As major automakers around the globe are investing in and developing electric vehicles (EV), there was much anticipation and attention focused on the EV category and its top winners the Tuning X team of Soeyeong University. A major factor in the team’s achievement was the application of POSCO’s magnesium plates for the car body instead of aluminum, something the team had never done before.

The Tuning X Team take home the Excellence Award for the electric vehicle category

The Steel Wire talked to Professor Yoon Jae-Gon, who led 10 members of the Tuning X to victory, to get an in-depth look into the winning electric vehicle.

The Secret to Tuning X’s Success

Like all other major automakers in the world, the biggest obstacle for the Tuning X team was lightweighting their electric vehicle, without compromising the performance of its battery.

Yoon said, “Electric cars are the future of the auto industry, but batteries have a short driving distance, so manufacturers are making batteries bigger and heavier (about 200 ~ 500kg). Despite these efforts, current electric vehicles weigh hundreds of kilograms and cannot go over several hundred kilometers on one charge.”

The motor engine is central to any electric vehicle. For the Tuning X team, they used an AC electric motor which requires a controller, adding more weight to the car. Thus, weight reduction from other sources was absolutely necessary.

How did the team make up for the extra weight?

“We applied magnesium plates for weight reduction to the floor, side, and rear panel of the EV cabin. POSCO’s technical seminars and the production skill training played a vital role. Through this preliminary training, we were able to reduce the number of trials and errors, produce the car in time and end up with the best results possible,” explained Yoon.

POSCO’s magnesium plate applied to the internal, driver side of the vehicle

The team had previously used aluminum, another popular lightweight material, but with the new magnesium plates, they achieved a 5 kilogram weight reduction, from 177 kilograms to 172 kilograms. Yoon added, “Magnesium also showed the same processability as aluminum, and did not require professional processing methods.”

Even as the champions, the team will work on improvements for next year, as defending champions. Their plans include increasing the use of magnesium. Yoon remarked, “If we have a chance, I would like to increase the use of magnesium by using the plates as a base and applying it to the mainframe, knuckle and road wheel in the future.”

The Significance of Magnesium Applications In the Auto Industry

According to Professor Yoon, lightweighting is a trend that is here to stay, especially with the rise of electric vehicles as the next-generation cars. The automotive industry accounts for nearly 25 percent of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector and will face increasing emission reduction policies as countries try to battle climate change.

Lightweighting has numerous benefits in this regard, including increased fuel efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions, improved braking performance, increased acceleration, road protection, increased comfort, increased mileage and environmental sustainability.

Companies started off working to improve internal combustion engines, and the goal was to improve fuel efficiency through downsizing and the use of high-strength steels. Now, they are going further and pairing lightweight materials with electric batteries-the next-generation power source.

An electric vehicle charges at a newly-opened charging station in downtown Michigan (Source: Michigan Live)

“The weight of the vehicle has the most direct effect on fuel consumption. The way to reduce the weight of the vehicle is to reduce the thickness of each part and to modularize the parts, but the most effective way is to lighten the parts through innovative materials. Aluminum, magnesium, and composites are important lightweight materials, and double magnesium alloys and composite materials can be positioned as future lightweight technology materials by improving the reliability of collapse characteristics, achieving economic manufacturing and assembly costs.”

“In addition, the magnesium alloy has been widely used in various fields such as transportation, aerospace, medical care and leisure with its wide marketability. With its light weight, it is possible to install additional safety devices that protect the safety of the driver and will be able to reduce social costs at the same time.” Added Yoon.

“I think that the most important advantage among the various advantages is the environmental contribution. This is because it is possible to reduce gas emissions during the manufacturing process of magnesium alloys and through improved fuel efficiency by lightweighting vehicles.”

Professor Yoon and the Tuning X Team have high expectations for magnesium as a lightweight material of the future. The team will incorporate more magnesium into their upcoming model, and Yoon believes magnesium has the potential to provide effective lightweighting solutions to more and more automakers in the near future.

