be a leader in sustainable manufacturing and smart factory solutions.” theme=”style6″]

POSCO has made significant efforts to be a leader in sustainable manufacturing. Through its smart factory technology, POSCO has refined its production processes, which reduces waste, improves quality, and ensures employee safety. POSCO’s World Premium Product PosMAC has proven to be an ideal solution for solar panels due to its lightweight and durable properties (even being used on floating solar panel farms). More recently, POSCO’s innovations in advanced high strength steels for automobiles have made it the material of choice for automakers looking for low emissions, sustainable solution.

Venturing out beyond the steel sector POSCO developed innovative solutions in the lithium rechargeable battery industry. Its new extraction method takes anywhere from 8 hours up to one month (a significant improvement over previous technologies that took anywhere from 12-18 months). This new technology is also able to extract lithium with a purity rate of 99.9% and increases the recovery rate to over 80% – which reduces the resources needed for extraction making the process more sustainable and eco-friendly.

POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon holds lithium carbonate that was extracted using POSCO’s newly advanced technology that reduces time and the resources needed for extraction.

Beyond steel production, POSCO subsidiaries all over the world work to improve the communities around them. Every year more than 80,000 POSCO employees participate in Global Volunteer Week all over the globe, providing support and assistance to those who need it most. POSCO also sponsors the Beyond program, giving university students the opportunity to give back by helping build homes for those in need.       

In addition to The Global 100, POSCO has been listed on the SAM-Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 12 straight years (2005-2016), and World Steel Dynamics (WSD) has named POSCO the most competitive steelmaker in the world for seven years running since 2010. POSCO also recently received awards for its CSR work in China and Southeast Asia.

#1 in Auto Industry – BMW (#16 overall)

For an industry in the midst of radical change and an effort to reposition itself to be more sustainable, BMW leads the group and ranks as the 16th most sustainable corporation.

Sustainability has been an integral piece of the BMW Group’s culture and corporate strategy for decades. In 1973, they became the first automaker to appoint an environmental officer. In 2001, they committed to the United Nations Environment Programme as well as the UN Global Compact and the Cleaner Production Declaration. Today, BMW has a Sustainability Board that defines the strategic alignment through binding targets.

Automated machines work on the assembly line, helping to reduce waste and improve product quality.

The Global 100 specifically noted BMW’s holistic approach in encouraging sustainable production throughout its entire value chain. This includes not just environmental protection, but also supply chain sustainability, employee orientation, and social commitment.

In South Carolina, BMW’s plant uses methane gas from a nearby landfill to generate the power and heat needed for production. In South Africa, they operate a biogas-fuelled heat and power station by processing waste from local cattle and chicken farms.

From planning to production to disposal & recycling, the BMW Group has been dedicated to making each step more sustainable. Apart from advancing electromobility technology in their vehicles, BMW has pushed to purchase raw materials from environmentally and socially friendly sources, reduce environmentally damaging waste water, and use transport vehicles with lower emissions.

BMW sees its future growth as dependent on its ability to become a more sustainable company. Their vision is to be “the most successful and sustainable premium provider of individual mobility” and the measures they have taken are proof of their commitment.

#1 in Industry – Siemens AG (#1 overall)

German industrial conglomerate, Siemens AG, is a major player in the healthcare, energy, industrial, and infrastructure sectors. Siemens defines sustainable development as “the means to achieve profitable and long-term growth…while striving to balance people, environment, and profit.” All of their efforts helped them to be ranked as the most sustainable corporation in the world by the Global 100.

Siemens efforts to cut its carbon footprint in half by 2020 and to be completely carbon neutral by 2030 were a significant factor of its #1 spot. Currently, 50% of energy consumption in Germany come from green energy sources, cutting its 2016 carbon emissions by more than 200,000 metric tons. In the United States, only 20% of its energy comes from renewable sources, but Siemens is on track to have all of its US sites use clean energy sources by 2020. Overall, Siemens plans to shrink its emissions by 750,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2020.

In Thailand, three SGT-400 industrial gas turbines each drive a Siemens barrel-type compressor.

In addition to its commitment to cut its carbon emissions, the Corporate Knights noted Siemens’ efforts to improve the efficiency of energy and water usage, responsible approach to paying taxes, significant investments in innovation, low employee turnover and strong female board representation. More than 30% of the Siemens supervisory board are women and they remain committed to seeing higher representation at lower levels of management as well.

Earlier this year, POSCO CEO Kwon Ohjoon visited Siemens in Germany to learn more about Siemens’ advanced manufacturing technologies and smart factory solutions. Its plant in Amberg is a model smart factory thanks to its 1,000 sensors used to connect its IOT technology, that makes it possible to check for abnormalities at each stage of the production process. These sensors can also stop the production line if any defective products are found and replace them with new ones. Also, with the ability to analyze 50 million pieces of process information per day, Siemens is continuously optimizing its production processes to ensure the lowest possible rate of defects.

POSCO remains committed to working with partners like Siemens while continuing to optimize its plants and processing centers to be more sustainable for its customers, employees, and partners.