The 48th Japan Institute of Metals and Materials Technical Development Award

Award winners

Professor HAGIHARA Koji
Assistant Professor TOKUNAGA Toko

Award-winning research

Development of high-hardness, high-toughness hypereutectoid steel "TOUGHFIT®"

Related Website of the winner

Hagihara Laboratory(Laboratory of Microstructure and Plasticity Control)

Related Website

The Japan Institute of Metals and Materials 2025 Autumn Conference Presentation Ceremony(Link to japanese PDF)

Outline

This award is given to engineers who have achieved outstanding results in the technological development of highly original new technologies and products in the metals industry, with the aim of encouraging creative research and development.

The Laboratory of Microstructure and Plasticity Control, to which Professor HAGIHARA Koji (Physical Science and Engineering Group) and Assistant Professor TOKUNAGA Toko (Physical Science and Engineering Group) belong, is a three-way collaborative research project between KOMATSU, SANYO SPECIAL STEEL Co., Ltd., and Nagoya Institute of Technology. The project is working on the development of an unprecedented ultra-high strength, high toughness, and high ductility steel material, which maintains a high hardness of 700Hv (approximately HRC 60) while also possessing extremely high Charpy impact properties of 100J/cm² or more and a plastic elongation of 5% or more. Since spring 2023, the material will be put into practical use and deployed in society under the product named "TOUGHFIT™."

It is highly anticipated that the widespread use of this material will lead to the realization of smaller, lighter, and longer-lasting components, dramatically improving life cycle assessments and thereby contributing greatly to energy conservation, reductions in CO₂ emissions, and environmental improvement.

This achievement was recognized and led to the award.
For further details on the award recipients' research achievements, please refer to their websites and explanatory articles.

Research Results Website
<Publication> Materia (2025, Vol. 64, No. 2, pp. 117-119)
<Published Paper> Development of high hardness and high toughness hypereutectoid steel "TOUGHFIT®"