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Goncalves presented the “2025 Market Development Industry Leadership Awards” to Dr. Michael Barker, professor of civil and architectural engineering at the University of Wyoming and J.P. Singh, technical integration engineer, steel, advanced manufacturing at General Motors.  

“We are thrilled to celebrate Michael and J.P. for their outstanding leadership and steadfast dedication to championing the benefits of steel in the construction and automotive sectors. Their expertise is essential as we rise to meet modern challenges,” said Goncalves. “Continuous innovation is vital for American steel producers to adapt to changing demands. We deeply value the enduring guidance and impactful contributions of these two remarkable individuals.” 

Dr. Barker is a professor of civil and architectural engineering at the University of Wyoming. His primary research pertains to steel bridges, experimental testing, bridge design specifications, bridge field-testing, high-performance steel and reliability analyses of structures. As an active member of the AISI Bridge Task Force and leader of educational efforts for the AISI-led Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA), he has helped educate more than 20,000 bridge owners and designers on the benefits of steel bridges. Additionally, he has spearheaded an educational program that has introduced more than 2,000 students to cost-effective steel bridge design and construction, ensuring that the next generation of engineers is well-versed in steel solutions. Barker received his BS and MS in Civil Engineering from Purdue University and his PhD from the University of Minnesota.  

Pictured Left to Right: Lourenco Goncalves, AISI Chairman and the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.; Michael Barker, professor of civil and architectural engineering at the University of Wyoming; Kevin Dempsey, President and CEO of AISI

J.P. Singh is a technical integration engineer for steel and advanced manufacturing at General Motors (GM) and has played a vital role in advancing the use of steels in the U.S. automotive industry. Singh’s career includes more than 15 years at GM and 13 years at Chrysler. His expertise has shaped material supplier development, manufacturing quality and specification advancements. Singh is an American Society for Metals International (ASM) fellow and has chaired the ASM Detroit Chapter. He also represents GM at the Colorado School of Mines’ Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center, co-chairs the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) committee on advanced high-strength and hot stamped steels for SAE World Congress, holds four patents and is a trained Six Sigma Black Belt.  

Pictured Left to Right: Lourenco Goncalves, AISI Chairman and the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.; J.P. Singh, technical integration engineer, steel, advanced manufacturing at General Motors; Kevin Dempsey, President and CEO of AISI

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Contact: Lisa Harrison

202.452.7115 / lharrison@steel.org

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers, steel pipe and tube manufacturers and steel processors and fabricators, reflecting the production and distribution of both carbon and stainless steels. These steels are critical to America’s national and economic security, including roads and bridges, buildings, the electrical grid, cars and trucks and all clean energy technologies. AISI also represents associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram. 

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The award-winning project, titled “Advanced Industrial Simulation Method for Spot Weld Separation Validated with Components,” was presented at GDIS 2024 by Tingting Zhang of General Motors on behalf of the A/SP. The work was a collaborative research and validation project which involved a team of nine individuals representing the A/SP, General Motors and the University of Waterloo. The award was presented to General Motors’ Tingting Zhang and Hassan Ghassemi-Armaki, University of Waterloo’s Mohammad Shojaee, Cameron Tolton, Abdelbaset Midawi, Michael Worswick, Elliot Biro and Cliff Butcher and A/SP’s Eric McCarty.

Selected by members of AISI’s Automotive Applications Council, the project was recognized for its high-quality research and immediate applicability to the automotive industry. The team’s work increases confidence in resistance spot weld simulations and leads to broader utilization of Advanced High Strength Steel.

Simulation methods have become an increasingly essential component in modern automotive body structure design, enabling faster development cycles, reduced costs and robust design solutions prior to hardware builds. A critical factor in these analytical methods is the accurate simulation of structural joint integrity. The award-winning research introduced a methodology that uses both standard and advanced steel coupon tests to derive the mechanical properties of single-spot welds and develop a failure surface capable of predicting weld separation under complex loading conditions. These calibrated material models, or “material cards,” can be integrated into finite element simulations of welded structural components subjected to quasi-static and dynamic forces. The result is a more accurate and predictive simulation capability that enhances the structural performance of future vehicle designs.

General Motors also received an honorable mention for the Chevrolet Blazer EV Body Structure presentation by Dr. Hoda Eiliat, senior integration lead- body structures. The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV was the winner of the 2024 MotorTrend SUV of the Year® award, and the committee congratulates Dr. Eiliat and the General Motors team for their innovative use of steel in their BEV3 Crossover Architecture.

