Signing an agreement with Associate Spring and Kiswire for joint R&D The research and development on 'spring steel for super-high strength engine valves,' a kind of high-strength special steel, is likely to get into full swing. POSCO signed June 21 an agreement with Associated Spring, the largest spring maker in North America for the international joint development on the spring steel for super-high strength engine valves, with the target for the product development in 2006. Thus, POSCO has become to begin the research and development on the new products together with Associate Spring andKISWIRE under the agreement, according to an official at Wire Rod Research Team of the Pohang Technical Research Laboratories of the company. On hand at the ceremony for signing the research agreement, were officials from POSCO, the maker of wire rods for spring steel, KISWIRE which produces the oil tempering wire by drawing spring steel and conducting heat treatment on it, and Associate Spring which turn out springs for automotive engine valves from oil tempering wires, and agreed to conduct the joint research and development on the new product for two years from July. This product research and development program will implemented through 2 stages; that is, to establish the basic properties of 'spring steel for super-high strength engine valves'at the first and to target the development on the process technology for the commercialization of the products at the second. This agreement is expected to lay the groundwork for the efficient demanddevelopment on the springsteel for engine valves as the highest-grade wire rod products by allowing the mutual cooperation among the supplier of materials, the steel wire maker and the maker of springs, the final products, for a joint study on the products. , Japan is currently supplying materials for spring steel of engine valves to meet three-fourths of global demand. Thus, it is expected that POSCO, which has moved ahead of Japan to develop the spring steel for super-high strength engine valves through this international joint research program, would be able to get prior occupation in the global market in the future. Also, this study is judged to greatly contribute to the effort to make automotive materials light and super-strong as required by domestic automakers continuously. jhkwak@snmnews.com