It’s because stainless steel keeps it clean. Stainless steel keeps it safe. How? POSCO Newsroom reports.

l Surgical Steel Keeps It Sterile

Surgical steel is a variety of stainless steel used in biomedical applications. It’s commonly used in scalpel, screws that stabilize broken bones, and in needles, etc. Needless to say, hygiene comes as the utmost priority. It’s highly resistant to corrosion and heat, making it suitable as biomedical material — it can also be sterilized at high temperatures.

Some commonly accepted types of surgical steel include austenitic 316 stainless steel (STS) and martensitic 440 and 420 STS. 316 STS is highly durable and corrosion-resistant alloy steel with high amounts of chromium, nickel, and molybdenum. It’s a popular material for screws and joints that hold bones together. The 420 and 440 STSs are both chromium-alloy high-carbon steel — highly durable and corrosion-resistant just like 316 STS. The 420 and 440 STSs are excellent choices for general-purpose knife steel, including surgical scalpel.

| Hygiene Starts with Squeaky Kitchenwares

The first place to spot stainless steel is perhaps the kitchen. Before STS, most kitchen utensils came in cast iron or brass. Cast irons were heavy, and brasswares were prone to rust. Aluminum took over shortly after — but aluminum was susceptible to dents.

Enter stainless steel. It practically became a go-to material for kitchenware as well as tableware, because STS is lightweight — it’s easy to wash and rust-free. STS overcame all the shortcomings of previous metal kitchenware.

Highly resistant to corrosion, and toxic-free even when boiled, stainless steel is not only cost-efficient, but it also resists the buildup of harmful bacteria — which is why STS is increasingly becoming the popular choice for the kitchen industry. From baby feeding tools, cutleries, dishwashers to water purifiers, it’s easy to spot STS in virtually all cooking materials.

In the past, stainless steel was intended mostly as internal use. However, the demand for STS as external material is increasing along with the recent hype of metallic design. STS rice cooker, for example, is made of STS inside and out. Virtually everything that comes in contact with the rice grain is STS — from the cover to inner pot. STD rice cooker not only enhances hygiene and durability, but it also creates a sense of luxury.

| Surgical Steel Accessories, Goodbye to Metallic Allergy

Extremely hygienic, stainless steel is an ideal biomedical metal as it comes in direct contact with the human body. The human body is 70% water and is rich in chloride ions, which can cause corrosion. That’s why biometals must be rust-free. Iron, gold, silver, and platinum used to be favored choices for biometals, but as of late STS is also gaining popularity.

The use of surgical steel reaches beyond the medical industry — it also makes for excellent accessories. Not only is it hygienic, but it also retains its original color even after long-term use. Compared to other metals, It is lightweight and is easy to work with. When set against gold or silver, surgical steel is more cost-efficient. It is highly corrosion-resistant, ideal for those susceptible to metallic allergies.

| Silver White Titanium, A Dream Material

Because of its eco-friendly nature, titanium is often called ‘green metal for the 21st century.’ Titanium comes in various colors and its excellent moldability is on par with that of 304 stainless steel. Not only is it corrosion-resistant, but it also requires virtually no maintenance, which makes it truly a dream material. It is 40% lighter than steel (carbon steel) but twice as strong. However, the cost of titanium is 40 to 80 times higher than carbon steel — and 10 to 20 times higher than STS.

Due to its outstanding biocompatibility, titanium is the premier biometal. Titanium creates no toxic wear or corrosion residue with minimal risks of inflammatory and toxic reactions. As for titanium implant, because of titanium’s ability to withstand the harsh bodily environment, a titanium implant is insoluble, and chemically impermeable preventing reactions between the metal and the surrounding environment even when the implant becomes loose. Titanium can also help prevent the risk of osteoporosis and bone destruction, which is why it is widely used in ergonomics and general medicine, such as artificial bones, heart valves, and implants.

| Both Steels — Still, Different All the Way

Steel products can be categorized into two main categories: carbon steel and stainless steel. Both are steel. Still, they are entirely different. By adding additional elements to Fe, the Fe becomes STS — immune to rust, i.e. stain-less, which is how it earned its nickname, ‘the flower of steel.’

