METHODOLOGY USED IN FUTURE STEEL VEHICLE DESIGN WINS
SAE VEHICLE INNOVATION COMPETITION
DETROIT, Dec
18, 2009 – The Accelerated Concept to
Product (ACP) process, marketed by Engineering
Technology Associates, Inc. (ETA) was the winner of the 2nd Annual
Society of Automotive Engineers Detroit Section / Massachusetts
Institute of Technology Enterprise Forum (MITEF) Vehicle Innovation
Competition.
ACP is ETA’s trade name for
WorldAutoSteels’s Future Steel Vehicle (FSV)
Design Methodology, a multi-disciplinary approach utilizing
computer-aided engineering tools to generate optimized design
solutions. This comprehensive analysis helps
manufacturers significantly reduce costs, improve efficiency, reduce
mass, as well as improve product performance and fuel economy.
The process develops
non-intuitive solutions for structural performance including optimized
shapes and component configurations
that often mimic Mother Nature’s own design efficiency.
“The roots of this unique
design approach are showcased in prior AISI research programs with car
companies like Chrysler’s Lightweight Steel Body and Auto/Steel
Partnership’s Future Generation Passenger Compartment
Project,” said Jody Shaw, manager of
technical marketing and product development, U. S. Steel and chairman of
FSV.
“In the FSV program, we are
fully integrating and enhancing the methodology and will see its first
deployment in Phase 2 with preliminary results expected in May 2010 and
full program results scheduled for release early in 2011. We anticipate that the mass
savings that we will achieve with use of new advanced steel grades
together with fully optimized structural design will result in FSV
exceeding the 25% mass reduction results of the 2002 ULSAB-Advanced
Vehicle Concept (ULSAB-AVC) project. The FSV
project is aimed at further ensuring steel’s role as the material
of choice in automotive applications of the future.”
The FSV program – which
anticipates a mass reduction in the range of 35 percent –
introduces steel solutions for next-generation electrified powertrain
vehicles. The project utilizes the most
advanced steels, progressive manufacturing methods, and comprehensive
design optimization technology.
“Contrary to conventional methods where just one or a few
design variables are evaluated, the new design methodology
simultaneously evaluates hundreds of design variables under multiple
load conditions,” said Akbar Farahani, vice president of
engineering and consulting, ETA. “Only those concepts which
meet all of the design targets and manufacturing constraints are
selected. Ultimately the final result is the
optimal solution which addresses all of the loads, manufacturing,
material, and cost constraints.”
The SAE competition selects inventions that provide innovative solutions
to current automotive industry challenges. The award was presented to ETA on
December 7 at the San Marino Club in Troy, Mich.
AISI serves as the voice of the
North American steel industry in the public policy arena and through its
business unit, Steel Market Development Institute, conducts research
with its member companies in
partnership with its customers to advance the use of steel in the
marketplace. The Automotive Applications Council is a part of
AISI’s SMDI. The council focuses on advancing the use of
steel in the highly competitive automotive market. For more news
or information, visit www.autosteel.org.
WorldAutoSteel, a unit of the World Steel Association, advances and
communicates steel’s
unique ability to meet the automotive industry’s needs and
challenges in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.
WorldAutoSteel is committed
to a low carbon future, the principles of which are embedded in
continuous research, manufacturing processes, and ultimately, in
advanced automotive steel products, for the benefit of society and
future generations. To learn more about WorldAutoSteel and its projects,
visit www.worldautosteel.org.
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For More Information:
CONTACT:
Deanna Lorincz
Director, Automotive
Communications
American Iron and Steel Institute
tel: 248.945.4763
fax: 248.352.1740
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