Flash Bainite in Action: GM Validates Lightweight, High-Strength Steel for Crash Safety & Cost Efficiency
In pursuit of safer, lighter, and more fuel-efficient vehicles, General Motors recently validated Flash Bainite 1500 as a direct replacement for traditional high-strength steel in a critical automotive component: the fuel barrier shield.
This breakthrough came as part of a GM DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) initiative that sought to reduce weight in the HFV6 Gen2 engine platform without compromising crashworthiness. The current component, a 3mm thick HR550LA steel shield, weighs 1.36kg. Flash Bainite’s enhanced strength enabled significant material reduction while maintaining safety standards.
Proven in Simulation and Real-World Testing
Flash Bainite 1500 underwent rigorous CAE simulations using USNCAP and IIHS crash scenarios. Results showed that 2.0mm Flash Bainite performed as well as 3.0mm high-strength steel under barrier impact conditions.
Physical “Drop Silo” impact testing confirmed those results. Even thinner variants—down to 1.6mm—demonstrated equivalent deflection behavior, making Flash Bainite an ideal solution for lightweighting without performance compromise.
Weight Savings Without Sacrificing Safety
Here’s what GM found when comparing Flash Bainite to the existing component:
- 1.275mm Flash 1600 → 58% thinner, ~1.74 lb saved
- 1.6mm Flash 1500 → 46% thinner, ~1.3 lb saved
- 2.0mm Flash 1500 → 33% thinner, ~1.0 lb saved
Notably, even the thinnest version met the design threshold for barrier protection in binary pass/fail evaluations.
Why It Matters
For OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, Flash Bainite offers:
- Lower raw material cost
- Lower part weight
- Comparable or superior crash performance
- Compatibility with cold stamping and standard forming equipment
Flash Processing creates a unique microstructure through ultra-rapid heating and quenching, avoiding conventional, slow thermal cycles. This allows carbon steels like 1020 and 4130 to reach yield strengths over 1,100 MPa, with ultimate tensile strengths surpassing 1,500 MPa.
GM’s Conclusion
By validating Flash Bainite as a production-ready material, GM not only achieved weight and cost savings for a MY2020 fuel barrier shield—it opened the door to broader applications across vehicle platforms. Flash Bainite’s performance, scalability, and economic value make it a standout choice in the evolution of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS).