Cutting-Edge Steel Powers Integration: VAMA & GONVVAMA Launch the “Yu Jian” Multi-Part Integration Solution

2025-04-28

Shanghai, April 23, 2025 –At the Shanghai Auto Show, VAMA & GONVVAMA proudly unveiled their "Yujian" Multi-Part Integration Solution. Leveraging advanced steel technologies and an innovative integrated design, this solution aims to boost automotive manufacturing efficiency, reduce production costs, and provide a more competitive end-to-end solution for driving integration and lightweighting in the automotive industry.

Philippe Aubron, Head of Automotive at ArcelorMittal, announced at the launch that ArcelorMittal will transfer 24 advanced steel grades to its joint venture, Valin ArcelorMittal Automotive Steel Co., Ltd. (VAMA), including the highly anticipated Ductibor® 1500 and Fortiform® series. He also unveiled the “Simplify” Multi-Part Integration Solution (Power of Less) for its launch in China. The introduction of the "Simplify" solution is designed to help the Chinese automotive industry achieve breakthroughs in light weighting, safety, and cost-effectiveness through innovative materials and processes.

Advanced Steel Grades Enable Lightweighting and Safety Upgrades

Safety and lightweighting are paramount in vehicle body design and manufacturing. Innovation in body materials is always focused on three dimensions: strength, formability, and weight reduction. The steel grades transferred this time represent ArcelorMittal’s latest technological achievements in automotive steel, with Ductibor® 1500 and the Fortiform® series, which combine strength, formability, and lightweight performance, being particularly noteworthy.

•Ductibor® 1500: As a new third-generation aluminum-silicon coated hot-formed steel, Ductibor® 1500 further breaks the trade-off between strength and toughness in hot-formed steel. While ensuring ultra-high strength, it possesses excellent impact toughness and energy absorption characteristics. In the event of a collision, it can prevent intrusion deformation and effectively absorb impact energy, protecting passenger safety and providing an innovative solution for the synergistic optimization of automotive light weighting and passive safety design.

•Fortiform®: As a third-generation cold-formed high-strength steel, the Fortiform® series offers more possibilities for automotive lightweighting design with its excellent strength grade and forming performance. The stamping performance of this steel series is superior to that of comparable bi-directional steels, making it suitable for complex cold-formed structural parts and ensuring the structural strength and durability of the vehicle.

The introduction of these advanced steel grades will provide Chinese automakers with more high-performance, lightweight material options, helping them manufacture safer, lighter, and greener vehicles.

"Yu Jian" Multi-Part Integration: Mastering Complexity Through Steel

In the wave of electrification and intelligence, finding the optimal solution between lightweighting, safety, cost-effectiveness, and rapid market response has become a core issue for the industry. Drawing on Eastern wisdom, which emphasizes "managing complexity with simplicity" and combining it with steel industry technology, we have innovatively proposed the “Simplify Integration" solution.

VAMA & GONVVAMA put the “Yujian” concept into practice at every stage, providing customers with strong support and assistance through practical actions. We help customers achieve simplification and efficiency in using steel materials, enabling them to easily handle various complex market demands and challenges. With the help of “Simplify Integration,” customers can harness the power of steel, open the door to all possibilities, and usher in a new future for the automotive industry.

The "Yujian" Multi-Part Integration Solution has the following significant advantages:

•Cost Savings: Material optimization, streamlined mold tooling, and reduced welding lower overall manufacturing costs.

•Safety: Using the right steel grade in the right place optimizes the vehicle’s intrusion resistance and energy absorption capabilities, ensuring excellent crash protection.

•Part Integration: Significantly reduces the number of parts, simplifies material management and production processes, and achieves a high degree of integration.

•Modularity: Compatible with multiple platforms and steel grades, making the manufacturing process flexible and adaptable to various vehicle models and production lines.

•Sustainability: Reduces carbon emissions, optimizes material utilization, and fully leverages the recyclability of steel, contributing to green environmental protection.

•Weight Reduction: By combining hot-formed steel and laser-welded blanks, the body-in-white weight is optimized, achieving excellent performance and an advanced lightweight design.

We believe that the “Yujian” Multi-Part Integration Solution will bring significant economic and technological advantages to Chinese automakers, helping them seize the initiative in the wave of electrification and intelligent transformation.

Deepening Cooperation, Winning the Future Together

VAMA & GONVVAMA have always been committed to promoting the development of China’s automotive industry. This transfer of advanced steel grades and the launch of the "Simplify" Multi-Part Integration Solution are important measures for ArcelorMittal to deepen its strategic layout in China.

In the future, VAMA & GONVVAMA will continue to launch innovative products and solutions with the support of its shareholders, contributing to the transformation and upgrading of China’s automotive industry.

About ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal is the world’s leading steel and mining company, with operations in 160 countries and regions around the world. The company is committed to providing high-quality steel products and solutions for the automotive, construction, and appliance industries. ArcelorMittal has strong R&D strength and innovation capabilities, and constantly launches new products and technologies to meet the ever-changing needs of customers.

About VAMA

Valin ArcelorMittal Automotive Steel Co., Ltd. (VAMA) is a joint venture established by Hunan Iron & Steel and ArcelorMittal, focusing on the R&D, production, and sales of high-strength automotive steel. VAMA has advanced production equipment and technology, and its product quality reaches the international leading level, making it an important supplier in the field of automotive steel in China.

About GONVVAMA

GONVVAMA is a joint venture between VAMA and Gonvarri, specializing in blanking and laser welding, and providing advanced hot-formed laser-welded solutions and multi-part integration solutions for the automotive industry. GONVVAMA is committed to helping customers optimize vehicle weight, improve safety performance, and reduce carbon footprint.