Stainless steel is an alloy steel that enhances the properties of steel by adding extra elements to iron (Fe). The core element is chromium (Cr) — and it contains carbon, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, etc. depending on its target function. The innate surface aesthetics of STS can do away with the need for additional surface treatment. STS is highly corrosion-resistant, hygienic and widely applicable. Besides, it can also mold into various shapes and can withstand high external impact.

Stainless steel can be rust-free because of the ‘passive film’ formed on the surface. This special protective film is chromium oxide (Cr2O3). TheCr2O3 is formed spontaneously through the oxidization of the chromium. Approximately 2nm in thickness, the film is so thin that it is invisible to bare eyes, but it’s extremely solid. The passive film protects the base iron from oxidization, therefore, stopping it from going rusty. Even when the film gets a scratch, it quickly regenerates as the chromium encounters oxygen again.
* 2nm is an equivalent of 2mm divided by 1 million

Due to its high resistance to fire and heat, stainless steel is being widely applied to kitchen appliances, elevators, building interior and exterior materials, as well as other electronic appliances. It’s widely utilized across major industries such as chemical and heavy industry, etc. According to the Korea Iron and Steel Association, the demand for STS stood at 1 million tons in 2018 — in Korea alone. With 27%, the auto industry had the highest demand for the material, followed by home appliances (15%), construction materials (13%) and steel pipes (11%). Annually, POSCO produces 2 million tons of STS — 60% of which the company exports.

The annual titanium production is at 2,400 tons. POSCO imports Ingot, an intermediary material from POSUK in Kazakhstan, a joint venture between POSCO and UKTMP. The company produces and sells the metallic titanium of over 99% purity by rolling it at its steelworks. POSCO’s titanium steel sheets come in various sizes: over 0.4mm in thickness, 1219mm in width. POSCO also supplies hot-rolled and cold-rolled steels, and thick plates — as coils or as sheets depending on customer specification.

As for titanium, South Korea used to be 100% reliant on imports, until POSCO launched titanium business. Thanks to POSCO’s expansion into titanium, Korea became self-sufficient when it comes to the titanium used in shipping and nuclear industries. About 90% of POSCO titanium is used in heat exchangers for power generation in shipbuilding.

| Stainless Steel: How to Keep It Longer and Cleaner

Since the invention of stainless steel, many changes have occurred in our daily lives. Hygiene, in hospitals and kitchens, has improved above all. POSCO Newsroom came up a few commonly asked questions about STS.

Q. I heard that stainless steel products should be ‘conditioned’ before first use. What does it mean, and why?
A. Manufacturing oils are applied, so the stainless steel products retain their shiny surface quality. Before using an STS product, it’s important to remove any traces of manufacturing oils.

Here is how it’s done: put a small amount of vegetable oil on a soft kitchen towel and wipe your new STS cookware. Repeat this process until all the black traces of manufacturing oils are gone. Wash it in warm, soapy water with vinegar for ten minutes. Rinse thoroughly, and it’s ready for its use.

Q. How do I remove spots on my stainless steel cookware?
A. Occasionally, white, cloudy spots can form on kitchen utensils. These spots essentially come from mineral deposits left on the surface after boiling water — they can come from both salt and/or calcium deposits.

The spot is alkaline, so it can be removed with acid. If acidic detergent isn’t available, the spots can be removed by bringing water to boil with vinegar or citric acid inside.

If the inside of a stainless steel pot ever burns, the stain can be wiped by bringing it to boil with baking soda, wiping it with a sponge afterward.

It’s always a good idea to preheat the stainless steel utensils before cooking. If you add ingredients before it is preheated, it can cause smoke and food ingredients will stick to the pan. It may take a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you will realize the STS is one of the safest and the most hygienic cookwares.

Q. Stainless steel isn’t magnetic, but why do they sometimes stick to magnets?
A. There are indeed STS products with magnets like STS cutleries. The parts that actually stick to magnets are often ordinary steel coating, not STS.