The AISI Automotive Excellence Award is presented each year at GDIS. It recognizes individuals or teams from automakers, suppliers or the academic community who have revolutionized the industry and made significant contributions to the advancement of steel in the automotive market. Award winners are chosen from presentations at the previous year’s GDIS symposium. Candidates are rated in several categories, including challenges and benefits associated with cost, mass reduction and performance and overall contribution to the advancement of steel and implementation in production.

GDIS debuted in 2002 with 545 registrants and has grown in attendance and scope. In 2024, more than 1,000 attendees from the steel industry, North American vehicle manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers, equipment suppliers, academia and media attended the event. AISI automotive program members include ArcelorMittal and Cleveland–Cliffs, Inc.  This year’s GDIS featured 25  technical presentations on vehicle architectures, manufacturing, materials and joining technologies. The agenda included a steel industry keynote address by Lourenco Goncalves, chairman, president and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., and an automotive keynote address from Wolfgang Maluche, vp of engineering at Volkswagen Group of America, and three featured OEM vehicle architecture presentations from GM, VW and Rivian.

Helping to support this year’s event are gold sponsors Gestamp, Profil and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd; silver sponsor Auto/Steel Partnership; bronze sponsors ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks, AutoForm, Dreistern, FUCHS, GEDIA, GNS North America, Lincoln Electric, Mubea, Multimatic, RB&W Corporation, Rhino Industrial Laser Solutions, TOX and TWB; media partners Center for Automotive Research, Precision Metalforming Association and Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International; and networking social hour sponsor Rivian.

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Contact: Lisa Harrison

202.452.7115 / lharrison@steel.org

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers, steel pipe and tube manufacturers, and steel processors and fabricators reflecting the production and distribution of both carbon and stainless steels which are critical to the everyday lives of all Americans — including national security, roads and bridges, buildings, the electrical grid, clean energy technologies and the automotive market. AISI also represents associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram.

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The words ‘steel’ and ‘BEV’ seem incongruent, given the widely forecasted trend toward aluminum architectures based on two or three large castings. GM itself has invested heavily in the Tesla-pioneered ‘gigacasting’ tech and will deploy it first in Cadillac’s new, ultra-exclusive (and much-delayed) Celestiq flagship. But GM’s electrification strategy depends on a variety of material and body-structure solutions. It’s a horses-for-courses approach aimed at balancing performance and product affordability, explained Blazer EV’s chief engineer Hoda Eiliat.

“In GM’s materials position, steel is obviously the most cost-effective approach,” Eiliat declared in her keynote at the 2024 Great Designs in Steel conference. Innovations in new alloys, metal forming and joining technologies continue to drive steel’s competitiveness, she told SAE Media following her presentation, adding that “obviously we have to look elsewhere when we have mass and parts-consolidation priorities.”

Read the full article by Lindsay Brooke here.

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“Today, many automakers are talking about high-pressure die-cast aluminum, especially for BEVs,” Brad Davey, executive VP at steel giant ArcelorMittal said. Speaking with SAE Media following his keynote address at the recent 2024 Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) conference in Novi, Michigan, Davey acknowledged that giant HPDC aluminum ‘gigacastings lend themselves to ‘skateboard ’EV platforms due to their potential to consolidate parts and simplify manufacturing. The end benefit, he said,“ is capital-expense assembly line savings,” particularly for EV companies.

“If you can reduce floor space and the number of welding robots in assembly, by using one large casting, it can be an attractive solution – compared with traditional processes, that is,” he said.

Read the full article here.

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NOVI, Mich. – The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) awarded its Automotive Excellence Award today to General Motors, Magna and Shape Corp. for their innovative application of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) in the GMC Hummer Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). The award was presented at the 22^nd annual Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) symposium at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, MI.

General Motors Design Release Engineer Stephen Dissler, Jr., General Motors Staff Design Release Engineer James Veal, Jr., Magna Department Manager William Perry and Shape Corp. Product Development Leader David Seiter received the award for their 2023 GDIS presentation titled “GMC Hummer EV SUV Body Structure.”

The GMC Hummer SUV has an innovative steel-intensive body structure architecture with a well-integrated Rechargeable Energy Storage System. It leverages a wide range of steel grades from mild to ultra-high strength steels to guarantee occupant safety, ensure battery system integrity and achieve excellent off-road capability while providing an open-air roof design. The Body-in-White is comprised of 37 percent high-strength steel and 26 percent ultra high-strength steel, seven percent AHSS, along with press hardened steel and mild steel.

