(Crash) testing new steel applications

Testing the effect of downsized components on vehicle crashworthiness.

Although most of us are feeling a great deal of incentive to reduce fuel consumption, we would probably not be willing to compromise vehicle safety in order to do so. While vehicle lightweighting holds the compelling promise of lower emissions and higher fuel efficiencies, its straightforward application also has the sobering potential to compromise both vehicle crashworthiness and passenger safety.

Those conflicting goals-high crashworthiness at low vehicle weight-have led to the development of a unique alchemy of steel grade options, from traditional high- and advanced high-strength steels (HSS and AHSS) to ultra-high-strength steels (UHSS), dual-phase (DP) and TRIP (transformation induced plasticity) steels. These materials combine high formability with substantial yield strength improvements, helping vehicle manufacturers to achieve significant weight reductions while maintaining sufficient mechanical strength to support vehicle crashworthiness.