Is KVA Stainless is the New Steel for the Automotive Industry?

NEW Stainless Steel Processing Technology Creates Stronger, Lighter, Stainless Steel

Escondido, CA – KVA’s processed martensitic stainless steel MS2 has high corrosion resistance, strength, hardness and durability greater than titanium and can be manufactured at a fraction of the cost.

KVA’s MS2 high strength steel is capable of providing automakers with an immediate solution to improve crashworthiness of their vehicles, while reducing overall curb weight without increasing sticker price.

The new national standard will require a fleet fuel efficiency standard of 35.5 miles per gallon by model year 2016, a big jump from the 2009 model year requirement of 25 mpg. A senior administration official said the changes (when compared to current pollution and vehicle use totals) will have the effect of removing 900 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air, taking 177 million cars off the road and shutting down 194 coal-fired power plants.

A senior administration official called the standards “tough and historic” and predicted it will be achieved with only minor modifications to vehicle and engine design.

“You will see some changes,” the official said, adding that “off-the-shelf” technology will allow most automakers to retro-fit their cars, light truck and SUVS “without dramatically changing them.”

KVA Stainless has the “off-the-shelf” technology, which can be easily implemented into existing automakers plants to provide immediate solutions to reduce the weight of cars to help meet the 35 miles-per-gallon fuel economy standard. KVA’s patented MS2 process technology provides a low-cost alternative to existing steel alloys. MS2 offers high corrosion resistance with excellent mechanical properties - strength, toughness and fatigue performance; easy to form, fabricate and process.

“With sky-high fuel costs expected in the future and the new administration fuel economy standards, the time has come to rethink the basics of vehicle design,” said Laurie McCrink, Vice President of KVA Stainless, Inc. “We believe that autos designed with Advanced High Strength Steel along with our proprietary breakthrough of MS2 will allow automakers the ability to produce a stronger and safer car, while increasing gas mileage. The KVA process provides an alternative for the next generation of vehicles.”

KVA Stainless Inc. has spent over 5 years developing and validating their proprietary and patented processes for reducing weight while increasing the strength of automotive components and structures, using low-cost martensitic stainless steels.

Before the collapse of the automotive industry, KVA Stainless worked closely with a big three auto manufacturer towards the goal of having their technology implemented into numerous passenger vehicle and light truck applications.

Light truck frame cross member parts delivered achieved a 50% weight savings and increased strength over current high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel designs. These MS2 parts successfully completed testing and KVA Stainless was asked to prototype a down-gauged, stamped front subframe for a small passenger vehicle. Those parts were stamped in Detroit, welded and heat treated at KVA Stainless in Escondido, California and sent to the southwest US for accelerated life cycle testing. There was a 35% savings in weight relative to the HSLA design - and the parts passed corrosion testing better than expected.

KVA Stainless successfully delivered new front bumper beam prototypes for a crossover body-style vehicle, which were 20% stronger than the proposed high strength prehardened strip material; yet, KVA’s material was easier and cheaper to form and successfully welded and thermally
processed without distortion or loss of strength. The bumpers successfully underwent full scale crash testing.

Several trials of improved B-pillars and fuel tanks using heat-treated KVA martensitic stainless steel were all successful with the intent of increasing passenger safety and reducing weight.

KVA Stainless also designed an improved front tow hook loop for a high-volume pickup truck, taking advantage of the increased formability, weldability and integrated air-hardening heat treatment and brazing using MS2. The KVA design was 50% lighter, more than 15% stronger, and nearly the same cost.

Testing of MS2 Stainless Steel tubing for automotive fuel rails has shown extremely positive results. KVA’s principal engineer, Danny Codd states: “KVA’s high strength fuel rails can handle the ever-increasing fuel pressure requirements of future direct-injection (DI) fuel delivery systems and can significantly reduce weight and cost relative to conventional stainless alloys.”

One of KVA’s patented methods controls the welding process to enable high-speed welds without brittleness, says Codd. This opens up martensitic steel to markets previously thought impractical such as lightweight automotive components & structures, gas & oil production/pipelines, aviation components & structures, medical devices, sports equipment, heat exchangers, bridges, dairy, petrochemical & processing equipment, solar water heaters, and rail cars.

The founder of KVA Stainless, Ed McCrink fell in love with martensitic stainless steel after founding Hi-Temp Inc., specializing in continuous thermal processing. McCrink began his career in 1954 in Chicago, growing Hi-Temp to become one of the largest thermal processors specializing in bright annealing, brazing, and heat treating of stainless steels. Other companies he founded were Tru-Temp, which specialized in hardening and stress relieving of all types of stainless including plain steel forgings, castings and metal stampings, and Steel Treating Inc., a plant where an enormous volume of annealing and bright hardening was done.

McCrink has continuously pursued his vision of utilizing commonly available, low cost martensitic stainless steels to reduce weight and increase strength in components and structures. KVA Stainles was founded several years ago by McCrink and is becoming a leader in stainless steel research and development.

Contact:
Douglas Gore
VP Sales & Business Development
KVA Stainless
124 S. Market Pl., Ste. 200
Escondido, CA 92029
Direct: 760-489-5821
dgore@kvastainless.com
www.kvastainless.com