POSCO will continue to support future automakers as well. Since 2016, POSCO has been supplying magnesium plates and extruded materials free of charge to the winners of the Formula and EV categories. Besides materials, POSCO provides training to make it easier for students to work with and magnesium materials to their cars. POSCO will continue to support student teams to build industry-academia collaborations and provide even more opportunities for students who are the car makers of tomorrow.

Cover photo courtesy of FS Total.

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Edwin Basson, Director General at worldsteel commented on the launch: “In a world of finite resources we must leave the outdated ‘take, make, consume and dispose’ mentality behind and move toward a circular economy model for optimal resource efficiency. To achieve this we need a life cycle approach that measures the social, economic and environmental impact of a product at each stage in its life cycle. We believe that life cycle thinking must become a key requirement for all manufacturing decisions going forward.”

“The steel industry is an integral part of the circular economy model. A circular economy promotes zero waste, a reduction in the amount of materials used, and encourages the reuse and recycling of materials. These are all fundamental advantages of using steel. Therefore, in a well-structured circular economy, steel has competitive advantages over other materials.”

• Reducing thickness of steel for packaging has positive environmental impact over its life cycle
• Life cycle thinking leads to intelligent automotive material choices
• Using LCA to calculate energy payback for wind turbines
• LCA in the eco-design of office building

If you are interested in life cycle thinking case studies listed above, read more about the ‘Steel in the Circular Economy’ from worldsteel’s online bookshop. There are many more cases of a life cycle thinking approach in the publication!

[box]The World Steel Association (worldsteel) is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world. worldsteel represents approximately 170 steel producers (including 9 of the world’s 10 largest steel companies), national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes. worldsteel members represent around 85% of world steel production.[/box]

Establishing the Foundation Solution Marketing through POSCO Tech Day

The overall result of ‘POSCO Tech Day’ was marvelous: 1,352 people attended the event held at Gwangchi Toyota on January 30th and 1,050 people attended the Gwangchi Honda event. This event has an exceptional meaning to both Gwangchi Toyota and Gwangchi Honda. Because the companies had never previously held an in-house event with an exclusive invitation to a single supplier.

Along with the introduction of POSCO, EVI (Early Vendor Involvement) activities and case examples of solution marketing were presented at the event. Localization strategies through operating Guangdong Pohang Automotive Steel, TSC (Technical Service Center) and POSCO-CFPC were also presented. Moreover, other information such as world premium products, unique steel technologies, and new steel material demand development activities, which are executing with auto parts companies, were introduced.

Above all, ‘POSCO Tech Day’ drew client’s interest and emotions through content that emphasizes automotive structures. Clients who experienced POSCO’s solution marketing at the event expressed their eager interests by sounding out cooperative business possibilities with auto parts companies.

Targeting engineers and purchasing department of each company, the event’s technical seminar focused on Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS), utilization techniques, performance evaluation, and stainless auto parts products.

Perspectives for POSCO in Guangdong, China
This event is expected to strengthen the future technical partnership in Guangdong, China by raising the potential for practical solution demand identification and joint technical project research. Moreover, it is estimated that the event has helped to enhance the global automotive client networks and increase the actual promotion effects. The greatest outcome of the event is the fact that the foundation for POSCO’s solution marketing is constructed in China, the country that is rapidly developing as the world’s largest automobile market with considerable inbound investment from global automakers.

POSCO will build on this event to actively pursue differentiated client-oriented care, new steel product development, and enhanced commercial support. In the second half of this year, POSCO will hold a technical seminar focusing on local TSC for other global automakers and respond to client’s needs for car body weight reduction and advanced product design capabilities.

Meanwhile, POSCO was the first steel company to be invited to a technical exhibition of PROTON, the only local automotive company in Southeast Asia, in September 2014. POSCO also showed that POSCO is leading the field of car body weight reduction through developing new steel grades and participating in the development project of Renault’s EOLAB concept car which was unveiled at 2014 Paris Motor Show.