Also, it isn’t accurate to say that stainless steels aren’t magnetic. STS is divided into austenitic, ferritic, and martensitic based on their crystal structure. Austenitic stainless steels, which are most commonly used, aren’t magnetic — but martensitic and ferritic stainless steels can be slightly magnetic, albeit weak.

Although stainless steel is spotted everywhere, until now, it wasn’t always clear why it was called ‘flower of steel.’ Stainless steel is an indispensable material when it comes to hygiene, health, and safety. POSCO will continue to research to innovate the material to make our lives even safer and cleaner.

There are two types of containment systems used by LNG carriers: Moss type and membrane-type. Moss-type carriers hold the LNG in four or five large tanks, supported by the vessel’s hull. Membrane-type carriers make better use of space by having a single tank made from stainless steel (STS) cold-rolled steel, built right into the hull.

Compared with Moss-type carriers with their cylindrical tanks, membrane-type carriers have greater loading efficiency and are more economical because their non-cylindrical tanks can be larger. Because of the economic advantages of membrane-type carriers, demand for this type of ship is on the rise these days.

Up until now, an overseas engineering company owned the exclusive rights to membrane design technology, which is why domestic shipbuilding companies producing membrane-type carriers in Korea had to pay royalties.

In 2014, however, Korea Gas Corporation successfully developed its own membrane design technology, so there is no longer a need to pay royalties abroad.  POSCO decided to apply World Premium stainless steel (STS) to the Korea’s first membrane-type LNG carriers. POSCO was the only manufacturer of stainless steel (STS) for membrane material; however, with this deal, POSCO became the only supplier of stainless steel (STS) for membrane material for both the Korean and international markets.

Korea Gas Corporation’s first domestically designed membrane-type LNG carrier will be constructed with World Premium stainless steel (KC-1). Improved loading efficiency and reduced vaporization loss in the KC-1 means enhanced transport efficiency and economic feasibility. [Picture provided by Korea Gas Corporation]

Using POSCO’s World Premium stainless steel (STS), the KC-1—Korea’s first membrane-type LNG carrier—offers drastic improvements on vaporization loss compared to previous models, while enhancing efficiency with gas transportation and economic feasibility.

Based on POSCO’s cooperation with Korea Gas Corporation in developing membrane carrier technology, POSCO established an optimized supply chain for saving cryogenic LNG from developing stainless steel (STS) to producing/supplying materials. POSCO’s efforts in customer-oriented solution marketing have led to new supply orders.

Using its advanced technology and high quality, POSCO plans to gain market share in the energy market by increasing the supply of stainless-type materials to future storage tanks for land, and small-sized tanker trucks. Starting from February, POSCO began supplying all the stainless steel for membrane-type Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers being produced by Korea Gas Corporation.

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The manufacturing field of automobiles, energy, home appliances, electronics is earning spotlight as it is creating value, in the Europe market, which continuously creates new fascinating trends. POSCO has been widely introducing its brand’s value by establishing a cooperation system among Steel Business Headquarters, Pohang and Gwangyang Steel Works, Europe Offices, European Local Processing Centers, Logistics Centers, and performing effective correspondence against European clients’ demand of steel. POSCO shows its global potential by providing competitive steel within the European market, and which captivates its clientele.

Global Automotive Materials Marketing with Volkswagen and More

With the basis of its global production and sales network, POSCO is enhancing automotive flat product sales in the growth area of strategic demand. This year’s automotive flat product sales amount is expected to exceed 8 million tons.

Especially, Volkswagen, a German automobile manufacturer, is solidifying a cooperative relationship by highly evaluating POSCO’s value creation capability that is based on strict quality and time control.

The Volkswagen headquarters in Germany and global Volkswagen factories are improving their automotive material supply and quality stability through POSCO’s global infrastructure. Moreover, Volkswagen is discussing various combined efforts with POSCO for the purpose of vehicle weight reduction and production cost reduction. With a solid basis of trust from European clients like Volkswagen, POSCO is expected to speed up its advancement in the world market.

EVI Activities for the Energy/Offshore Plant Industry

The energy/offshore plant industry is high in change of risk and difficult to predict. In terms of technology and marketing, a high entry barrier exists because the industry only purchases steel materials from exclusive suppliers with stringent quality certification.

