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Co-engineered by ArcelorMittal and Honda R&D Americas, the fist inner and outer door ring system was unveiled in April 2018. The partners collaborated throughout the supply chain to introduce this new system in the 2019 Acura RDX.
A ground breaking technology using ArcelorMittal patented steel, Global R&D resources and ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks capabilities was first used in the Acura MDX in 2014. It is now being used in several Honda and Acura vehicles, as well as other makes and models on the road today. This new development involves the creation of the first-ever hot-stamped, laser-welded inner and outer door rings found in the new Honda RDX.
The door ring technology takes safety to a higher level with this brand-new application. It increases the safety of the vehicle and crash protection for the occupant. “The outer and inner door ring system takes our safety protection to the next level," said Joe Riggsby, Acura RDX body development leader, Honda R&D Americas. "The solution manages loads coming from the front of the vehicle and translates them through to the back of the structure. It also balances side type of crash modes to prevent intrusion into the cabin and protect the occupants from all directions. This vehicle also features a panoramic sunroof, and with two door rings, it really performs well."
Both the inner and outer rings use ultra-high-strength tailor-welded blanks, which allow the optimization for weight reductions and performance gains. The new structure provides a 50% increase in the use of high-strength materials, increasing rigidity while dropping body-in-white weight 19 kg/42 lbs over the previous model.
This solution meets all requirements to bring a quality product to the market place. “We see the door ring and our hot-stamped solutions continue to move through the industry,” said Todd Baker from ArcelorMittal's Tailored Blanks division. “We are working with more customers to implement them into more vehicles, and we see it taking place across vehicles lines. The application isn’t just limited to SUVs and minivans, we are seeing it in pick-up trucks and small cars. This validates our belief that the door ring and hot-stamped welded blanks offer a cost-effective way to make vehicles safer and lighter.”
2019 Acura door ring system presented at WCX18: SAE World Congress Experience, held from 10-12 April 2018 in Detroit’s COBO Center.