Economy
A/SP Announces Hemming of Thin Gauge AHSS Achieves 30% Weight Savings
Written by Sandy Williams
May 12, 2016
Auto/Steel Partnership – May 11, 2016 — In an effort to assist automakers in meeting stringent fuel economy requirements, the Auto/Steel Partnership (A/SP) announced today the Hemming of Thin Gauge Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) project achieved a 30 percent weight savings using thinner gauge AHSS for automotive closure panels.
“The Hemming team achieved positive results with significant weight savings and great formability, resulting in a quality hemmed panel,” said Terry Cullum, director, A/SP. “The goal of each A/SP project enables the use of AHSS in automotive applications, and this team demonstrated AHSS sheet can be successfully modeled and manufactured into hemmed assemblies for automotive closures.”
The project demonstrated thin gauge AHSS can be successfully hemmed into automotive closure assemblies; computer-aided engineering tools can be developed accurately, predicting results of hemming operations involving thin gauge AHSS; and post-hemming baking operations do not adversely affect hemmed thin gauge AHSS assemblies.
“This study allowed the project team to look beyond the boundaries of conventional steel and hem AHSS at a more than 30 percent thinner gauge,” said Giovanni Costa, project lead for the A/SP Hemming of Thin Gauge AHSS team and corporate hemming specialist at FCA US LLC. “We took hemming to new limits and proved it with results. Thinner gauge AHSS, real-world closure shapes, extremely tight breakline radii, and weight reduction in outer closures make this a winning project.”
AutoForm Engineering USA, a software solutions company for the die-making and sheet metal forming industries and a vendor for the team, presented its results from the project at the Steel Market Development Institute’s Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) seminar today. The team also showcased the test samples in the Steel Showcase exhibit at the event.
Formed in 1987, the Auto/Steel Partnership is a consortium of North American automotive companies and the Steel Market Development Institute’s Automotive Applications Council. The Partnership leverages the resources of the automotive and sheet-steel industries to pursue research, validation and education that have helped automakers enhance vehicle safety and fuel economy and improve design and manufacturing.
Through the Auto/Steel Partnership, automakers and steel companies have worked to drive improvements through projects focused on new steels, manufacturing processes and design challenges, including mass reduction with steel. Auto/Steel Partnership members include AK Steel Corporation, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, ArcelorMittal, FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Nucor Corporation.
For more information, please visit: http://www.a-sp.org
Sandy Williams
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