However, various EVI (Early Vendor Involvement) activities has enabled POSCO to form a network in the European energy/offshore plant industry in a notably rapid pace. For example, POSCO has been developing steel and technology solution with the perspectives of clients and expanding business channels based on the development and constantly seeking for new business opportunities.

Through cooperation of POSCO Steel Business Headquarter, Poyang/Gwangyang Steel Works, the Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST) and European offices, POSCO is executing marketing activities and expanding direct business with major European oil companies such as Shell and Saipem. With a basis on solution marketing of quality certification and technology collaboration, POSCO is promoting to advance to the extended market by forming close relationships with major European client companies.

New Renewable Energy Materials Development

Sales of steels for the new renewable energy industry is another example of POSCO’s effort to expand business in the European market. In May 2012, Siemens and POSCO signed the MOU for cooperation in steel, energy and material field’s business and technology development. They have been discussing a joint promotion approach for steel technology cooperation, new material business and more.

As the general interests in green energy and demand for new renewable energy growth escalate in Europe, Siemens is also increasing its productions for green energy installations such as a wind power generator. In response, POSCO suggested a new type of steel that suits the characteristics of wind power generator materials in the European market. Since this year, POSCO is developing and selling high magnetic non-oriented electrical steel sheet targeting the new renewable energy generator. POSCO is responding preemptively to the client’s request in addition to its product development and supply.

Targeting the Premium Home Appliance Market in Europe

In the field of display home appliances in the European premium market, Samsung electronics and LG electronics, the global home appliance companies of Korea, are standing at the front line in the local market. Before the companies execute their successful strategies for Europe, POSCO’s preemptive material supply comes first. Especially due to the industry’s fast cycle of new product releases, POSCO predicts the technical transformation of display home appliances and prepare for the prospective demand for steel materials. Accordingly, POSCO is operating with a response strategy to provide future home appliance material.

In 2007, POSCO founded POSCO-PWPC( Poland Wroclaw Processing Center) with LG International Corp. in Poland. Moreover, establishing POSS-SLPC(POSCO SAMSUNG Slovakia Steel Processing Center) with Samsung C&T in Slovakia, POSCO is supporting the display home appliance material for the European market. Currently, Samsung electronics and LG electronics are expanding their influence across Europe. As a stable partner company for materials, POSCO will supply competitive materials and solution.

Client Acquisition through Solution Marketing for STS Clients

Occupying about 15% of the worldwide demand, Europe is a global STS cold-rolled steel market where its annual demand is about 3 million tons. Especially, Italy and Germany are known as the top two STS markets of Europe. Located in Vallese di Oppeano complex, POSCO-ITPC (Italy Processing Center) is POSCO’s very first STS product processing center established in Europe. The processing ability of the center is about 35 thousand tons per year.

Deviating from previous distribution system through the establishment of POSCO-ITPC, POSCO was able to adopt a system of integrating the global STS production center’s products and selling to the actual demanders in Europe. At the same time, POSCO became capable of high quality processing and Just-In-Time production requested by the European client companies demanding high quality STS.

While executing various marketing activities to procure stable client groups of STS demand in the European market, POSCO-ITPC has obtained more than 140 clients of actual demand after only one year since its foundation. Also, rather than simply providing a cutting service of STS products, POSCO is strategically reinforcing its cooperative relationships by expanding client-oriented solution marketing activities. For example, POSCO is providing combined-processed product service to create added value and high quality processing service for excellent abrasive products. As a result of these efforts, POSCO-ITPC continues to create business profits from January 2014, which is only three months after its operation launch.

Successful companies have three factors in common: 1) A goal that all members share together, 2) empathy for a unified ideology, 3) sharing strategies to achieve a goal. POSCO has been sharing the vision of ‘POSCO the Great’ with all employees and striving to enhance its corporate value. Thus, based on their shared innovation agendas and management ideologies, ‘POSTIM’ was newly established as a powerful execution engine.

