The phs-door ring: A milestone for modern body structures
With the phs-door ring, voestalpine Automotive Components is demonstrating how integrated production, material diversity and engineering expertise can merge to create a pioneering component. The project is a proof of concept for the next generation of vehicle structures - and a strong sign of technological advancement in body construction.
From individual part to functional unit
The phs-door ring is a complex large component with a length of almost 2 meters and a height of over 1 meter. It integrates several individual components - including the sill, A-pillar, roof frame and B-pillar - into a single, functional module.
Tailor-welded blanks with varying sheet thicknesses are used, as well as locally reinforcing patch areas that are specifically adapted to the load.
Material diversity with phs-scalefree
With phs-scalefree, an additional coating variant is now available that expands the processing of press-hardened material.
Automotive Components offers solutions with all common coating variants - galvanized, AlSi-coated and scalefree - and thus enables maximum flexibility for different requirements in terms of corrosion protection, formability and thermal load capacity.
Technology with real customer benefits
The advantages for our customers are clear:
- Weight reduction through optimized material distribution
- Improved crash performance through targeted material selection
- Minimized use of materials → lower CO₂ footprint
- Reduced logistics and joining effort in body shell construction
Exemplary material selection:
- 1000 MPa with increased ductility in the A-pillar area
- 2000 MPa patch plate in the roof frame area
Market development: door rings on the rise
Press-hardened door rings are gaining in importance worldwide - particularly in China and the USA.
The first series projects are also underway in Europe. The advantages have been recognized throughout the industry:
Large components such as the door ring enable greater safety, less weight and leaner production processes - and are increasingly becoming the standard in modern car body concepts.
Bundled competence - from primary material to end product
Within the voestalpine Automotive Components Group, we work together across all sites, with each site contributing its strengths and specific know-how.
This integrated value chain enables us to implement complex requirements efficiently and with quality assurance - and to make innovations such as the phs-door ring a reality.
The door ring is an example of our ability to implement complex requirements in the body structure with integrated manufacturing expertise and targeted material selection. It shows how safety, efficiency and material intelligence come together in one component.
Florian Gerstner, Automotive Components