Auto/Steel Partnership announces 30 percent weight savings with thinner AHSS

In an effort to assist automakers in meeting stringent fuel economy requirements, the Auto/Steel Partnership (A/SP) announced today the Hemming of Thin Gauge Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) project achieved a 30 percent weight savings using thinner gauge AHSS for automotive closure panels.

"The Hemming team achieved positive results with significant weight savings and great formability, resulting in a quality hemmed panel," said Terry Cullum, director, A/SP. "The goal of each A/SP project enables the use of AHSS in automotive applications, and this team demonstrated AHSS sheet can be successfully modeled and manufactured into hemmed assemblies for automotive closures."
    
The project demonstrated thin gauge AHSS can be successfully hemmed into automotive closure assemblies; computer-aided engineering tools can be developed accurately, predicting results of hemming operations involving thin gauge AHSS; and post-hemming baking operations do not adversely affect hemmed thin gauge AHSS assemblies.

"This study allowed the project team to look beyond the boundaries of conventional steel and hem AHSS at a more than 30 percent thinner gauge," said Giovanni Costa, project lead for the A/SP Hemming of Thin Gauge AHSS team and corporate hemming specialist at FCA US LLC. "We took hemming to new limits and proved it with results. Thinner gage AHSS, real-world closure shapes, extremely tight breakline radii, and weight reduction in outer closures make this a winning project."

AutoForm Engineering USA, a software solutions company for the die-making and sheet metal forming industries and a vendor for the team, presented its results from the project at the Steel Market Development Institute's Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) seminar today. The team also showcased the test samples in the Steel Showcase exhibit at the event.