One of our main clients from the automotive industry in Argentina highlighted our 2020 performance in quality, goal-reaching, and the relevant projects established together, one of them being the steel imports substitution project for cars’ chassis and struts.
The award is in the hands of our collaborators in Ramallo from Planta Serviacero.
The Japanese brand in Argentina only grants this very special award to five of its suppliers. In Ternium’s case, the award was granted because of the consistency we have in Quality (15 ppm vs our goal of 300), 100% of delivery fulfillment, and the relevant projects developed during the year, such as the nationalization of SPH590 and the optimization of steel thickeners Mid-to-Low.
This award has an added value because Toyota raised the bar this year and modified its way of granting the award. Previously, automotive awarded all suppliers that reached their metrics. Now, reaching the metrics is a minimum requirement that does not guarantee an award. The suppliers must be considered strategic allies and they had to have achieved outstanding performances during the last year. That is why this award is of the utmost importance to all involved parties.
It is worth noting that, since 2021, Toyota’s emblematic car and the best-selling vehicle in the country for the last three years, has more Ternium steel in its composition. This achievement comes from the work of repowering the roller that allowed steel to be produced in Argentina that had previously been imported for making the car’s chassis.
Every new model of the Hilux has a more robust structure and weighs less, which makes us produce steel with lesser thickness and more resistance. In that way, more than four years ago, Ternium Argentina took up the role of developing the local material to supply Toyota in Argentina with the steel that was needed for chassis and not import it from Brazil anymore. The repowering of the Hot Roller was the necessary impulse for this renovation and it opened the way to a trial stage that led to the homologation of the material from Toyota. This two-year process was a series of steps to prove that our product reached the required standards and function. In December 2020, the first material delivery from Ternium Argentina was successfully done. This import substitution represents approximately 20 thousand tonnes per year of national production.
In the Florencio Varela Plant key processes for the automotive industry are carried out.
“Toyota is a landmark regarding commercial relationships. We hope to improve day by day both operations working side by side. In Ternium, we listen to your needs and we challenge ourselves to innovate. This firmly cements our confidence in what we are as an Industry and of the excellent team we make.” José Del Boca, Head of Business.
As with all awards, this one makes us proud and compromises us to continue working towards the betterment of our processes and services to maintain and exceed the outstanding levels of compliance reached with one of our more important clients in Argentina in the automotive industry.