Cut sheet from hot-rolled steel strip

and heavy plate

voestalpine Steel Division

www.voestalpine.com/steel

Josef Elmer, Key account manager

High-strength and ultrahigh-strength TM steels

Weight savings and optimized

weldability: We supply light-weight
solutions for a successful future.

High-strength and ultra-highstrength steels by voestalpine

Successful light-weight design requires the utilization of high-strength
and ultra-high-strength steels. The innovative thermomechanically
(TM) rolled steel grades alform and alform x-treme made by
voestalpine lead to comprehensive weight reduction and provide
exceptional advantages in processing.
High-strength and ultra-high-strength alform steels are available
as hot-rolled strip or as cut sheets made from hot-rolled steel strip
and heavy plate.

Convincing advantages
n Excellent weldability
n Excellent cold formability
n 
Best cuttability
n Perfect surface
n Excellent toughness

Efficient light-weight construction

Less is more
The central objective is to achieve decreased material thickness at
the same performance level and to increase the performance level
with unchanged dimensions.

Both objectives are optimally achievable with high-strength and ultra-high-strength alform and
alform x-treme steels made by voestalpine. The application of high-strength and ultra-high-strength
alform steels makes it possible, depending on the load, to reduce material thicknesses and thus the
weight by up to 70%. In addition, not only the weight is decreased, but the costs are diminished as well.

Weight savings
through application of high-strength and ultra-high-strength alform steels

Load
Dynamic
Static

100
90

Weight [%]

80
70
60
50
40
30

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

Minimum yield strength [MPa]

Customer benefits
n Higher lifting and load capacity, lower dead weight
n Higher environmental compatibility, lower fuel consumption
and less ground compression
n 
Costs reduced by less material usage and reduction
in filler materials

Typical applications
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

Mobile cranes
Loader cranes
Concrete pumps
Commercial vehicles
Railcars
Containers
Agricultural and forestry machinery
Offshore platforms
Penstocks
5

Reduced costs

Savings with high-strength

and ultra-high-strength steels
The reduced material thicknesses, light weight and smaller volumes
of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels provide cost savings
from procurement to manipulation and processing.

Procurement

Manipulation

Smaller volumes and less weight

lead to reduced transportation
costs.

Low unit weights make it possible to use smaller transport units

and lifting devices.

Processing

Reduced material thicknesses

lower the costs for:

Welding
Fewer filler materials required
Shorter welding times

Laser cutting
Shorter laser cutting times

Potential savings in rectangular sections (example)

The potential savings in high-strength and ultra-high-strength alform steel grades depend on the
specific application. The following example shows how the potential savings increase as high-strength
and ultra-high-strength steels are implemented step by step in a bending beam under static load.
The actually achieved reduction in material thickness depends both on the static/dynamic load and
the structural conditions (positions of weld seams, notches, etc.).

Sheet thickness: 73%

Weld seam volume: 93%
S355J2C (sheet thickness 15 mm)

alform 960 x-treme (sheet thickness 4 mm)

Steel grade comparison

Rectangular section 120 mm x 80 mm x thickness, longitudinally welded, V seam, bending moment 50 kNm
Steel grade

S355J2C

alform 700 M

alform 960 x-treme

Sheet thickness

15 mm

6 mm

4 mm

Weld seam volume

100%

16%

7%

Laser cutting time

100%

40%

27%

Required edge force

100%

32%

19%

Minimum inside edge radius

100%

23%

30%

100%

44%

30%

Component weight

Component costs are drastically reduced

by lower material requirement.

Thermomechanical rolling

Thermomechanical rolling for

excellent welding properties
We specialize in thermomechanical rolling with accelerated cooling.
The thermomechanical rolling process leads to a fine-grained
structure that provides high strength, high toughness levels and
good cold formability.

The very low carbon content and the low carbon equivalent result in excellent welding properties. High
toughness in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and the low susceptibility to cold cracking are critical to highquality weld joints.

Benefits of TM steels made by voestalpine

n 
High-purity steel (low sulfur, phosphorus and hydrogen content)
n Very low carbon content and low carbon equivalent
n Micro-alloys
n 
Targeted process and quality assurance during steelmaking,
hot rolling and accelerated cooling

Processing advantages resulting from the use of TM steels

n Elimination of or low preheating during welding
n Reduced manufacturing costs
n Improved working conditions for the welder
n Secure weld joints
n Lower error rates during welding
n Elimination of stress-relief annealing after welding
n Welding with high heat input
n Fewer welding passes
n Less welding time
n Lower welding costs
n Very good cold formability due to fine-grained structure
n Narrower edging radii than in standard steels
n Perfect surface
n Simple surface cleaning as a result of thin and homogeneous layer of scale
8

TM-rolled steels have substantially lower

carbon content when compared to QT steels
and thus have lower cold-cracking potential
during welding.

