On June 11, POSCO hosted a kickoff meeting at the Pohang Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST) for a research project focused on developing manufacturing technology for wide electrical steel with 6.5% silicon content and core and drive motor technologies aimed at enhancing electric vehicle efficiency.
This project is part of a government-supported initiative by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Industrial Technology Planning and Evaluation Agency, aimed at developing specialized steel plates for key automotive components. POSCO will lead the research and development efforts, collaborating with Hyundai Motor, SL, and Polfair Electric, along with nine other institutions, including RIST, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Ulsan University, Pukyong National University, and the Korea Metal Materials Research Association. These organizations plan to combine their expertise to enhance research and development synergies.
The primary goal of this national project is to secure manufacturing technology for the core material of high-efficiency motors, specifically the wide electrical steel with 6.5% silicon content, and to validate its effectiveness in improving electric vehicle efficiency when applied to actual drive motors.
Electrical steel is considered a key material for enhancing motor efficiency, as higher silicon content reduces power loss during high-speed rotation. However, increasing silicon content also makes the material more brittle, posing challenges in producing and processing it into thin, wide plates. This project aims to overcome these limitations by focusing on standardizing the mass production process for wide materials.
Following the kickoff meeting, participating organizations signed a multi-party memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on research that spans the entire production cycle, from material development to core production and drive motor manufacturing.
Cho Myung-jong, head of POSCO's Future Steel Research Institute, stated, "This collaboration marks an important turning point in opening the electric energy era, going beyond simple corporate cooperation between steel and the future mobility industry. We will focus our capabilities on developing high-value-added advanced materials and components technology that enhances energy efficiency and maximizes synergies between industry, academia, and research institutions."
Meanwhile, POSCO is accelerating its digital transformation by actively integrating AI across its manufacturing operations at the Pohang Steelworks. The company is using AI to detect early signs of equipment anomalies and strengthen preventive maintenance systems to enhance production stability.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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