Ford's F-150 Team Wins Automotive Excellence Award at Ninth Annual Great Designs in Steel Seminar

DETROIT, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The Automotive Applications Council of the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI) honored Ford Motor Co.'s F-150 research and development team with its annual Automotive Excellence Award. The team was recognized for its cost-effective and efficient use of advanced and ultra high-strength steel, which helped to minimize the vehicle's weight impact, while maintaining its durability and safety.

The award was presented to Shawn Morgans, body structures technical leader, Ford, at the Ninth Annual Great Designs in Steel seminar in Livonia, Mich. today.

The Automotive Excellence Award recognizes individuals or teams from automakers, suppliers or the academic community who embrace innovation and make significant contributions to the advancement of steel in the automotive marketplace.

"Providing strength and durability is clearly a primary objective when designing and building pickup trucks," Ron Krupitzer, vice president of automotive applications for SMDI, said. "Ford's innovative use of advanced and ultra high-strength steels allowed the company to increase the F-150's performance and safety, as well as to decrease its weight, helping to make it more fuel efficient."

The 2010 Ford F-150 uses increased amounts of advanced and ultra high-strength steels to save weight and improve performance and safety. Nearly 25 percent of the body-in-white is either advanced or ultra high-strength steel, which contributed to a mass-efficient design and a 75 percent increase in roof strength over the previous model.

Among the advanced high-strength steel features of the F-150 are a hydroformed front-end, low-pressure hydroformed dual-phase 780 roof rail, boron hot-stamped B-pillar reinforcement and high-strength side rails for increased durability and safety.

Award winners are chosen based on their presentation given at the previous year's Great Designs in Steel 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 competitive materials; and structural performance and efficiency.

The Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), 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 non-traditional steel markets. The Automotive Applications Council is a part of the SMDI and focuses on advancing the use of steel in the highly competitive automotive market. For more news or information, visit www.autosteel.org.

Automotive Applications Council investors are:

- AK Steel Corporation

- ArcelorMittal Dofasco

- ArcelorMittal USA

- Nucor Corporation

- Severstal North America

- United States Steel Corporation

SOURCE American Iron and Steel Institute

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