Admission letter thin as cicada's wings symbolizes Chinese steel industry's progress towards high-tech, green products

An admission letter from the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) made from steel as thin as a cicada's wings has impressed many.

The ultra thin steel is developed by Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China's state-owned steel maker Shougang Group.

Photo shows an admission letter from the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) made from steel as thin as a cicada's wings. (Photo courtesy of USTB)

"Over the course of three years, we've been striving to make scientific breakthroughs. Eventually, we managed to reduce steel thinness from 0.11 millimeters to 0.07 millimeters, reaching an advanced level worldwide," said Mo Zhiying, head of the tinplate manufacturing division of Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co., Ltd.

In addition to the admission letter, a wide range of cultural and creative products made from the ultra thin steel, including postcards for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and postcards celebrating the Year of the Rabbit in 2023, among others, are challenging people's traditional perception of steel.

Behind the development and production of this thin sheet of steel lies a treasure trove of cutting-edge technologies.

"The greatest challenge in manufacturing this type of steel lies in its extremely thin and wide nature, requiring a thorough understanding of over 300 small processes and more than 1,000 quality control points in steelmaking, hot rolling, cold rolling, and other procedures," said Mo.

The development of cultural and creative products reflects the significant progress made by Shougang Group.

The "cicada wing steel" is jointly developed by Shougang Group's research and development (R&D) team and a team at USTB. It is primarily used in 5G base station signal receivers, signal transmission filters and integrated circuit boards, among other things.

"It is a remarkable achievement for Shougang Group in producing eco-friendly and increasingly thinner steel products," Mo remarked.

In recent years, China's steel industry has undergone a significant transformation and upgrade, shifting from being large-scale to becoming more robust.

Traditional steel industries have embraced intelligent transformation by adopting automation equipment, big data, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies to improve production efficiency and product quality. They are actively constructing a sustainable and modern industrial system.