SMDI recognizes Nissan for use of AHSS

The Seel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), has awarded Nissan Motor Co. the Automotive Excellence Award for implementing advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) to reduce mass in body-in-white structures while also reducing cost.

As part of its long-term vision to reduce CO2 emissions, Nissan discovered that reducing vehicle weight by 15 percent cut emissions by 5 percent. The design team researched high-strength materials to help achieve this goal. The result was the development of 1.2-GPa tensile strength, high-elongation steel, which is very formable and can be applied to complex shapes. The first application of the material was on the Infiniti Q5, on which the manufacturer achieved a mass reduction of 11 kg.

Award winners are chosen from presenters at the previous year’s Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) seminar. Candidates are rated in several categories, including implementation in production; overall contribution to the advancement of steel; challenges and benefits associated with cost, mass reduction and performance; replacement of competing materials; and structural performance and efficiency.