U. S. Steel, Kobe Steel add galvanizing line at Pro-Tec Coating

Pittsburgh-based U. S. Steel Corp. and Japan-based Kobe Steel Ltd. have announced their agreement to begin construction of a new continuous galvanizing line at their subsidiaries’ joint venture, Pro-Tec Coating Co. in Leipsic, Ohio, in response to an increased demand for AHSS.

The new $400 million line, with a yearly capacity of 500,000 tons, will allow Pro-Tec to produce U. S. Steel’s cold-rolled Generation 3 steels with a hot-dipped zinc coating. According to a statement from the two companies, these steels will help automakers manufacture lightweight vehicles while maintaining high safety standards.

Construction is expected to begin in Q4 2017, and the line is expected to be running in 2019.