| Project Detail |
The automotive market is driven by many safety performance assessment programs. Less CO2 emissions and reduced production costs are the main priority for OEMs, to comply with regulations and to strengthen their advantage in an extremely competitive market.
The cost-effective reduction of a vehicle’s structural components, known as Body-in-White (BIW), has been one of OEMs’ main targets. Such reduction is possible with lighter BIWs, made of Advanced High Strength Steels (>1,500MPa), using a process known as hot stamping. Components produced this way can be 20-30% lighter compared to cold stamping.
Hot stamping components account for 11% of the total current value of European vehicles; the state of the art has limitations that prevent extending hot stamping to more vehicle components, e.g. components with complex geometries, very thin or locally tailored components. Our innovation, RUSH AI, is an ultra-fast system for hot stamping of light-weight components, quality-controlled by self-correcting, online AI. It reduces manufacture cycling time by over 70%, thanks to a novel hydraulic press solution and a “sweating die” made by additive manufacturing and inspired by human sweat. Its efficiency results in savings of 70-80% OPEX.
We aim to upgrade RUSH AI from TRL6 to TRL9. By project’s end, 2020, the hot stamping TAM will be €11.8bn, 13% of the total BIW market (€91bn). In the first 10 years of commercialization, SAM is estimated to reach €1bn. We expect sales above €148m by 2030 and a market share of 15%.
Users will be OEMs and their Tier-1 suppliers. RUSH AI can be implemented in old and new hot stamping lines. A joint venture company is considered by the 3 industrial partners to commercialize the process line, yet each keeps the separate rights of exploitation of individual results.
This Consortium consists of 4 partners from 3 EU countries. All members possess the technical and market expertise to commercialize RUSH AI within 36 months. |
