The new material, the result of a joint project between the Spanish multinational Gestamp and the Scandinavian steel company, has been specially developed to manufacture a part for a commercial vehicle
Electrification, fuels with low CO2 and soot emissions and lower consumption are just three pillars that are driving the car industry towards increasingly sustainable models. Another asset is the realization of environmentally friendly materials. A step that Gestamp has taken together with SSAB, developing a new steel with a high degree of resistance and at the same time good formality, lighter and therefore more environmentally friendly, to manufacture a chassis part for the Toyota Yaris.
It is Docol1000CP steel, which has a significantly higher resistance (1000 Mpa) than conventionally used grades, preserving the quality, performance and geometry of the parts.
In 2014, Gestamp started developing a new front lower wishbone (FLCA) for the Toyota Yaris in Europe. To offer its customer a lighter solution, Gestamp Chassis wanted to challenge the available steel grades. It was then that Gestamp approached SSAB. This Scandinavian company, a steel company specializing in the supply of high-strength steels, is an important partner of Gestamp on the road to a more sustainable automotive industry, where weight reduction and CO2 savings are key factors.
The properties of Docol 1000CP, an advanced high strength steel, also allow the production of lighter parts and offer a very positive anti-fatigue behaviour, an important characteristic for any part of the steering and suspension of a car such as the FLCA. In addition, since lower weight equals lower fuel consumption and thus lower emissions, this steel contributes to the protection of the environment.
This project reflects key elements of Gestamp’s chassis business model. On the one hand, it is aimed at providing a service with high added value to the customer. On the other hand, it emphasizes the role of innovation as a transformative element in the automotive industry and furthermore contributes to the goal of producing products with the company’s ESG strategy.
As SSAB Sales Segment Manager Ben Cook explains, “That’s exactly how SSAB likes to work: being invited to participate right at the start of a project.” Both companies have worked closely together throughout the process, from the composition of the material to the characterization and finally the homologation of said steel for use in parts as sensitive to vehicle stability as a front lower wishbone (FLCA).
Mehdi Asadi, director of materials science at Gestamp Chassis Germany, points out that “this new material (Docol 1000CP) has enabled us to offer a much lighter front lower wishbone than its predecessor.”
Carlota Arenillas, Director of Innovation Projects at Gestamp Chassis Spain, says: “We have been able to test a wide variety of assemblies thanks to SSAB’s flexibility and rapid response to prototype materials.”
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
