The Application of Steel and Aluminum in a New Lightweight Car Body Design

Hoogovens has developed a concept for a car body, based on both steel and aluminum, which can fulfil the future requirements for so called three liter cars. The purpose of this design study was to develop a car body with a maximum weight reduction combined with low production costs in order to make the car suitable for mass production.

In the paper, the developments at the new Hoogovens Product Application Centre are shown on the basis of this design; the hydroforming of steel tubes, the forming of high strength steel, the use of tailored blanks, Steelite® and Hylite® sandwich materials and the application of aluminum body sheet.