[Cheryblossom]

Hi everyone!

I am really interested in knowing more about the quality of the steel and safety of the Chinese cars. I have read some articles about the steel suppliers for these cars, but I do not really know much about the quality of the different companies.
Is the chinese steel that is used for the car brands up to the standards of the western cars? Do most of them use steel from Baosteel or another chinese company or is it imported from abroad?

I am really interested!

CB

 

[Real_I_Hate_China]

Is the chinese steel that is used for the car brands up to the standards of the western cars?

No.

Do most of them use steel from Baosteel or another chinese company or is it imported from abroad?

Locally sourced steel is good enough for Chinese domestic market vehicles. Imported steel sheet must be used for US and EU market vehicles.

 

[Windy]

Locally sourced steel is good enough for Chinese domestic market vehicles. Imported steel sheet must be used for US and EU market vehicles.

I agree that the Chinese steel is generally of inferior quality but what is the actual difference between the two?

Its not the plant used to make it:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2231403.stm

"More than 600 Chinese workers are in the German town of Dortmund to dismantle a huge disused steel works to be transferred to China for reconstruction.

Bit by bit they are taking down the 250,000-ton steel mill so that it can be transported to China and re-built at a site north of Shanghai.

Like pieces of a giant jigsaw, the parts are meticulously marked and coded, ready to be re-assembled 9,000 kilometres (6,000 miles) away.
The extraordinary project is part of China's efforts to meet demand for steel from the country's booming construction industry.

The Dortmund plant was closed last spring after its owners, Thyssen Krupp, decided it was unprofitable.

Astonishment

They were astonished when the Chinese offered to buy it, but will not reveal how much for.
"

 

[Cheryblossom]

"I agree that the Chinese steel is generally of inferior quality but what is the actual difference between the two?"

Yes well that was what I was wondering also. Can it be that the iron ore is of lesser quality? Or does it have to do with their (little?) knowledge of how to process this to high quality steel?
Anyone an idea?

 

[Real_I_Hate_China]

Or does it have to do with their (little?) knowledge of how to process this to high quality steel?

Chinese's lack of knowledge and experience on how to manufacture rust-resistant and high strength steel.

 

[I_Hate_This_Loser_Above]

I_Hate_This_Loser_Above

 

[gr8]

I_Hate_This_Loser_Above

i like your name lol

 

[fightingtorque]

Big part of the original VW project in shanghai was to get all the steel types required locally produced by the steel company in shanghai. However, many of these specs are not allowed to be sold outside of SAIC companies (In theory, I don't know if it's the case in practice).

As far as I know the steel quality is not a big issue for the chinese car bodies - I can't comment on the crash test strength, but historical problems with steel (think Alfasud in Europe*) had more to do with corrosion resistance. The chinese built cars that have been around for a long time (SVW, FAWVW, DPCA(PSA) ) do not appear to be suffering from the kind of corrosion problems that the Alfasud had . I imagine the domestic brands will also be able to access steel of the same quality.

Some specialty steels that are used in tooling are still not available in china, although to some extent this is to do with distribution - I was offerred chinese made tool steels, but only available from the steel producer and in quantities about 100x what I needed.


* I don't know this story in detail but basically Fiat supplied the design and maybe production equipment for it's 128 small saloon to the russians who produced it as a Lada. Part of the payment was that the Russians supplied steel which Fiat used to build it's Alfasud sporting small saloon car. A cool car but turned to a pile of rust in no time.