Mass-cutting innovations bask in Altair recognition

Employing a mixed-material strategy that includes the latest advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and shedding 450 lb (205 kg) compared to its predecessor are major reasons why the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado was chosen as the Full Vehicle category winner of the 6th annual Altair Enlighten Awards, presented by Altair and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) at the Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) in Traverse City, Mich.

The Silverado was among six winners in four categories to be recognized for their mass-reduction achievements. In the Module category, BMW won with its 3D-printed metal convertible roof bracket used in the 2018 i8 roadster, a claimed industry first for a production series vehicle. The Enabling Technology category honored three innovations: Asahi Kasei's brake pedal bracket for the Mazda MX-5 that was designed using glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide 66 (GFRP); Sika Automotive's lightweight constrained layer material system for structure-borne noise damping; and United States Steel's martensitic ultra-high strength steel (UHSS), Mart-Ten 1500, which was featured on the 2019 Silverado for structural elements such as the rocker inner.