PISI’s BIW Solution Secures Pansteel Materials in a New Vehicle Design

March 28, 2025 – A commercial vehicle featuring a Body-in-While(BIW) material solution developed by PISI has recently rolled out in the domestic market, marking a milestone in Pansteel’s Early Vendor Involvement (EVI) capabilities. Notably, Pansteel-supplied steels constitute 60% of the vehicle’s body structure, setting a new record for the company’s automotive steel applications. Image: Technical exchange session with the client To meet the client’s technical requirements, PISI conducted multiple rounds of technical discussions and solution validations, assembling interdisciplinary teams to jointly develop three new vehicle models. Through early-stage involvement, PISI optimized material selection and structural design by implementing the following improvements: · Material strengthening and thickness reduction · Substitution of hot-rolled for cold-rolled steel · Consolidation of material specifications and grades · Component integration solutions · Manufacturing process optimization Over 20 technical proposals were adopted by the client, enabling Pansteel materials to be secured during the vehicle’s design phase. The first model has now been successfully launched in the market with positive initial feedback. In recent years, PISI has established three distinctive EVI collaboration models for automotive steel applications: “cost-driven”, “lightweight-focused”, and “performance-optimized”. By leveraging its extensive expertise in structural analysis, material recommendation, forming process optimization, and material utilization efficiency, PISI has developed mature vehicle material selection technologies, providing robust technical support for Pansteel’s expansion in automotive steel market. Looking ahead, PISI will continue to serve as a bridge between Pansteel’s product offerings and end-user requirements, promoting broader application of its automotive steels across diverse vehicle models.

Panzhihua Fire and Rescue Brigade Holds Exchange Session with PISI

March 21, 2025‌ – To strengthen the bond of military-civilian joint development, enhance collaboration between local authorities and enterprises, and promote inter-organizational cultural exchange, the Panzhihua Fire and Rescue Brigade, led by Political Commissar Zhou Libo and Brigade Commander Xi Jian, visited PISI for a bilateral exchange session. Xin Hongbin, Party Secretary and Executive Director of PISI, along with Tang Hui, Secretary of PISI Commission for Discipline Inspection and Chairman of Trade Union, participated in the event.  Image: Exchange session‌ The two parties discussed scientific research, fire rescue operations, and shared expertise, reaching consensus on future collaborative initiatives. Image: Highlighting teamwork through a basketball match The discussions were followed by a friendly basketball game, where both teams demonstrated the spirit of “Friendship first, competition second”. The closely contested match ended in a 50-50 tie, highlighting teamwork and adding fresh momentum to Panzhihua’s military-civilian integration efforts. Image: Group photo of participants from both teams This exchange not only served as a follow-up to the joint fire rescue training conducted on February 21 but also exemplified practical military-civilian collaboration. Moving forward, both sides will further enhance collaboration between local authorities and enterprises, leveraging technological innovation and safety initiatives to drive Panzhihua’s high-quality development.  

Pansteel's Medium-Aluminum Zn-Al-Mg Coated Steel Sheet Finds its First Application in Home Appliances

March 7, 2025-- Pansteel has secured the application of its medium-aluminum zinc-aluminum-magnesium (Zn-Al-Mg) coated steel sheet in home appliance components, including air conditioners, marking the material’s first domestic use in the household appliance industry.   (Image: Performance comparison between medium-aluminum Zn-Al-Mg coated parts and traditional galvanized stamped components)   As the latest generation of coated steel products, Zn-Al-Mg coated sheets are classified into low-, medium- and high-aluminum variants, offering corrosion resistance 6-15 times superior to conventional pure zinc coatings. While medium-aluminum Zn-Al-Mg has proven its superior durability over low-aluminum versions in applications such as in solar photovoltaic brackets, warehouse shelving, lightweight steel structures, livestock farming facilities, agricultural machinery, and construction machinery, its potential in home appliance manufacturing has remained untapped until this breakthrough.    To address the increasingly stringent quality demands from appliance manufacturers, Pansteel initiated dedicated R&D efforts to evaluate the material’s formability, paint adhesion, weldability, and other critical properties. The research confirmed its viability for appliance components and delivered tailored technical solutions. Through innovative approaches to surface defect reduction, coating flexibility enhancement, and eco-friendly surface treatment optimization, the team engineered a high-performance medium-aluminum Zn-Al-Mg alloy-coated steel sheet. This product has now been successfully implemented by appliance makers, demonstrating exceptional performance while meeting all industry specifications.  This technological advancement significantly expands the application potential of medium-aluminum Zn-Al-Mg coating technology while enriching Pansteel’s appliance steel portfolio, reinforcing its market leadership. The advancement is expected to extend the lifespan and safety of appliance components while enabling overall product quality improvement across the home appliance industry.

