Sumitomo Metals, Corus Develop Vehicle Collision Simulation Technology

Sumitomo Metal Industries and Corus, the British and Dutch steel maker developed new technology for vehicle collision simulation, by which the time for designing the body becomes shortened, announced on June 22. Mazda Motor adopted the new technology after the test conducted with the firm and 2 steel makers.

The general collision simulation is based on the mechanical properties of the materials before they were formed and can not reflect the material hardening and thinning caused by press forming. At the same time, body parts have come to be made from thin, high-tensile steel to reduce the weight in recent years. The simulation depends on thickness of steel even with small difference of the thickness. For these reasons, the number of the design modification and the prototypes making have continued to increase.

The new simulation can reflect the properties of the material including the thickness of the sheet, the change in its shape after they are formed to the result. As a result, the technology can simulate the entire process from the original materials to press forming to status as an installed part, and the simulated collision.