LS Materials' Joint Venture HiMK Establishes High-Strength Aluminum Parts Plant in Korea for EVs

LS Materials announced that its joint venture aluminum parts subsidiary, HiMK, has established a high-strength aluminum parts production plant in the Gumi National Industrial Complex in North Gyeongsang Province. HiMK is a joint venture established last year with Hammerer Aluminium Industries-HAI, an Austrian aluminum parts company.

The plant will produce a variety of lightweight aluminum parts for EVs, including crash boxes, side sills, and aluminum extrusion battery pack cases (BPCs). Mass production is expected to commence in the second half of this year, with an annual capacity to supply parts for 300,000 EVs.

The capabilities of LS Materials' Gumi plant enable aluminum alloy parts to be not only 10% lighter in weight but also stronger, meeting the increasing demands for driving range, battery efficiency, and crash safety performance in future mobility solutions such as EVs and Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

The establishment of the Gumi plant marks the establishment of Asia's first high-quality, lightweight parts industrial system, breaking the European monopoly and accelerating the diversification of the supply chain and the internationalization of technology.