If you are interested in more information, scroll down and check out global automakers’ displayed items at ‘POSCO Tech Day’!

PBC-EV (POSCO Body Concept for Electric Vehicle) at EVI Activity Section
By applying the cutting edge technology such as PosM Steel and hot press forming, PBC-EV is lighter than the previous car bodies.

(From left) Rear Lower Arm, First Generation Styled Wheel, Front Lower Arm, Fuel Tank

Electricity Motor Cores (manufactured with electrical steel) at Power Train Section
(Left)Bonded Core Stack – EM Free
(Center)Core Stack – Embo Type
(Right)EV Traction Motor Core (Electric Vehicle Motor Core)

Front Sub-frame Upper at Chassis Section

A Breathtaking Sound Experience, ‘Korando C’ Speaker System
For the first time in Korea, Ssangyong Motor offers the state-of-the-art sound quality through speakers with POSCO’s magnesium sheet applied, to 2015 ‘Korando C’, Ssangyong’s new automobile. The sound quality of the speaker is far beyond the quality of 6.5 inch-paper speaker, which is applied to 2000cc SUVs of default features.

As a component that plays sounds, the magnesium diaphragm of ‘Korando C’ receives electronic signals and sends out vibrations into the air. Since a diaphragm is the main component that determines the sound quality, it must be lightweight, high in rigidity and automatically dissipates resonance which is irrelevant with the genuine signal. Previously, speaker’s diaphragms were mostly created with paper materials but they were insufficient in high-tone playback due to paper’s shortage in intensity. In order to improve the audio quality, various materials have been considered for development.

Magnesium Diaphragm: the Secret of Full Spectrum Audio Performance
Magnesium sheets are evaluated as the most idealistic material for speaker diaphragms so far. Lightweight and stern, the magnesium sheet can create high-pitch yet pure sound due to the material’s expansive range of frequency. As an ultra-light material, the magnesium sheet can cover a full spectrum from a low note to a high note even with a feeble driving force. Compared to other materials, the magnesium diaphragm provides softer and richer pitch while also offering refined tone with its excellent transmissibility. Especially, the magnesium sheet is less susceptible to unnecessary vibrations that lead to an unpleasant resonance noise. As a result, the high-quality dynamic speaker device, which realizes the sound that is closest to the original tone, is obtained.

POSCO’s Magnesium Sheet behind Your Dynamic Sound on the Road
The magnesium sheets supplied by POSCO undergo the process of figuration, surface treatment, speaker manufacturing, and finally get installed in automobiles. Currently, the magnesium sheets are produced at POSCO’s magnesium plant, located in Suncheon, Jeonnam Province, where the ultra-thin warm-rolling technology is secured. As Ssangyong Motor successfully implemented the magnesium diaphragm speaker to their new ‘Korando C’, they are considering the application of the magnesium diaphragm for other automobiles in the future.

More Applications of POSCO’s Magnesium Sheet in the Auto Industry
Last September, prior to ‘Korando C’, POSCO has already conducted a joint development with Renault Samsung Motors for magnesium sheet auto parts. In fact, POSCO’s magnesium sheet was applied to ‘New SM7 Nova’, specifically where the back seat and the trunk meet, largely contributing to vehicle weight reduction. Being the world’s first case of automobile application, POSCO’s magnesium sheet reduced up to 2.2 kg by replacing the previous component of 3.6 kg with the magnesium piece that weighs only 1.4 kg. Since the outstanding quality of the magnesium sheet has been confirmed through POSCO’s current step into the automobile market, POSCO is planning to accelerate development of the magnesium sheets for television and audio in the upcoming future.

