ArcelorMittal has been selected as the winner of the Altair Enlighten Award in the Lightweighting Enabling Technology category for its GI Fortiform 980, a third-generation advanced high strength steel (AHSS) that provides carmakers up to 20% weight savings in key energy absorption parts in a vehicle such as front and rear rails.

GI Fortiform 980 features twice the ductility of its dual-phase counterparts, offering the ductility of DP600 at the higher strength level of 980 Mpa. High ductility allows for complex shapes to be formed at the higher strength level for improved safety and resulting in energy absorption parts such as front and rear rails to be downgauged from DP600 thicknesses by 20% while achieving the same energy absorption levels.

In addition, GI Fortiform 980 exhibits higher levels of bake hardening which further improves performance.

ArcelorMittal invested US$45 million at its joint venture facility in Calvert, AL, to innovate and deliver a product that is now the industry benchmark for its resistance to liquid metal embrittlement, a phenomenon that is typical for zinc coated products subjected to high stress.

These performance achievements and applicability are the result of material innovation and do not require any special accommodations in automotive manufacturing or assembly. Its development was driven by customer needs, with co-engineering on the product beginning in 2016. Its launch in production vehicles began in Jan 2021.

The Altair Enlighten Award is the industry’s only award dedicated to vehicle lightweighting and sustainability and honors the greatest advancements in reducing the carbon footprint, mitigating water and energy consumption, and promoting material reuse and recycling. There are five award categories: Sustainable Product; Sustainable Process; Module Lightweighting, Future of Lightweighting, and Lightweighting Enabling Technology.

The runner-up in the Lightweighting Enabling Technology category was JAC Group, for the SOL A5 fastback sports car. US Steel took honorable mention for its Body-in-White Assembly using US Steel 980 XG3 Gen3 AHSS.