Page 20 - HIWT Summer 2012 World of Welding

THE WORLD OF WELDING http://www.welding.org

STEEL MARKET DEvELOPMENT INSTITUTE ADDRESSES
vITAL ROLE OF STEEL IN FUTURE AUTOMOTIvE

APPLICATIONS

Advanced steel solutions reduce mass and address key performance criteria for future
vehicles

DETROIT, Jan. 25, 2012 – As automakers work to satisfy new
fuel economy requirements, it is clear that mass reduction
will continue to be an important factor. As mass reduction
occurs and demands for safety, performance and emissions
reduction increase, the Steel Market Development Institute
(SMDI) stresses the vital role that new grades of steel will
play in vehicles of the future. According to the latest industry
research, newly developed grades of advanced high-strength
steel (AHSS) significantly outperform competing materials
for current and future automotive applications.

“Today, the mass of a typical light-duty vehicle is about 60
percent steel and independent research shows that advanced
high-strength steels are the fastest growing material in
automotive applications,” Ron Krupitzer, vice president,
automotive applications for SMDI, said. “This growth is needs of the auto industry without increasing cost or requiring
a direct result of new steel’s performance flexibility and its expensive changes in automotive production technologies.”
many benefits including cost, mass reduction, and safety,
reduced greenhouse gas emissions and superior recyclability.” Steel also provides considerable benefits over competing
materials when considering a vehicle’s life cycle emissions.
According to SMDI, although steel has been used in vehicles SMDI stresses the need to shift the basis of vehicle emissions
from the automotive industry’s inception, steel is evolving, as regulations from tailpipe-only emissions to life cycle, which
its unique properties allow for new grades of AHSS – a group includes material and vehicle production, driving and end-of-
of stronger and more formable versions of the incumbent steels life-recycling.
they replace – to be continually developed. For example, in
the mid-1990s, steel introduced the first generation of AHSS According to Krupitzer, most alternative materials generate
grades and in May 2011, WorldAutoSteel’s FutureSteelVehicle emissions during their manufacture that are five to 20 times
project introduced 20 more grades of AHSS (steels that are greater than those of steel. And as tailpipe emissions are
three to five times stronger than steels of the mid 90s). reduced through the development of more fuel efficient
vehicles, manufacturing emissions become an increasingly
In addition, advances in optimization methods and larger part of the environmental equation. Steel’s inherent
manufacturing processes have increased the mass savings and superior recyclability ensures that all of the steel is reused
achievable so far to 35 percent. These ongoing improvements when the car’s useful life is complete.
in technology have enabled steel to be on par with aluminum
concerning weight. Further, optimized steel body structures
using AHSS can be constructed at no significant additional The Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business
cost relative to a conventional body structure, whereas unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, grows and
alternate materials carry significant cost penalties. maintains the use of steel through strategies that promote
cost-effective solutions in the automotive, construction and
“AHSS grades are the result of the deliberate formation of container markets, as well as for new growth opportunities in
emerging steel markets. For more news or information, visit
specific microstructures in the steel as it is produced,” Krupitzer www.autosteel.org.
said. “Given our ability to manipulate microstructure, we’re
able to continually transform our material to meet the growing

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