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Ultralight Steel Auto Suspensions (ULSAS) Fact Sheet

18 May 2000

Ultralight Steel Auto Suspensions (ULSAS) Fact Sheet by the Automotive Applications Committee and the Bar and Rod Market Development Group of American Iron and Steel Institute

    DETROIT, May 17 The following is an Ultralight Steel Auto
Suspensions (ULSAS) fact sheet by the Automotive Applications Committee and
the Bar and Rod Market Development Group of American Iron and Steel Institute:

    Project Objectives
    *  Reduce the mass of a new steel suspension by at least 20 percent versus
benchmarked conventional steel-intensive designs without a cost penalty
    *  Match the mass of a benchmarked aluminum-intensive system with a steel
system while reducing the cost by at least 20 percent.

    Background
    *  ULSAS is a companion project to the UltraLight Steel Auto Body (ULSAB)
study released in 1998 and the UltraLight Steel Auto Closure (ULSAC) study
released in midyear 2000.  Lotus Engineering, one of the world's premier
automotive consultants in vehicle and chassis engineering, conducted the two-
year study.

    Benchmarking
    Testing was completed in two phases.  During phase one, Lotus engineers
carried out a comprehensive benchmark study in which suspensions on a variety
of vehicles from North America, Europe and Asia were assessed in three ways:

    *  Subjective tests: Vehicles tested on roads and tracks in the U.S. and
the U.K.
    *  Objective tests: State-of-the-art evaluations and detailed design
reviews
    *  Quantitative tests: Weight, cost and manufacturing studies

    Based on these assessments, Lotus undertook a holistic approach to its
review of suspension system requirements, and it identified opportunities for
application of new steels and process technologies.  This exercise enabled the
engineers to establish aggressive cost and weight targets for the design phase
of the ULSAS project.

    Design
    The design phase encompassed five types of steel suspension systems across
a range of vehicle sizes.  These rear suspension system types include:

    *  Twistbeam
    *  Strut & Links
    *  Double Wishbone
    *  Multi-Link
    *  A Lotus-designed unique suspension system

    Results
    *  Mass reduction range: 17 to 34 percent
    *  Cost:
       *  Equivalent to or less than the benchmarked steel designs
       *  Up to 30 percent less than current benchmarked aluminum designs
    *  Performance: Met or exceeded all targets