Analysis of Ultrafine Grained Multi-Phase Steel Sheets Garners SMDI / SAE Sydney H. Melbourne Award for Automotive Excellence

DETROIT, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International has named Yoshitaka Okitsu, Tadashi Naito, Naoki Takaki and Tomoaki Sugiura of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. and Nobuhiro Tsuji of Kyoto University as the recipients of the SAE International / Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI) Sydney H. Melbourne Award of Excellence in the Advancement of Automotive Sheet Steel.

The recipients will be honored for authoring and presenting a paper titled "Mechanical Properties and Crash Worthiness of Ultrafine Grained Multi-Phase Steel Sheets for Automotive Body Applications" (SAE paper no. 2010-01-0438) during the 2011 SAE World Congress. The award will be presented to the authors at the SAE World Congress in Detroit Tuesday, April 12 at 4:30 p.m.

The award-winning paper addresses the importance of "work hardening" in advanced high-strength steels (AHSS). The work points out the benefits of forming deformation martensite, which assures that crash members deform in a controlled, compact and predictable way. This technology enables crash models with AHSS to be more accurate in predicting actual crash test results.

"As we work to continually drive and promote vehicle lightweighting efforts through steel advancements, we are also dedicated to increasing occupant safety through vehicle crash performance improvements," Ronald Krupitzer, vice president, automotive market for SMDI, said. "The data and results of this paper are critical to furthering this effort. I applaud the authors for their research and dedication to the advancement of new steel technologies."

Krupitzer will provide further insight on advanced high-strength steel applications for the automotive sector during his technical presentation titled, "Evolution of Steel Technology to Satisfy Automotive Material Challenges," slated for Thursday, April 14 at 8 a.m. at the SAE World Congress.

According to SAE, the SAE International / SMDI Sydney H. Melbourne Award of Excellence in the Advancement of Automotive Sheet Steel recognizes authors who effectively demonstrate ways to further the use of sheet steel in automotive applications. Established in 1997, the award honors the memory and accomplishments of the late Sydney H. Melbourne of Dofasco Inc. and encourages others to strive for the level of excellence he attained within his organization, the steel industry and the automotive marketplace.

The Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, grows and maintains the use of steel through strategies that promote cost-effective solutions in the automotive, construction and container markets, as well as for new growth opportunities in emerging steel markets.  For more news or information, visit www.smdisteel.org.

Steel Market Development Institute investors include:

• AK Steel Corporation
• ArcelorMittal Dofasco
• ArcelorMittal USA LLC
• Nucor Corporation
• SSAB Americas
• ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, LLC
• United States Steel Corporation
• USS-POSCO Industries

SOURCE Steel Market Development Institute

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