The steelmaker says existing injection moulding machinery can be used for the new process

The steelmaker says existing injection moulding machinery can be used for the new process

Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus has announced a new technology to make steel products that are formed and bonded with polymer in a single step.

Corus’ technology centre in The Netherlands has spent three years and E1m developing the polymer injection forming (PIF) process. It will be licensed to designers and manufacturers, and the company said it had already received interest from “several international consumer product manufacturers”.

The PIF process shapes the two materials in just one step, bonding a thick layer of polymer to the steel. Existing plastic injection moulding equipment can be used, Corus said.

The company claimed that products moulded in this way have the strength of metal but with the flexibility and freedom of form of plastic. Corus expected the technology to appeal to electronic goods manufacturers who need electromagnetic shielding properties. The polymer also aids corrosion resistance and product safety.