InCar ^® plus - Innovative Steel Solutions for Automotive Body Structures

In the new ThyssenKrupp InCar^®plus project, numerous solutions were developed for vehicle components and systems that contribute to increased efficiency through the use of new materials and advanced manufacturing technologies. These solutions are superior to current production applications in terms of weight, cost, performance and sustainability, while also meeting the demand for cost-effective weight reduction. This paper features structural components solutions focusing on Bumpers, and A- and B-pillars which overall attained between 8% to 19% weight reduction compared to their significant reference parts by incorporating flexible design concepts, progressive new materials, virtual analyses, and innovative manufacturing processes that have been tested and validated along the entire value chain. The prototypes developed were subjected to stringent safety assessments. The results of these evaluations meet or exceed the specified performance requirements and therefore support the auto industry's need for validated solutions that can be implemented expeditiously.