Study: NanoSteel's Sheet Steels Have Potential to Achieve 30% Weight Reduction in Automotive Structures
08/06/2013 - The NanoSteel® Co. announced the results of an automotive light-weighting study conducted by EDAG, Inc. demonstrating the potential for the company’s advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) to enable a 30% reduction of weight in the BIW structure of a mass market sedan.
“We are very encouraged by the results of our study with EDAG,” said David Paratore, NanoSteel president and CEO. “The findings demonstrate that our alloys will address customer requirements across a significant proportion of structural parts. As we work to conclude our production trials, this assessment provides a blueprint for identifying specific opportunities for parts conversion.”
In conducting this evaluation, EDAG utilized the same methodology and architecture of the existing NHTSA Light Weight Vehicle BIW design; the result of a comprehensive redesign of a 2011 Honda Accord that in simulation met North American performance and safety targets while optimizing for weight savings.
When applying NanoSteel’s AHSS to the NHTSA Light Weight Vehicle design, EDAG calibrated material gauges and design parameters to ensure the vehicle met crashworthiness criteria, as well as noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) requirements. The results showed a 30% (100 kg/220 lb) weight reduction in BIW vs. the baseline 2011 Honda Accord and a 10.5% (27 kg/60 lb) weight reduction from the NHTSA Light Weight Vehicle design.
“Once commercially available, NanoSteel’s AHSS will provide unique mechanical properties to automotive OEMs offering attractive options for design and material choices to reduce structural weight,” said Harry Singh, EDAG’s executive program manager on the study.
NanoSteel’s three classes of AHSS were used to replace crush zone parts that require high energy absorption, deep draw parts with significant complexity and structural parts such as B-pillars and cross-members where strength is paramount to protect the passenger.
For more information about the EDAG light-weighting study, please visit www.nanosteelco.com/EDAG.
NanoSteel is the world leader in proprietary nano-structured steel material designs. Over its eleven-year history, NanoSteel has created progressive generations of iron-based alloys from surface coatings to foils to powder metals and sheet steel. For the oil & gas, mining and power industries, NanoSteel has successfully introduced commercial applications of metallic coatings to prolong service lifetime in the most extreme industrial environments. For the automotive industry, NanoSteel has achieved a significant breakthrough in the development of nano-structured sheet steel with exceptional strength and ductility. NanoSteel is a privately held company funded by lead shareholders EnerTech and Fairhaven Capital.
