SNA is committed to competing at the leading edge of steelmaking and finishing technology to give its customers the highest quality products at competitive prices.

Our technologists, many with advanced degrees in engineering, metallurgy and computer science, are engaged in product and process development and provide technical assistance to customers.

The engineers, metallurgists and scientists from our parent company, Severstal, work closely with us to exchange technological steelmaking and finishing technological ideas.

We participate in steelmaking and product innovations through membership in the International Iron and Steel Institute and the American Iron and Steel Institute (“AISI”).

SNA is an active member of the AISI’s Ultralight Steel Auto Body-Advanced Vehicle Concepts program.  Our Advanced Engineering and Product Development group is involved in research and development projects for the next generation of automobiles and trucks.

We support steel-related research and development at universities.  For example, SNA is a member of the Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center at the Colorado School of Mines, which conducts both process and product development research.

Our process and product metallurgists and engineers participate at the local and national levels of professional organizations such as the Association of Iron and Steel Technology and the American Society for Materials International.  Through activities on technical committees, SNA is able to keep abreast of the state-of-the art technology for steel and competitive non-steel products.

We are focused on providing our customers with “Best in Class” steelmaking technology and products.

On the Cutting Edge of Technology: Hot-Stamped Boron Steels

One of the most important and pressing design challenges for car and truck manufacturers today is meeting the new federal crash standards for roof crush resistance and side impact protection.  Manufacturers must balance the sometimes conflicting demands for better fuel efficiency, which are typically accomplished through designing smaller and lighter cars, and stringent safety standards, which are typically accomplished by designing larger and heavier cars.  To achieve this balance, they are turning to advanced high strength steel products and even ultra high strength steel products.

However, strength is not the only design criterion for the A-pillars, B-pillars and roof structure elements of the safety cage that protect the driver and occupants.  These components must be welded into precise locations with predictable part shapes, which is very difficult to achieve as material strengths increase.

SNA is a leader in the production of Hot-Stamped Boron steels that excel in meeting these challenges. The hot-stamping process includes heating the steel blank’s temperature to a red-hot 900°C (1650°F) and then forming the part and quenching it to room temperature in a water-cooled die.  The heating and quenching process converts the sheet to martensite – the strongest phase of steel.  Die quenching preserves the part’s dimensions for vehicle assembly fit up.

The demand for these sophisticated ultra high strength products is expected to grow significantly as vehicle designs evolve to meet these new safety standards.