A dva n tag es o f a l fo r m

Excellent weldability
The excellent weldability of high-strength and ultra-high-strength
alform steels is achieved through a combination of thermomechanical rolling and micro-alloying, which makes it possible to achieve
very low carbon content.

The resulting advantages are as follows:

Broad range of welding parameters/wide welding range
Low tendency towards age hardening
Low tendency toward temper softening in the heat-affected zone
Cold cracking resistance without preheating
Excellent formability of the heat-affected zone

Susceptibility to cold cracking

according to Graville, including 960 MPa yield strength

0,25

Carbon content [%]

0,20

Medium susceptibility
to cold cracking

High susceptibility
to cold cracking

QT

0,15

0,10

0,05

Low susceptibility
to cold cracking

0,1

0,2

0,3

TM

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

Carbon equivalent CE Graville = C+(Mn+Si)/6+(Cr+Mo+V)/5+(Ni+Cu)/15 [%]

Different material grades are characterized by a variety of welding behaviors. Three ranges with different levels of susceptibility to cold cracking are differentiated according to Graville in dependence
on carbon content and carbon equivalent. When compared to conventional QT steels, the carbon
content is especially low in alform TM steels with minimum yield strengths ranging between 700
and 960 MPa. For this reason, these steel grades do not tend as readily to harden in the heat-affected
zone (HAZ) and have low susceptibility to cold cracking. The benefits are achieved by means of a
modern analysis strategy, thermomechanical rolling and accelerated cooling. Post-treatment of the
weld seam is recommended in order to take advantage of the full potential of weight savings, even
in dynamically stressed components.

10

A new dimension in welding: alform welding system

alform welding system is the worlds first custom-matched system of steels and consumables for highstrength and ultra-high-strength welded structures. This opens up an entirely new dimension of our
alform steels with respect to material expertise.
The base material properties were taken into consideration in the design of the filler metals. In combination with tempering-resistant base materials, property profiles occur in the welded joints that allow
substantial extension of the welding ranges. The heat input is tendentially higher and increases the
process reliability while lowering manufacturing costs as a result of the increased deposition rate.

Exceptional strength
The optimized system of tempering-resistant steel grades and adapted filler metals guarantees strength
values in the welded joint across a wide range of parameters. These values meet the demands of the
respective base materials.

Excellent toughness
The steel grades and filler metals in the system reliably meet the toughness requirements
in the welded joint (heat-affected zone and weld metal). The excellent values guarantee high
operating safety at low temperatures under complex loading conditions.

Comprehensive advantages
n
n
n
n

Consistently high quality of base materials and welding consumables

Pre-tested system solution that guarantees optimum attribute profiles of the component
Reduced costs and increased manufacturing reliability through extended welding range
Professional application consultation coupled with comprehensive processing expertise

11

A dva n tag es o f a l fo r m

Excellent cold formability

The homogeneous and fine-grained microstructure lends high-strength
and ultra-high-strength steels their decidedly improved forming behavior with more than twice the minimum yield strength than that of
conventional structural steels.

High-strength and ultra-high-strength alform steels have a significantly smaller bending radius than
conventional construction steels. You will find more detailed information on guaranteed minimum radii
in the respective alform data sheets.

Guaranteed minimum edging radii

The smallest permitted inside radius at 90 edging for sheet thickness based on alform 960 x-treme and S960QL

5s

Smallest permitted inside radius

at 90 edging for sheet thickness s

Standard S960QL steel

4s

3s

2s

alform 960 x-treme

50%

Up to
smaller edging radii

1s

compared to standard steels

36

>68
Sheet thickness s [mm]

12

Best cuttability
High-strength and ultra-high-strength alform steel grades are
characterized by their low residual stress. This avoids distortion to
a great extent during the cutting process.

