December 02, 2008
New generation Vehicle project identifies usage of SS in cars
It is reported that an international research group while presenting its study the world’s biggest motor show IAA in Frankfurt said that using stainless steel in automotive construction can save weight and thus conserve resources without compromising safety standards. It said that light and safety are not mutually exclusive and stainless steel can deliver solutions to meet rising environmental standards.
Next Generation Vehicle project, an alliance of leading stainless steel producers and automotive OEMs, was launched at the end of 2004 with the aim of identifying potential for the use of stainless steel in auto construction. As part of the study, innovative materials were developed and tested for new applications with groundbreaking findings. The automotive OEMs participating in the project were Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, General Motors & Saab and Ford & Volvo, while the stainless steel producers involved were ThyssenKrupp Nirosta, Outokumpu and ArcelorMittal Stainless.
The study, drawn up by development and applications engineers from the companies involved shows that the use of stainless steel in vehicle construction can be especially beneficial in crash relevant structural parts. The major advantages of stainless steels, such as high strength and weight reduction, make their extensive use both practical and expedient in resource conserving auto production. The aim of the Next Generation Vehicle project was to draw up processing guidelines for stainless steels as a prerequisite for their use. This was done with reference to B pillars, which were tested in crash simulations. The results were verified in collaboration with leading suppliers of simulation programs for metal forming which allow the crash performance of stainless steel to be simulated. These programs were developed further as part of the Next Generation Vehicle project.
The project’s findings have been summarized in design and processing guidelines. The new software programs, which will also be available commercially in the future, meet a further requirement for the broader use of stainless steel. They open up new possibilities for automotive developers. The Next Generation Vehicle project also developed a cost model in collaboration with the Boston Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which allows the use of different production methods and materials to be compared directly and the optimum stainless steel solution determined. Next Generation Vehicle will continue its work in the coming months.
Dr. Alfred Otto chief sales officer at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta said that “The challenge facing the project was to reconcile ecologically driven demands for lower weight with increasing safety standards. Our studies show that stainless steel offers solutions for the car of the future. We supply technologically mature and innovative stainless materials capable of meeting the high requirements involved. Using these tailored materials, automotive OEMs can produce vehicles which come closer to the important general aim of protecting the environment.”
