Modern vehicles are not just means of transportation, but high-tech safe havens that enable safe mobility through the interplay of safety components. When combined, modern materials and lightweight construction concepts provide the solution required for contemporary vehicle safety across all three pillars: structural, active, and passive safety. This is because the use of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel grades allows components to be made lighter without sacrificing stability or protective performance.
The basic structure forms the foundation of every safety concept. It ensures
that the passenger compartment remains as intact as possible in the event of an accident. The massive structural components of the past have long since been replaced by lighter materials. By reducing weight, they lower the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines and increase the range of electric vehicles. Another advantage: modern structural steel grades can absorb extreme impact loads while exhibiting defined deformation behavior. In summary, this means: less weight – high strength – improved crash performance. This is how safety is achieved through intelligent lightweight construction.
Thanks to state-of-the-art forming and joining technologies, safety-critical structural components are produced:
Active safety components help drivers recognize critical situations early on and maintain safe control of the vehicle even in such cases—for example, the lightweight yet high-strength vehicle structure, stable steering, and suspension functions. Shorter braking distances achieved through lightweight automotive construction also make important indirect contributions to accident prevention. Our tubes are used in a wide variety of applications in modern vehicle manufacturing. They can be found as body components as well as elements of steering, seat, and air suspension systems.
The impact of these components on active safety is often underestimated:
If an accident cannot be prevented despite all the assistance systems, the
passive safety components take over the protective function. Their job is to
prevent injuries to occupants. Our materials are found in numerous passive safety components. These include, for example, seat frames, seat structures, seat rails, headrest structures, seat belt system components, airbag components, interior door structures, and side-impact reinforcements.
Tubular components (tailored tubes) manufactured in the hundreds of millions by the voestalpine Rotec Group for seatbelt pretensioners, seatbelt buckles, hood lifters, and airbags also protect vehicle occupants and other road users worldwide.
High-strength structural parts—such as B-pillars, roof frames, sills, crash boxes, and door reinforcements—and their high-performance connections are essential for maximizing their protective effect. Restraint systems can only provide effective protection if the passenger cell remains stable and impact energy is dissipated in a controlled manner.
Our press-hardened steel components (phs), such as phs-ultraform® and phs-directform®, are used in safety-critical automotive components such as A- and B-pillars, cross members, side sills, and much more.
Our materials are therefore not only found in the body of modern vehicles. They are also used in suspension and chassis components, seat structures, seatbelt systems, battery housings, and numerous safety-critical reinforcements. In this way, we help prevent accidents, impact energy is dissipated in a controlled manner, and vehicle occupants are protected as effectively as possible. In this way, we combine safety, lightweight construction, and sustainability into a comprehensive mobility concept.
In our new brand and image campaign #FavoriteMoments, we show our contribution to a modern, sustainable life from the perspective of people. We focus on their individual favorite moments and the commitment of our employees that makes such moments possible. The specially composed song “All these moments” accompanies the campaign and musically conveys our values, courage, community and our joy for the future and is authentically accompanied by pictures of our employees.
Die voestalpine ist ein weltweit führender Stahl- und Technologiekonzern mit kombinierter Werkstoff- und Verarbeitungskompetenz. Die global tätige Unternehmensgruppe verfügt über rund 500 Konzerngesellschaften und -standorte in mehr als 50 Ländern auf allen fünf Kontinenten. Sie notiert seit 1995 an der Wiener Börse. Mit ihren Premium-Produkt- und Systemlösungen zählt sie zu den führenden Partnern der Automobil- und Hausgeräteindustrie sowie der Luftfahrt- und Öl- & Gasindustrie und ist darüber hinaus Weltmarktführer bei Bahninfrastruktursystemen, bei Werkzeugstahl und Spezialprofilen. Die voestalpine bekennt sich zu den globalen Klimazielen und verfolgt mit greentec steel einen klaren Plan zur Dekarbonisierung der Stahlproduktion.