1. POSCO’s Unique Innovation Model, POSTIM

POSTIM, which stands for POSCO Total Innovation Model, is based on the participation of all POSCO employees and subsidiaries, as well as integration of work and innovation. By establishing a specific solution to the previous problems and systemizing the accumulated procedures and capabilities through POSTIM, POSCO will make its way to realize ‘POSCO the Great’.

2. Four Basic Principles of POSTIM

POSCO established four basic principles with the goals of increasing profitability, creating a Great Work Place, and enhancing job commitment. The specific principles are: 1) striving to generate profits by integrating work and innovation, 2) offering a reward corresponding to voluntary participation and employee performance, 3) creating a work environment in which employees are committed to creative activities and jobs, and 4) fostering and giving preferential treatment to talented individuals with technical and problem-solving skills.

3. POSTIM’s engine for implementation

POSTIM consists of PWS, QSS+, and SWP activities. Each activity will act as an engine for implementation to practice the management ideologies – One POSCO, Creative POSCO and Top POSCO – and fulfill POSCO’s innovation agendas. POSTIM is expected to contribute greatly to accelerating the fulfillment of ‘POSCO the Great’ by systemizing the accumulated organizational competences, such as innovation methodologies, human resources and systems within a unique innovation model

• PWS (Project-based Working System)A business method in which employees find new projects to increase profitability, attain qualitative goals, and concentrate on producing outstanding results

• ŸQSS+ (Quick Six Sigma Plus) in every corner of the siteActivities to improve Quality, Stability and Safety by evolving a unique method suitable for steelworks with a focus on operating facilities. Accordingly, steel mill sites such as STS steel manufacture and quality-technology departments, are accelerating the realization of ‘POSCO the Great’ by having proclamation ceremony for QSS+ and holding an information session in each department. POSCO expects QSS+ to root down firmly in every corer of the sites and contribute as a stepping-stone for unprecedented innovation activities.
• SWP (Smart Work Place)A series of activities carried out to enable employees to concentrate on their jobs by performing high value-added tasks and generating creative ideas based on a harmonious and positive organizational culture.

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Notes from CEO

 “Let’s develop POSTIM as POSCO’s unique innovation model”

If the innovation methodology that POSCO has been promoting was in a physically mixed condition, the new POSTIM is the result of chemical bonding of innovation methodologies. For example, we utilized TESAL and Six Sigma individually in the past. However, as TESAL’s good methodology is applied to Six Sigma, POSTIM is a systemized model that is not limited to a certain methodology and allows combined application. Through this new model, POSCO is able to apply the majority of the existing methodologies with further convenience and can choose the part to include in POSTIM if a better methodology is developed in the future. Let’s develop POSTIM as POSCO’s unique innovation model.

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Each drawing in the exhibition had its own story. There were images of a child riding a bicycle with her dad, hanging around with their friends and their parents’ workplace; QPSS. Our young painters must have input so much thoughts and efforts in their paintings. If you were there, you would have felt their innocence and playfulness showing in the lovely works.

A sticker was given to the QPSS employees who visited the scene so they could pick the artwork they liked the most. Once the vote was over, QPSS held an awarding ceremony to congratulate the winners of the exhibition. Let’s take a look at some of the excellent artworks.

Manager Ha Jae-chul, who has been working in QPSS, shared his review on the exhibition with ‘Hello, POSCO.’ He said, “It was interesting to see my colleagues’ daily lives in the children’s pictures. Because their partings were so lovely, we all had a very enjoyable moment.” I believe our ‘Hello, POSCO’ readers would also be feeling the same way with the adorable and warmhearted minds of the little kids.

Actually, there is a story behind how the exhibition was held at QPSS. To celebrate China’s Children’s Day on June 1st, QPSS prepared special gifts for the employees with kids. The present was a box of colored pencils and a sketchbook, providing them with the space to draw their creative thoughts and delightful dreams. Needless to say, the children absolutely fell in for the presents and in return, gave QPSS their wonderful pieces of artwork.

Have you decided which drawing you want to put your sticker on? Let’s find some peace of minds by staring at these loveable images. Who knows? It could remind you of the happiness and innocence when you were young.