The GMC vehicle design team used a variety of joining technologies such as traditional spot welding, metal inert gas welding, remote and tactile laser welding, and extensive adhesive applications to meet structural performance targets guaranteed to enable a safe and excellent vehicle driving experience. The team demonstrated the power of collaboration which included early planning, development and process design among the automaker and its supplier partners.

The AISI Automotive Excellence Award is presented each year at GDIS. It recognizes individuals or teams from automakers, suppliers or the academic community who have revolutionized the industry and made significant contributions to the advancement of steel in the automotive market. Award winners are chosen from presenters at the previous year’s GDIS symposium. Candidates are rated in several categories, including challenges and benefits associated with cost, mass reduction and performance, overall contribution to the advancement of steel and implementation in production.

GDIS debuted in 2002 with 545 registrants and has grown in attendance and scope. In 2023, more than 1,000 attendees from the steel industry, North American vehicle manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers, equipment suppliers, academia and media registered for the event. AISI automotive program members include ArcelorMittal and Cleveland–Cliffs, Inc.  This year’s event featured a keynote address from Brad Davey, executive vice president, corporate business optimisation / global auto at ArcelorMittal and an OEM vehicle presentation from Dr. Hoda Eiliat, structure lead integration engineer at General Motors about the Chevrolet Blazer EV – Body Structure. The event also featured more than 30 technical presentations covering vehicle architectures, materials and manufacturing, and joining, welding and fastening.

Helping to support this year’s event are gold sponsors Benteler, Gestamp, Profil and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd; silver sponsors Auto/Steel Partnership and CBMM – Niobium; bronze sponsors ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks, AutoForm, Dreistern, FUCHS, GEDIA North America, Lincoln Electric, Mubea, Multimatic, RB&W Corporation, Shape Corp. and TWB; media partners Fabricating and Metalworking, Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International and Precision Metalforming Association; and the social hour sponsor SkillReal.

Award recipients pictured below. 

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Contact: Lisa Harrison

202.452.7115 / lharrison@steel.org

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers reflecting the production of both carbon and stainless steels which are critical to the everyday lives of all Americans — including national security, roads and bridges, the electrical grid, clean energy technologies and the automotive market. AISI also represents nearly 80 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram. 

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Goncalves presented the “2024 Market Development Industry Leadership Awards” to Brian Keierleber, P.E., county engineer of Buchanan County, Iowa and Michael Worswick, Ph.D., P.Eng., professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

“We are pleased to recognize the leadership and unwavering dedication of Brian and Michael and their passion for conveying the benefits of steel as the material of choice in these key markets. Their expertise is a tremendous asset to the steel industry,” said Goncalves. “Providing durable steel solutions to meet the challenges faced by the infrastructure and automotive industries is paramount to American steel producers and our customers. We appreciate the continued leadership and significant contributions of these two individuals.”

Brian Keierleber oversees the maintenance and construction of 963 miles of county roads and 260 county bridges and has been instrumental in adopting new steel technologies to accomplish this mission. His groundbreaking achievements include construction of the first press-brake formed tub girder (PBFTG) structure in the U.S.; the first bridge designed and built using eSPAN140— a free web-based design tool developed by AISI; and the first known county bridge fabricated entirely with galvanized steel, showcasing the durability and longevity of hot-dip galvanized steel in harsh environments.

Michael Worswick co-directs the Waterloo Forming and Crash Lab and leads a research program addressing the fabrication of lightweight automotive body and structural components and their crash safety performance. His work is important to understanding the behavior of automotive steel grades under all conditions, which is critical to underscoring its success within the automotive industry as a cost-effective and sustainable solution to vehicle lightweighting. He has also contributed to the successful application of steel in automotive body and chassis structures and closures. Dr. Worswick has worked extensively with AISI’s Automotive Applications Council and the Auto/Steel Partnership and was recognized with the Auto/Steel Partnership’s Award of Excellence in 2020 and in 2022.

Left to Right: Lourenco Goncalves, AISI Chairman and the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.; Brian Keierleber, P.E., county engineer of Buchanan County, Iowa; Kevin Dempsey, AISI president and CEO

Left to Right: Lourenco Goncalves, AISI Chairman and the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.; Michael Worswick, Ph.D., P.Eng., professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo; Kevin Dempsey, AISI president and CEO

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Contact: Lisa Harrison

202.452.7115 / lharrison@steel.org

Contact: Sarah Bryant Burns

202.452.7176 / sburns@steel.org

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers reflecting the production of both carbon and stainless steels which are critical to the everyday lives of all Americans — including national security, roads and bridges, the electrical grid, clean energy technologies and the automotive market. AISI also represents nearly 80 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram. 

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