The use of press-hardened steels has become a cornerstone of modern automotive lightweight design. Since 2003, the METAKUS Automotive team has been supporting OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and plant manufacturers worldwide in developing innovative solution strategies within this specialized field of metal forming technology. Many of the key advancements that are commonplace in automotive production today have their origins at METAKUS.

A notable example of recent innovation is the new steel developed and tested in close collaboration with Volkswagen AG. The underlying advanced alloy concept offers a remarkable range of properties, with tensile strengths ranging from 1000 MPa to 2000 MPa and corresponding ductility during press hardening. This versatile hot-forming steel is now being prepared for series production under the name SIBORA^®.

The associated thermal processing routes, including the so called BQP process, were developed and fine-tuned on METAKUS’s unique pilot plants, ensuring their readiness for reliable, large-scale production.

The imminent series application of this technology is the culmination of a highly productive and long-term R&D partnership between Volkswagen AG and METAKUS Automotive, which has been ongoing since 2016. This collaboration, spanning from the development of initial demonstrators and prototypes to the production of multi-strength graded structural components with complex geometries for pre-series use, has established a solid foundation of knowledge and methodologies, now primed for serial production at Volkswagen.

A significant milestone was achieved in 2024 when, in cooperation with Volkswagen AG, Gestamp, and METAKUS Automotive, a geometrically complex door ring with overlap patch technology and multifunctional property gradation was successfully produced under near-series process conditions based on the new SIBORA concept.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Volkswagen AG and the Gestamp R&D team for their excellent and trusted collaboration!