Nissan Receives Award At 21st Annual Great Designs In Steel Symposium For Innovative Use of Advanced High-Strength Steel
SOUTHFIELD, MI. – The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) today awarded the “Automotive Excellence Award” to Nissan for their advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) innovations in the Nissan Rogue. The award was presented by Chris Kristock, vice president of AISI’s automotive program, at the 21st annual Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) symposium at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, MI.
Weston Lawson, Manager of Materials Engineering at Nissan, and Jason Lyman, Manager of Body Design at Nissan, received the award for their GDIS 2022 presentation, titled “All-New Nissan Rogue.”
Nissan aimed to develop the ideal family SUV with versatility and premium feeling with the strategic advantage of top safety performance and incredible second-row functionality. The Nissan Rogue product concept was realized through the increased application of AHSS (780+ MPa) which makes up 35% of the Body-in-White (BIW) and 33% of the platform. Through the innovative application of AHSS, Nissan was able to deliver significantly increased body stiffness improved dynamics and reduced road noise, top crash safety performance and increased cabin roominess all while minimizing the mass increase.
“Automotive Excellence Award winners are recognized for their unique and comprehensive use of modern AHSS to promote vehicle lightweighting while maintaining or improving safety performance requirements,” said Kristock.
“The Nissan team, represented by Jason Lyman and Weston Lawson, demonstrated in several ways the successful application of AHSS to achieve safety, ride/handling and NVH program targets with minimal mass impact.”
The AISI Automotive Excellence Award is presented each year at GDIS. Individuals or teams from automakers, suppliers or the academic community who have revolutionized the industry and made significant contributions to the advancement of steel in the automotive market. Award winners are chosen from presenters at the previous year’s GDIS seminar. Candidates are rated in several categories, including: challenges and benefits associated with cost, mass reduction and performance, overall contribution to the advancement of steel and implementation in production.
GDIS debuted in 2002 with 545 registrants and has grown in attendance and scope. In 2022, more than 1,000 attendees from North American vehicle manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers, equipment suppliers, academia, media and the steel industry registered for the event. 2023 marks the symposium’s 21st year with more than 1,300 registrants. AISI automotive program members include ArcelorMittal, Cleveland–Cliffs, Inc. and Nucor Corporation. This year’s event featured keynote speeches from Lourenco Goncalves, chairman, president and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. and Chris Michaels, director global body structure and integrated systems, General Motors Corporation. The event also features two OEM vehicle presentations, 31 technical presentations covering forming/joining/manufacturing and materials and driving a battery electric vehicle (BEV) on a test on a pre-defined public route. The day closes out with a panel discussion on “The Impact of Electrification and Battery Systems on Automotive Body Structures.”
Helping to support this year’s event are Gold Sponsors: Gestamp, PROFIL and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.; Bronze Sponsors: ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks, Auto/Steel Partnership, Bilstein Cold Rolled Steel LP, CBMM/Niobium, Dreistern USA, FUCHS, Lincoln Electric, MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers, Mubea Tailor Rolled Blanks, Suzhou Pressler Advanced Forming Technology Co., Ltd., RB&W Corporation, Shape Process Automation, and TWB Company, and Media Partners Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International, MetalForming Magazine and Precision Metalforming Association.
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Contact: Tracey Rettig
248.945.4769/[email protected]
