South Korea-based Posco Steel has forayed into the free cutting steel market with the commercial production and sales of the steel variant from June 2020.
The company aims to mass-produce the product and achieve an annual output of 1mn mt using graphite. Posco targets to diversify its portfolio through the production of this eco-friendly steel called ‘PosGRAM’. It will be used for car and machine parts that need precise cutting. Earlier the steelmaker was dependent on imports for lead added free cutting steel.
Free cutting steel is used for high strength and easy to cut applications. It is often in the form of long steel wire rods, round, thin, and long steel. Lead is added to reduce friction and raise machinability. Posco steel had initiated development in 2017 to produce PosGRAM.