Alleima opens precision strip steel application centre in China

Swedish specialty steel manufacturer Alleima has opened a new application centre in Zhenjiang, China, expanding its technical support capabilities for customers using precision strip steel. The facility will provide material testing, failure analysis and application development services, with a particular focus on steel used in compressor valves.

The 600-square-metre Strip Application Center is designed to help customers evaluate material properties, optimise component designs and validate performance under operating conditions. By bringing these services closer to manufacturers in China, Alleima aims to shorten development cycles and strengthen cooperation with local customers.

Focus on compressor valve performance

Compressor valve steel is a key area of activity at the new facility. The material is used in compressors for refrigeration systems, air conditioning, heat pumps and various industrial applications, where fatigue resistance and reliability are essential.

The centre offers fatigue testing, dynamic observation under defined conditions and valve system design optimisation and validation. These capabilities allow customers to examine how material characteristics, component geometry and operating conditions influence performance.

For other precision strip steel applications, including razor blades, knives and springs, the facility provides metallographic analysis, scanning electron microscopy and hardness testing.

These methods can help manufacturers identify potential failure mechanisms, assess material behaviour and investigate opportunities for product improvements.

"With local application support in China, we can respond more quickly, work more flexibly and collaborate more closely with customers throughout their product development, from material selection to testing and performance validation," said Per Eklund, President of Alleima's Strip division.

Expanding technical capabilities in China

The new application centre builds on Alleima's existing presence in Zhenjiang, where the company established a strip steel service centre in 2009. It also complements a Technical Development Center opened in China in 2014.

The facility will work closely with Alleima's research and development operations in Sandviken, Sweden, combining local application testing with the company's broader materials expertise.

According to Guofan Zhang, Manager of the Zhenjiang Strip Application Center, closer cooperation during the early stages of product development will allow Alleima to better understand customer requirements and evaluate potential improvements.

Source and Photo: Alleima