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Superior quality standards are underpinned by top-class technological development. A good example is the development of bake-hardening (BH) high strength steel. BH high strength steel, bake-hardened during the painting process, is widely used today in automotive outer panel, such as doors and fenders. Sumitomo Metals was the first in the world to commercialize the product. With BH high strength steel, it became possible to make automotive door panels thinner than ever before, adding momentum to the trend of producing more lightweight vehicles. It was such a groundbreaking achievement, says Kurosu, that “when we go overseas, people are immediately impressed when we explain that Sumitomo Metals was the first to develop BH high strength steel.”
One example of recent technological development is the steel wheel, which reconciled the apparently conflicting requirements of reduced weight and greater rigidity. The focus of development was to increase the wheel’s natural oscillation frequency by optimizing its cross-sectional profile to minimize resonance with the auto body. The resulting wheel was not only 10% lighter than conventional wheels, but also resulted in vastly improved comfort and a much quieter ride. The Honda Fit with the steel wheels became the best-selling vehicle in Japan in 2002.
Development of the steel wheel is of interest for two other reasons: First, it was the first time that finite element method (FEM) oscillation simulation technology was employed in wheel design by the auto industry. Sumitomo Metals utilized the technology in rolling stock axle shafts and wheels, in which it has close to a 100% domestic market share, and applied it to an automotive product. A positive approach towards cutting-edge technology and the skill in utilizing it is typical of Sumitomo Metals.
Second, the steel wheel was developed jointly with Ring Techs, a wholly- owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Metals. Fourteen group companies led by Sumitomo Metals established the SMI Center of Application Technology (SMICAT) to develop technology to process and utilize metal materials, as well as performance and structural analysis technology for products and materials, and propose an integrated solution to customers. The steel wheel was one of SMICAT’s early successes. The experience has been confidence-boosting for Nishino: “The power of the group is remarkable. We’re looking forward to supplying many more top-class products to automakers worldwide by harnessing the power of cooperation. |