‌Materials Institute Selected for Chengdu's Second Batch of Future Industrial Incubation and Acceleration Parks‌

February 27, 2025 – Chengdu recently hosted the launch ceremony for its second batch of Future Industrial Incubation and Acceleration Parks, featuring new product and technology showcases. The Materials Institute's "Advanced Metal Materials Incubation and Acceleration Park" was included in the list. Chengdu's selection of seven parks aligns with municipal policy documents: Implementation Opinions on Forward-looking Cultivation of Future Industries to Build New Kinetic Energy for High-quality Development, and Policy Measures on Forward-looking Cultivation of Future Industries. Focused on five strategic sectors – future transportation, advanced energy, digital intelligence, ubiquitous networks, and new materials – the Chengdu Development and Reform Commission organized this second-phase layout. Representing Qingbaijiang District, the Materials Institute conducted promotional activities and product demonstrations for its designated park. The Institute's leadership emphasized leveraging this selection to align with Chengdu's industrial development strategy and implement Pansteel's strategic directives. Key priorities include accelerating technology commercialization and laboratory-to-market transitions, aiming to support regional economic growth and Pansteel's scientific innovation objectives.

‌Pansteel Achieves Breakthrough in Large-Sized Superalloy ESR Ingot

‌February 20, 2025‌ – PISI and Pansteel Changcheng Special Steel have successfully engineered an 18-ton superalloy electroslag remelted (ESR) ingot, marking China's first domestically produced large-sized ESR ingot for aerospace applications. ‌ Superalloys are extensively utilized in aerospace, energy, and related industries owing to their superior high-temperature strength, oxidation resistance, and corrosion resistance. However, inherent characteristics including high alloy content, broad solidification ranges, and significant thermal cracking tendencies often lead to defect formation—such as shrinkage cavities and porosity—during the manufacturing of large electroslag remelted superalloy ingots. To overcome these metallurgical challenges, the research team conducted comprehensive theoretical analyses and field process trials. Through optimization of critical electroslag remelting parameters, they achieved substantial improvements in both the ingot's solidification integrity and surface quality. This technological breakthrough not only fulfills the pressing domestic demand for large-scale superalloy materials in advanced manufacturing sectors, but also establishes a replicable methodology for electroslag remelting of other high-alloy, large-ingot specialty steels, demonstrating significant industrial applicability.

Theoretical Learning Center Group of PISI’s Party Committee Convenes Second Collective Study(Expanded) Session in 2025

February 13, 2025 -- The Theoretical Learning Center Group of PISI's Party Committee convened its 2025 second collective study session on February 12, focusing on implementing President Xi Jinping's strategic directives during his inspections of Liaoning Province and Bensteel Group. Chairing the meeting, Xin Hongbin, PISI Party Secretary and Executive Director, urged translating these guidelines into concrete actions to accelerate Pansteel's industrial transformation and PISI's high-quality development. The session conducted an in-depth study on Xi's speeches, with keynote addresses delivered by Hu Hongfei and Tang Hui. Department heads from Research Management (Digital Division), Party Organization/Human Resources, and Discipline Inspection presented implementation plans. Emphasizing the implementation actions, the meeting resolved to: --deepen integration of technological and industrial innovation to enhance core competitiveness; --fully support Pansteel's transition to high-end product development, intelligent manufacturing, and green industrial practices; --establish measurable benchmarks for combining scientific theories with practical work such as institutional reforms, research project approvals and human resources optimization.