AK Steel Research and Innovation Team Receives Award from Auto/Steel Partnership For Contribution to Research on Innovative Lightweight Steel Solutions

WEST CHESTER, Ohio, May 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AK Steel AKS said today that five of the company's employees have been recognized by the Auto/Steel Partnership for their innovation and collaboration in developing pre-competitive solutions enabling steel execution in future vehicles.  Through the Auto/Steel Partnership, automakers and steel companies collaborate to drive improvements through projects focused on new steels, manufacturing processes and design challenges, including steel lightweighting solutions.

AK Steel Research and Innovation employees Yu-Wei Wang, Feng Zhu, Wei Wu, Panagiotis Makrygiannis and Chao Pu, were recognized with the Team Award.  The award selections were based on project work completed in 2017 and were unanimously chosen by the Auto/Steel Partnership's Joint Policy Council.

"It is my honor to congratulate this team for their innovative work," said AK Steel Chief Executive Officer Roger Newport.  "We are pleased to support the Auto/Steel Partnership in driving innovative and lightweighting steel solutions to meet customer and consumer needs."

"The Partnership's success is a result of collaboration of our auto companies and steel makers, leveraging the intellectual and technical resources to develop pre-competitive lightweight steel solutions to meet the current and future needs of automakers," said John Catterall, executive director of the Auto/Steel Partnership.  "Our members have proven to be long-time leaders in delivering mass-efficient, high-performing and cost-effective solutions as evident by numerous applications on the road today."

AK Steel

AK Steel is a leading producer of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, primarily for the automotive, infrastructure and manufacturing, electrical power generation and distribution markets.  Through its subsidiaries, the company also provides customer solutions with carbon and stainless steel tubing products, die design and tooling, and hot- and cold-stamped components.  Headquartered in West Chester, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati), the company has approximately 9,200 employees at manufacturing operations in the United States, as well as in Canada and Mexico.  Additional information about AK Steel is available at www.aksteel.com.

Contacts:

Media – Lisa H. Jester, Corporate Manager, Communications and Public Relations (513) 425-2510

Investors – Douglas O. Mitterholzer, General Manager, Investor Relations (513) 425-5215