Hydroforming dual phase steels reduces weight

Combining the latest hydroform tube technology with advanced high strength dual-phase steels has produced a monopiece crash box bumper that will contribute to reduced vehicle weight.

Corus, one of the world's leading steel producers, has developed an integrated crash box bumper that it believes will offer vehicle and component manufactures both weight and cost savings compared to existing front end module systems.

Developed by the Corus Hyfo business, based in IJmuiden, in the Netherlands, with the technical support of Corus' RD and T and Corus Automotive Engineering, the unique integrated crash box bumper system is the first of its kind in Europe to market.

It combines the latest hydroform tube technology with advanced high strength dual-phase steels resulting in a monopiece construction that, Corus believes, will contribute to reduced vehicle weight and therefore lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Tube hydroforming is one of the new enabling technologies that has the capacity to deliver cost effective mass reduced solutions and is increasingly being used by vehicle manufacturers.

In addition to offering lighter component solutions, tube hydroforming can also help deliver manufacturing cost reductions through the use of fewer components.

As such, Corus believes that the unique monopiece crash box bumper system will reduce manufacturing costs by up to 10% per unit.

Corus employed its unique materials analysis simulation technique called Forming to Crash or F2C to further optimise the design of the crash box.

The hydroforming process can change material strength and thicknesses, both of which can have an influence on component crash performance.

F2C helped Corus engineers to factor in these changes in to a computer crash analysis as part of the development process.

Commenting on developing Corus' integrated crash box bumper, Dr Iain McGregor, manager, Technology, Corus Automotive Engineering said: "Following extensive desktop trials, we have been able to demonstrate that as well as reducing cost and weight to below the 8kg weight target this unique, lightweight bumper system meets both European and North American pedestrian safety impact targets whilst maintaining performance for absorbing and dissipating forces during head-on collisions.

Maarten Kelder, business development manager, Corus Hyfo concluded: "We look forward to working with vehicle manufacturers to take the system forward to future new vehicle platforms.

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