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The UltraLight Steel Auto Closure (ULSAC) Program demonstrates the effective use of steel in producing lightweight, structurally sound automotive closure panels that are manufacturable in high volume and affordable. ULSAC began as a concept development program, producing innovative concept designs for doors, hoods, decklids and hatches that are up to 32 percent lighter than benchmarked averages and 10 percent lighter than best-in-class, while meeting stringent structural performance targets.

These results were obtained through innovative steel design combining ultra-high-strength steels with manufacturing technologies such as tailored blanks, hydroforming and laser welding.

The ULSAC Program was commissioned by an international consortium of 31 sheet steel producers to assist their automotive customers with viable lightweighting solutions. The ULSAC Consortium contracted Porsche Engineering Services, Inc. (PES), to provide design and engineering management for both the concept and validation phases of the program.

Technical Deliverables

ULSAC: Overview Brochure (May 2001)
Eight-page brochure which summarizes the design and validation study featuring a very efficient frameless steel door that is 46 percent lighter then those benchmarked in the study.

ULSAC: Technical Transfer Dispatch No. 1
Provides detailed results from the concept phase of the program. Published in January 2000, this progress report also offers a status of the project's validation phase, including important achievements in stampings.

ULSAC: Overview Report (May 2001)
An executive summary of the concept and validation phases of the project. The report also contains detailed information on the design engineering and packaging, materials and processes used, the manufacturing and assembly process and an economic analysis.

ULSAC: Project Results - Full Report
Outlines and explores a number of modern steel grades that were considered for the Panel Front Door Outer with the goal to achieve mass reduction, while maintaining satisfactory dent resistance and oil canning performance. In the ULSAC program, high-strength steels are defined as steels with yield strengths of 210 MPa - 550 MPa on the finished part. These steels included micro-alloyed, bake hardenable, interstitial-free, isotropic and dual phase steel.

ULSAC: Engineering Report - Full Report
Demonstrates that using steel as the material of choice in conjunction with the utilization of current and advanced manufacturing processes, could produce closures, which can achieve a 10% mass reduction, while maintaining structural performances at no cost penalty.

News and Articles

Advanced High-Strength Steels Show Potential

ULSAC: Steel Closures-Steel Industry Announces Results of UltraLight Steel Auto Closure (ULSAC) Study

Steel Industry Unveils Auto Door that is up to 42 Percent Lighter than Benchmarks

Steel Industry Shows off Designs for Lightweight Auto Doors, Hoods, Decklids, Hatches

Hardware Fabrication Validates Advanced Design for Light Weight, Low Cost Steel Closures for Vehicles

High-Strength Steel, Innovative Design and Advanced Technologies Push the Envelope in Lightweight, Low Cost Auto Closures