Lightweight steel solutions

One of the key challenges facing the automotive industry in the 21st century is to further reduce vehicle weight — whether powered by combustion engines or batteries. That's why we place a strong emphasis on lightweight steel solutions, right from the pre-development stage.

Less is more

This reduction in weight has numerous positive effects: lower CO2 emissions, better driving dynamics, conservation of resources, improved driving safety, and greater comfort through driver assistance systems. Steel plays a central role in achieving these goals, as it possesses outstanding qualities for lightweight construction.

LIGHTWEIGHT
Forging initiative

Within the framework of the LIGHTWEIGHT Forging initiative, and working together with international companies from the solid forming and steel manufacturing sectors, we’ve long been researching ‘lightweighting’ potentials. From mid-size automobiles and light commercial vehicles to hybrid cars and conventional trucks, a total of 265 kg of weight reduction potential has been identified across three research phases.

LIGHTWEIGHT Forging Phase II LNfz

This working group consisted of 15 forging companies, 10 steel producers (long products) and one engineering consultant. In 2015/2016, the initiative demonstrated a lightweighting design potential of 99 kg in the powertrain and chassis of a light duty truck. The initiative is continuing its research; the results attained will be examined for feasibility in cooperation with the Design and Development departments at the respective OEMs.

LIGHTWEIGHT Forging goes international — Third phase of the LIGHTWEIGHT Forging Initiative has started XX results!

Some 40 international partners continued the work under the leadership of the German Forging Association (IMU) and the Steel Institute VDEh to complete Phase III in 2019. This study investigated, among other things, the lightweighting potentials of forged components in the drive train and chassis of a hybrid car – a vehicle category that has only gained in importance during the transition to all-electric mobility. Another focus area was the transmission and powertrain (propeller shaft) and rear axle of a heavy commercial vehicle (truck).

Parallel studies also examined the primary and secondary effects of lightweight construction for the transmissions in hybrid vehicles and trucks. And yet another study looked at how to inform industrial consumers about the advantages of the newly developed, higher-strength gear steels.