High-strength and ultra-high-strength alform steels are very well suited to laser and plasma cutting
techniques. They are characterized by an extremely uniform surface and homogeneous microstructure
across the entire cross-section of the sheet. This is achieved through a thin and uniform scale layer,
special alloy design and a high degree of purity with respect to non-metallic inclusions during melting.
The sheet production technologies are designed to minimize residual stresses and to avoid distortions
during cutting. Significant improvements in the quality of the cut and cutting speed can be achieved
by optimizing processes and materials. Perfectly adapted cutting devices and parameters are a prerequisite to utilizing the advantages of the materials.
The reduced material thicknesses in applications of high-strength and ultra-high-strength alform steel
grades lead to higher cutting speeds and thus to higher throughput rates.

Cutting speed
Increased laser cutting speed with reduced material thickness

10

Cutting speed [m/min]

20

18

16

14

12

10

Sheet thickness [mm]

13

A dva n tag es o f a l fo r m

Perfect surface
A homogeneous layer of scale forms on the sheet surface during
thermomechanical rolling and accelerated cooling. This uniform
oxide layer is a form of natural protection against corrosion during
transport of the product to the customer and makes it unnecessary
to apply an environmentally incompatible primer.

The rolling scale is thin and can be removed more easily by sandblasting prior to further processing
at the customer than the thick mill scale created by the conventional annealing route. This also means
less scale accumulation during processing in customer production lines.

Less surface scale

Comparison between alform and QT sheets

10 mm

14

10 mm

QT sheets

alform sheets

Annealing results in a pronounced layer of

scale that may leave impressions during
leveling.

The thin layer of scale minimizes the

danger of surface damage during further
treatment.

Excellent toughness
Thermomechanical rolling and accelerated cooling lead to a finegrain microstructure with excellent toughness in alform steel
grades. The alform steel grades with minimum yield strengths of
900 and 960 MPa meet the requirements of notch impact energy
in the corresponding QL steel grades according to EN 10025-6.

All toughness requirements of EN 10149-2 are met, and higher values than those required in the standard can be met in some steel grades upon request. The excellent toughness of alform plate 700 M is
of special interest. This steel grade demonstrates excellent notch impact energy down to very low temperatures. When welded appropriately, high toughness and a very reliable welded joints are achieved
in the heat-affected zone (HAZ).

Notch impact energy

Notch impact energy transition based on alform plate 700 M and S690QL

300

250

Notch impact energy [J]

alform plate 700 M

200

150

S690QL

100

50

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

20

Test temperature [C]

15

a l fo r m i n de ta i l

Product names
alform is a product brand name of the voestalpine Steel Division.
High-strength and ultra-high-strength alform steels are available
as hot-rolled strip, cut sheets made from hot-rolled steel strip and
heavy plate.

The names of the individual steel grades include codes for both the minimum yield strength and
the manufacturing method, as shown below.

Example of product name for alform plate 700 M and alform 960 x-treme
alform..................................... voestalpine product brand name
plate......................................... classification for heavy plate
700 and 960............................. minimum yield strength in MPa
M .............................................. classification for thermomechanically rolled alform steels
x-treme .................................... classification for high-strength, thermomechanically rolled alform steels
with minimum yield strengths > 900 MPa

Comparison with standard steels

Hot-rolled steel strip
High-strength and ultra-high-strength alform steels up to and including 960 MPa minimum yield
strength are supplied based on the following standards:
EN 10149-2: alform 700 M, alform 900/960 x-treme
EN 10025-6: alform 900/960 x-treme
When compared to the standards, alform steels demonstrate improved tolerances in
several property categories.
There is currently no applicable European steel standard for ultra-high-strength steel grades with
minimum yield strengths of higher than 960 MPa.
Heat treatment up to the following maximum temperatures is possible (i.e. stress-relief annealing
up to 30 minutes max.) in thermomechanically rolled alform steels:
580 C: alform 700 M
550 C: alform 900/960/1100 x-treme
Higher temperatures lead to a drop in strength.

Heavy plates
The chemical composition and mechanical characteristics of heavy plate meet the requirements of
EN 10025-6 with respect to quenched and tempered steel grades.
In addition to the thermomechanically rolled steels and under the brand name aldur, we also
offer conventionally quenched high-strength fine-grained steel S690 according to EN 10025-6.
The guaranteed notch impact energy is offered in three grade categories: aldur 700 Q (temperature
rating of 20 C), aldur 700 QL (temperature rating of 40 C) and aldur 700 QL1 (temperature rating
of 60 C).
16

Available dimensions
The different production routes for cut sheets made of hot-rolled
steel strip and heavy plate result in specific product advantages
that are described in greater detail in the respective data sheets.

