High-Level Projects were Implemented by Finkl Steel and ÉTS
Since a collaboration began between Sorel Forge (part of the Finkl Steel Group) and ÉTS – which led to the creation of the Industrial Research Chair in Forming Technologies of High Strength Alloys – many high level projects have been implemented.
Optimizing Processes
“We felt a need to optimize our processes. To do so, we had to have access to technical expertise, to the ability to characterize and assess materials, to sophisticated equipment. ÉTS research professor Mohammad Jahazi presented us with the option of a research chair. The results of the Chair have been so successful that we have renewed its mandate for another five years,” explains Louis-Philippe Lapierre-Boire, Chief Metallurgist with Finkl Steel.
Substantial Savings
“In the metallurgy industry, taking into account the dimensions and temperatures we work with, there is no place for the “trial and error” approach. The weight of our parts fluctuates between one and 100 tonnes! We need tools to better control the quality of existing products and develop new ones. Our competitive edge is based on the quality and performance of our steels on the ground. Our partnership with ÉTS has allowed us to increase our level of knowledge and control of our processes and the properties of the steel, in particular thanks to the development of simulation tools... and to generate substantial savings!”
Real-World Problems, Challenges to be Met and Significant Benefits for Finkl
“Each project with the Chair corresponds to a real problem, a challenge to be met, and each project has significant benefits for us. For example, an ÉTS study which focused on determination of the solidification time of steel ingots allowed us to cancel a mega-expansion project of our facilities (which would have cost millions of dollars), by making a few operational changes.”
About Finkl Steel
Finkl Steel, member of the German Schmolz + Bickenbach Group, is the leading global supplier of high-strength steels for mechanical applications in diverse industries. Owner of Sorel Forge since 2004, Finkl Steel has manufacturing operations in Chicago (where its head office is situated), Detroit, where it owns Composite Forgings, and Sorel.
Louis-Philippe Lapierre-Boire joined Sorel Forge as a metallurgical engineer. After a two-year posting in Chicago where he served as Chief Metallurgist of Finkl Steel, responsible for metallurgy, quality and R&D, Mr. Lapierre-Boire is back to Sorel. He is now Vice-President of Operations.