NewSteelBody
Low-cost auto body: The NewSteelBody reduces weight and enhances safety.
At the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, ThyssenKrupp Steel unveiled an independently developed steel body-in-white which is 24 percent lighter than that of a conventionally produced minivan. The potential is considerable: if in the future just one in ten new cars worldwide had a 24 percent lighter body, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by more than 670,000 tons and fuel consumption cut by over 279 million liters within a year. This weight saving is made possible by an intelligent mixture of conventional stampings and innovative tubular components: half the body is made up of stampings, the rest of closed, thin-walled hollow sections. The front and rear side members and roof frame consist of thin-walled welded tubes given their final shape by hydroforming. And that also enhances safety: the NewSteelBody matches or outperforms the crash performance of conventionally produced cars. The design principle is virtually cost-neutral compared with current steel designs and much cheaper than aluminum solutions. What’s more, all the technologies, materials and components used can be easily integrated into volume production. The results of the project are being offered to interested auto manufacturers for joint further development.
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