Gaining Acceptance

It took awhile, but it appears that auto makers paid attention to recent studies detailing the benefits of new high-strength steels for automotive applications.

The American Iron and Steel Institute funded the research papers over the past several years in an effort to stop the auto industry trend of replacing steel parts with aluminum and plastics. Today, auto makers have plans to significantly increase the use of advanced high-strength steels.

“We're anticipating, at a very accelerated rate, high-strength steel introduction,” Alan Taub, GM executive director-science, says during a speech at the recent Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit. “It uses today's infrastructure. It offers challenges in formability and joining. But I think we're making a lot of progress.”

The auto maker's forthcoming '04 Chevy Malibu is comprised of 60% high-strength steels vs. roughly a “handful of parts” on the current model, according to Mike Weber, GM program engineering group manager-Epsilon body structures. “Each one of our car platforms will use more and more high-strength steel and advanced high-strength steel, such as Dual-Phase and TRIP (Transformation Induced Plasticity) steel,” Weber tells Ward's.

“(The next-generation Malibu) is a good first step,” Ron Krupitzer, AISI senior director-automotive applications, says during the Great Designs in Steel seminar in February in Livonia, MI. “But we can do better. There's still a lot of mild (conventional) steel there (on the forthcoming Malibu). We're working with many auto makers to increase the use of advanced high-strength steel.”

Industry insiders suggest the next-generation Honda Accord will increase use of high-strength steels from about 25% to some 60%. Advanced steels also are used in many Mercedes-Benz models, including the C-Class and S-Class and the next-generation A-Class.

Weber says the new steels are impressive. “Ten years ago there was a lot of talk about alternative materials. But I think steel is making a comeback,” he tells Ward's. “We like steel. We're familiar with it. But we also know that we can't afford to keep growing vehicle mass.”

Owens Corning Launches VersaMat 1000

Owens Corning Automotive plans to roll out a new thermal and acoustic insulating material this fall that reduces vehicle weight and performs better than the fabrics commonly used by auto makers, says Andy Hopkins, general manager-Owens Corning Automotive.

The supplier plans to produce its VersaMat 1000 thermoplastic technology for applications such as headliners, door panels and trunk storage systems.

Roughly 20 lbs. (9 kg) of recycled cotton, also called cotton shoddy and commonly used to stuff mattresses, is used in a small car. By switching to VersaMat 1000, weight is reduced by 30%, acoustic properties are better and there are no potential health risks. “Cotton shoddy rots,” Hopkins points out. “It absorbs moisture. It's very dusty.”

Allegations of mold-related damage to homes and businesses have led to hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance claims. Replacing cotton shoddy with VersaMat 1000 may help auto makers avoid the issue.

VersaMat 1000 can be formed into complex shapes, and different amounts and blends of fibers can be used to meet specific performance requirements. During the casting process, the thermal and acoustic insulating materials form a semi-structural system that can carry its own weight along with the electronics and duct work of an overhead system.

Owens Corning's VersaMat technology currently is used in home appliances such as dishwashers. There are some limited automotive applications, including Ford Ranger, Jeep Liberty and Honda Civic. “We're set to roll (with more automotive applications),” Hopkins says. “We've got a lot of interest.”
— Brian Corbett