Steel Companies Start Laser Welding Joint Venture

Under a planned joint venture agreement, Olympic Steel Inc. of Cleveland and USX-US Steel Group of Pittsburgh will form a new laser welding business that will process laser-welded sheet steel blanks. Plans for the new entity, named Olympic Laser Processing, include the construction of a facility and the purchase of two laser welding lines. Each company will own 50 percent of the joint venture, with Olympic managing the operations and USX-US Steel marketing the welded laser blanks. Use of the technology has increased in the automotive industry because it adds less weight to the auto body than standard welding techniques.