Pittsburgh, USA-based United States Steel Corporation has accepted an award from the High-Performance Computing for Manufacturing Programme (HPC4Mfg) Special Call: Steel and Aluminum, sponsored by the US Department of Energy, to expand the company’s manufacturing capabilities for advanced high-strength steel (AHSS).

The goal of the winning project, drafted by researchers Evgueni Nikitenko and Susan Farjami at US Steel’s Research and Technology Centre in Munhall, Pa., is to enhance the company’s hot strip mill model used in creating AHSS. This type of steel is used by automakers to manufacture economically lightweight vehicles to meet increasing fuel efficiency requirements while maintaining exceptionally high safety standards. Lawrence Livermore National Lab, where the research will take place, will receive $300,000 to collaborate with US Steel on the winning project. The project will take about one year to complete.

David B. Burritt, president and CEO of US Steel, said, “A project of this kind is crucial in helping to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of the US steel industry. We are proud of the work of our research organisation in ensuring that steel remains the lowest cost, strongest, safest and most environmentally efficient material of choice.”

Kevin Zeik, US Steel senior research fellow, said, “We are looking forward to collaborating with Lawrence Livermore National Lab High-Performance Computing modeling, simulation and data experts to address key manufacturing challenges in the production of advanced high-strength steel.”

The award is presented to the company that best fulfills the mission of this sixth HPC4Mfg solicitation, which is to honour “collaborations that will address key manufacturing challenges in the production of primary and secondary steelmaking and aluminium production processes.”