Chevy Silverado, BMW Bracket Nab Lightweighting Awards

General Motors Co.’s 2019 Chevrolet Silverado fullsize pickup truck and BMW AG’s 3D-printed convertible roof bracket won this year’s Altair Enlighten Award for lightweighting in the full vehicle and module categories, respectively.

The sixth-annual awards are sponsored by Troy, Mich.-based Altair Engineering Inc. in collaboration with the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research (CAR). They were announced today during the Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) in Traverse City, Mich.

Chevy saved 450 lbs by using a higher percentage of advanced-high-strength steels, new assembly methods and a multi-disciplinary engineering approach to the development of the all-new Silverado. The 2019 model also boasts 23% more storage space, greater dynamic stiffness, improved corrosion prevention, better NVH performance and increased impact protection than its predecessor.

The 3D-printed convertible roof bracket used in BMW’s i8 electric roadster is 44% lighter than conventional units. The system, which is said to be the first 3D-printed metal component used in a production vehicle, is produced with selective laser melting technology without needing any support structures.

There was a three-way tie in the Enabling Technology category between Asahi Kasei, Sika Automotive and U.S. Steel. Asahi Kasei’s glass fiber-reinforced polyamide pedal bracket for the Mazda MX-5 Miata cut the unit’s mass by 83%. Sika’s “constrained layer material” system for structure-borne noise damping saves 80%. And U.S. Steel’s Mart-Ten 1500 MPa ultra-high-strength steel provides a 10% weight savings, according to the companies.

The award for the new Future of Lightweighting category, chosen by MBS attendees for technologies not yet in production, went to American Axle & Manufacturing for its Quantum Driveline architecture. By integrating various lightweight materials and proven technologies, the design promises to reduce the mass of rear axle systems in light-duty pickups by 35%.

The winners were selected by a panel of industry experts, academia and the engineering media from a field of 57 finalists this year. The committee was led by Carla Bailo, president and CEO of CAR.