Company Zeleziarne HAS established a subsidiary company ZP VVC Ltd. Its goal is to professionalize the research and development activities with a focus on manufacturing programme of ZP but also other companies in the ZP GROUP. Finally, it is expected that the research and development activities will be for external customers too.
The business activities
We implement the following activities:
- Research and development in the area of natural sciences and engineering, which fits into the disciplines of physical metallurgy, materials, limiting states of materials, Mechatronics and focuses derived from it
- Research and development in manufacturing of electrical steel: liquid phase, alloying, refining, continuous casting
- Research and development in the theory of hot and cold forming: the optimization of relevant technological processes with a goal to achieve the desired microstructure, development of new materials with desired complex strength, plastic and fracture properties with special regard to their application in demanding thermal-stress and deformation conditions in energy, engineering applications, corrosive environments
- Analysis of the microstructure and mechanical properties of steel, including violations and limiting states of materials
- Research and development of tool materials and metallurgical ceramics
- Modelling and simulation of technological processes of continuous casting and hot rolling
- Research in the area of ecology
- Microstructure and substructural analysis, microanalysis and chemical analysis and evaluation of mechanical and selected physical properties of materials
- These activities are carried out for external clients, including professional and technical and consulting activities, as well as continuing educational activities
The department is also involved in:
- Conceptual and strategic proposals in the area of research and development, carrying the latest global knowledge into the production cycle; developing international cooperation and initiate participation in the of projects under EU programs
- Collaboration with universities and research institutes
- Guarantees of legal protection of achieved solutions and their presentation in journals and at conferences at home and abroad
The focus of departments – Department of Metal Forming
This department deals with the evolution of the microstructure of materials in the process of thermomechanical processing with application focus on technological conditions of the tube mill of the ZP. Optimizes the basic technological parameters from the rotary heath furnace all the way up to the stretch-reducing mill, depending on the chemical composition of steel in order to achieve performance properties of rolled tubes. It studies and addresses the issues of static and dynamic recrystallization in thermomechanical processing in order to achieve the desired state of the structure and substructure material.
It also uses the dislocation theory of plasticity to optimize cold forming, while respecting the technological possibilities of the cold drawn tube mill of the ZP. By the deformation hardening, it optimizes the conditions of deformation and strain rate in order to achieve rational technological processes – intensive deformation, reducing the number of draws to get the final size, the intermediate annealing.
Department of Physical Metallurgy
The department deals with the physico-chemical nature of steel production in close cooperation with the Steelmaking plant of ZP for critical technology nodes: scrap management, EOP, secondary metallurgy – ladle furnace and ZPO. Main attention is paid to the optimization of individual technological parameters of production to ensure high quality and reproducibility of production of continuously cast blooms.
Department of Materials Engineering
The department deals with chemical and structural concept of steel produced at the ZP a.s., including its substructural and microstructural analysis. Analyzes the strength, plastic and fracture properties and their relation to chemical composition and microstructure of steels. We study and address the theoretical issues of limiting states and violations of materials, fractographic signs, life expectancy and causes of possible breakage of real structures.
The department also deals with the heat treatment of steel, by optimizing the chemical composition and microstructure to achieve the required mechanical properties. Specifically, it deals with the evaluation and analysis of mechanical properties at higher temperatures, with particular emphasis on the creep characteristics of boiler quality.
It also deals with the increase of performance properties of tool materials in the ZP and specifically addresses surface engineering, including the Zn-Fe system and corrosion resistance.
The department, in conjunction with the Gork operation, provides development of methodologies and development of instrumentation laboratories for metallography, ELMI and REM, microanalytical methods and evaluation of mechanical properties of materials.
Department of modelling and simulation processes
The department deals with the use of mathematical methods for modelling the key technological processes in the ZP. Key areas include thermodynamics of thermally active processes in the continuous casting of steel at ZPO, thermal deformation processes respectively deformation processes in hot forming respectively or during the precision tubes drawing.
The department provides software and programmes that are needed for research activities of ZP VVC Ltd. Collaborates to solve challenges in the area of applied mathematics and statistical processing of experimental results. It also provides web site content of ZP VVC Ltd.