Do you remember Renault’s concept car, ‘EOLAB’ which was showcased at the 2014 Paris Motor Show and introduced in the previous series of our global blog? Running 100km with only 1L of fuel, this amazing car ‘EOLAB’ contains POSCO’s light vehicle steel plate. POSCO and Renault collaborated in the ‘EOLAB’ development project in order to lead the way of vehicle weight reduction throughout the automobile industry. Let’s take a look at an interview with the two key contributors of the ‘EOLAB’ project, Shin, Seung-jun, the Manager of Steel Solution Center and Dr. Lee, Hong-woo, the Principal Researcher of POSCO.

How Do You Feel About Promoting ‘EOLAB’ At The Paris Motor Show As A Partner Of Renault?

Dr. Lee: This year’s Paris Motor Show was a great opportunity to show the excellence of POSCO’s technology to the world. I believe that it was exceptionally special because the collaboration represented Renault’s firm trust in POSCO. Also, through this project, POSCO and Renault signed additional agreement to co-develop light vehicle body and automobile chassis solution for the next generation. Therefore, we are looking forward to establish the full range of EVI network in the upcoming future.

△(Left) Kim, Ji-yong, the head of POSCO Steel Solution Center, (Right) Remi Bastien, the head of research, advanced studies and materials at Renault

Manager Shin: As I participate in the project, I was able to experience the power of POSCO’s solution marketing. It seems that POSCO was able to create the positive results with its exceptional behavior to bestow devotion even to small components while supplying materials and application technology. I hope that this project could set an example for POSCO EVI activity and solution marketing so that it could contribute to the expansion of POSCO’s prospective relationships with client companies.

We Heard That The Worldwide Media Had Shown Their Strong Interests At The POSCO Booth. How Was The Overall Response Of The Press?

Manager Shin: During the promotion period, 103 journalists from 26 different countries had visited our booth and showed their fervent interests. They were especially interested in POSCO’s weight reduction materials. So, we displayed several cylinders of same volume but with each different steel materials so that they could take a closer look at our weight reduction materials. The journalist at our booth displayed interest in the weight difference of each cylinders. It was definitely an important opportunity to draw spectators’ attention to POSCO’s steel materials.

Could You Describe The Development Process Of The Spotlighted ‘EOLAB’?

The relationship between POSCO and Renault goes far back. In 2012, POSCO had signed a joint development agreement with Renault-Samsung. This year, POSCO participated in the ‘EOLAB’ production project with the French automaker, Renault. To be honest, there were quite many differences working with the local staffs of Renault due to the language and geographical difference between France and Korea.

However, these problems were easily solved as Dr. Lee flew to Paris for long-term stay during the project. Although Dr. Lee and I were far apart, our teamwork was more than excellent. As Dr. Lee collect VOC of Renault and send it to Korea, our research team and I would build upon the given data and suggest a solution to Renault. As you might know, there is a seven-hour time difference between Korea and France. I used to call Dr. Lee in Paris 4PM every day to check our work process and put plans into practice.

We Heard That There Was A Special Tip To Improve Job Performance. Could You Share The Tip With Us?
Dr. Lee: The cooperation with Manager Shin could be defined with two keywords: ‘Trust’ and ‘Conservation’. Manager Shin trusted me in terms of technical aspect and I trusted him with specific process management in return. I believe that this mutual trust contributed to ‘speed-up’ aspect which was one of the expectations and demands of Renault.

In fact, one of the aspects that I am proud of, is the ‘One-day feedback’ system. As Renault passed the VOC and other related issues to Manager Shin in the morning (afternoon in Korea), the Korean staff held an urgent meeting and were able to receive POSCO’s official response in less than 24 hours. I am sure that this timely reaction had a big part in the POSCO-Renault trust-building process.

Did you enjoy the stories of the key members of POSCO automotive steel plate EVI activity? The duo of Manager Shin and Dr. Lee really showed us a great harmony despite of distance and time difference. Until POSCO’s automotive steel plate is applied to every global automobile companies, POSCO markers will continue their efforts to expand POSCO’s presence in the worldwide spectrum.

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