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Severstal North America achieves up to 42% weight reduction in steel vehicle parts

Severstal North America (SNA), one of the largest steel producers in the US, is using Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), advanced manufacturing equipment and new grades of high-strength and high-formability steel to help its automotive customers to achieve lighter weight, stronger vehicles—while keeping costs low.

We have been working directly with design engineers at OEMs and reviewing upcoming platforms, and as a result, we have achieved impressive weight reductions of up to 42% while improving or maintaining overall performance.

—Jon Powers, Manager, Advanced Engineering and Product Applications

Severstal engineers focus on the latest optimization techniques to meet design goals, including 3G optimization (gauge, grade and geometry), topometry, topology and topography, all of which focus on placing the steel in exact locations with the strength and minimum thickness combinations necessary to meet system requirements and achieve the lightest weight steel design possible.

As an example, a recent 3G optimization effort resulted in an full-vehicle weight reduction of 7.3% while improving roof roll-over crash performance and maintaining other stiffness design targets.

Severstal’s stamping engineering team conducts computer simulations in order to achieve successful tooling designs for stamping processes that address unique challenges found in the production of thinner, higher strength automotive parts from new advanced high strength steel grades.

As a result of these efforts, 20% mass reduction was achieved in select vehicle parts.

—Dr. Yu-Wei Wang, Manager, Stamping and Material Engineering

Severstal North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Russian-based OAO Severstal, one of the world’s leading vertically-integrated steel and steel-related mining producers with geographically diversified assets on four continents. Severstal North America was established in 2004 when OAO Severstal acquired the assets of the former Rouge Industries and its operating subsidiary Rouge Steel Company.

Located in the Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan, the facility, which was built in 1920, originally was part of Ford Motor Company producing steel parts for the Model T and decades of automobiles that followed. In 1982, Ford Motor Company converted its Steel Division into Rouge Steel Company, a free-standing subsidiary. It sold the steelmaking operation to a consortium of investors in 1989 which operated as Rouge Industries.

Comments

HarveyD

Will it resist to extreme cold weather, salt-calcium and rust?

If it does, it may be a very good solution for future EVs.

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