Available dimensions
Thickness
mm

Steel grades

Maximum width
mm

Maximum length
mm

As-delivered
condition 2)

Cut sheets made of hot-rolled steel strip

alform 700 M

alform 900 x-treme

alform 960 x-treme

alform 1100 x-treme

2.0 < 2.5

1,250

2.5 < 3.0

1,380

3.0 < 3.5

1,510

3.5 12.0

1,620

3.5 < 4.0

1,350

4.0 < 7.5

1,620

7.5 8.0

1,560

3.5 < 4.0

1,290

4.0 < 4.5

1,475

4.5 < 7.5

1,620

7.5 8.0

1,550

3.5 4.0

1,200

4.0 8.0

1,430

8.0 15.0

3,000

> 15.0 20.0

3,500

> 20.0 50.0

3,800 1)

8.0 15.0

3,000

18,700

> 15.0 20.0

3,500

18,700

> 20.0 50.0

3,800 1)

18,700
16,000

12,000

TM

12,000

TM

12,000

TM

12,000

TM

18,700

TM

Heavy plates
alform plate 620 M

alform plate 700 M

TM

> 50.0 60.0

3,800 1)

alform plate 900 M x-treme

8.0 30.0

2,500

16,000

TM

alform plate 960 M x-treme

8.0 25.0

2,500

16,000

TM

alform plate 1100 M x-treme

15.0 25.0

2,500

16,000

TM

aldur 700 Q, 700 QL, 700 QL1

12.0 100.0

3,800

13,200

QT

maximum width of 3,750 mm for single weights > 15 t

1)

TM = thermomechanically rolled; QT = quenched and tempered

2)

Minimum width is 900 mm for cut-to-length sheets and 1,500 mm for heavy plate.
The maximum weight per sheet is 19.5 tons.
Additional dimensions upon request.

You will find detailed technical information in the data sheets and Technical Terms
of Delivery available on the Internet at www.voestalpine.com/alform and
www.voestalpine.com/Produktinformationsportal.
Information and product properties provided in this publication have the sole purpose of giving non-binding technical guidance and by no means replace individual expert advice from our sales and customer service team. Information and product properties provided in this brochure shall not be deemed guaranteed
characteristics unless this has been agreed upon individually. Technical changes reserved, errors and misprints excepted. No part of this publication may be
reprinted without explicit written permission by voestalpine Stahl GmbH.

17

We lead the way, so our partners will

be one step ahead. Many years of
partnerships with renowned companies
impressively prove our point.
18

We talk solutions
That is why we will never be satisfied with excellent product quality alone. Comprehensive services and unlimited dedication to the
challenges of our customers are at the core of our philosophy.

Highly specialized and closely linked, the companies of the voestalpine Steel Division have one common goal, which is providing our customers with optimized and individualized packages of benefits.

Development advantages
n 
Comprehensive material and technology expertise
n Fast development of custom-designed solutions
n 
Technical consulting and support, including application issues
n 
In-house research and development center
n Networking with international research institutions and universities

Precisely tailored to your needs

n 
Precision cutting for the customized production of
high-quality slit strips and cut shapes
n Short manufacturing times and individualized production planning
n 
Comprehensive product selection

Individualized and punctual

n 
Loyalty to delivery deadlines and online order tracking
n Tailored logistics and just-in-time delivery
n Customized packaging

Always close to you

n 
Expert contacts directly on site
n 
Sales offices in more than 20 countries

A strong partnership
n 
Close collaboration with our Group companies in order to create unique expertise
and the technological leadership of our products
n You will also find further voestalpine product information at
n voestalpine Bhler Welding (www.voestalpine.com/welding/group)
19

01/14

Technically more advanced. Successful together.

voestalpine Steel Division the partner you can trust.

High-quality materials are the basis for our products. We strive to be the best partner for our
customers and want to provide them with the best-possible solutions. We focus our expertise
on two aspects:
The personal aspect, with dedicated and highly competent employees
The technical aspect, with high-quality methods, products and services
The companies in the voestalpine Steel Division and their employees understand partnership
to be the following:
Understanding for their customers business
Expertise and reliability
Responsibility for satisfactory project completion
Partnerships based on trust
Many years of successful partnerships with our customers prove our point.

voestalpine Steel Division

voestalpine-Strae 3
4020 Linz, Austria
T. +43/50304/15-8048
mechanical.engineering@voestalpine.com
www.voestalpine.com/steel