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Armco and Autokinetics Developing Stainless Steel Frame

4 June 1998

Armco and Autokinetics Developing Stainless Steel Frame To Make Cars Stronger, Lighter, Less Costly

    PITTSBURGH, June 4 -- Specialty steel producer Armco Inc.
and Autokinetics are developing a stainless steel modular
automobile frame that could surpass traditional carbon steel or aluminum
frames and make cars of tomorrow stronger, lighter, safer and less costly to
manufacture.
    Pittsburgh-based Armco and Autokinetics, a Detroit-based design
engineering firm, unveiled the innovative project last month at the
International Stainless Steel Forum's annual meeting in Madrid, Spain.  Both
companies are working jointly with a major automaker that is funding the
project.  The identity of the automaker is not being disclosed per an
agreement among the three companies.
    "The higher strength of the lightweight stainless steel modular frame
achieves greater weight reduction than its carbon steel counterpart, at no
cost penalty," said James Will, president, chairman and chief executive
officer of Armco.  "We believe this is a potential technological breakthrough
in the race to enhance vehicle safety and performance."
    At the ISSF meeting, executives from 34 of the 39 member companies
attended a presentation on May 11 given by Will, Bruce Emmons, president of
Autokinetics, and Rick Lazzari, Armco's general manager, market and product
development.
    "The response was very strong, very positive, especially from European
companies," Emmons noted.  "Many executives were surprised to learn stainless
steel is less expensive to use in building a car frame than traditional
materials."
    Armco and Autokinetics started working on the project in January 1996,
driven by the idea that a stainless steel design would satisfy the
requirements of the 80-mile-per-gallon "Supercar" project sponsored by the
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles, an industry/government
consortium.  The companies have since decided to align themselves with the
automaker.

    FEASIBILITY STUDY
    Armco and Autokinetics are finishing a Phase 1 feasibility study that
examines the integrity of the frame and its ability to package subassemblies.
Based on the results of the study, the second phase would be building a
prototype.  A full prototype could be built by Armco's Technology Center and
completed as early as mid-1999, according to the companies.
    The new design combines a patented structural design principle with the
unique physical properties of high-strength stainless steel.  The modular
frame would provide a much greater level of stiffness to the body of the
vehicle than conventional unibody construction, enhancing its strength,
providing a smoother ride and added safety, Emmons noted.  This would enable
the high strength, ductility and corrosion resistance of stainless to be fully
utilized, resulting in a potential for a 50 percent auto body mass reduction,
he added.
    Emmons cited other benefits of the stainless steel frame:
    -- It would employ existing steel forming and welding technology that
       allows for lower or comparable costs of manufacturing, compared with
       current methods;
    -- Existing automotive production techniques could be easily adapted for
       stainless steel modular frames;
    -- The frame concept integrates well with available computer-aided
       engineering tools, enabling shortened lead times for new models;
    -- Its strength would improve vehicle crash performance;
    -- The frame would be fully recyclable.

    Engineers at Armco's plant in Butler, Pennsylvania, have tested two types
of stainless steel for use in the frame - NITRONIC(R) 19D cast material for
thin-wall cast joints and two gauges of NITRONIC(R) 30 flat-rolled steel for
the rest of the frame components.  The Armco engineers are focusing on
corrosion, welding and mechanical properties, such as the ability to withstand
repetitive stress, as well as the stress levels a material can withstand
before it is permanently deformed.
    The Butler plant is also producing coils of stainless steel for delivery
to Armco's Sawhill Tubular plant in Warren, Ohio, which transforms the steel
into roll-formed sections.  Then, at Armco's Technology Center in Middletown,
Ohio, these roll-formed channels are welded to thin-wall cast joints
manufactured by alloy engineering & casting company in Champaign, Illinois.
    Armco is the leading manufacturer of flat-rolled stainless steel for
automotive exhaust systems and other automotive components.