Steel Mills

Ford Selects ArcelorMittal AHSS for 2021 Bronco

October 15, 2020

Ford has selected ArcelorMittal and its Fortiform 980 GI steel as its sole source of third-generation advanced high-strength steel for use in the 2021 Ford Bronco. The steel is produced at AM/NS Calvert and is designed for automotive application due to its strength and formability.

“Ford called us to see if we could develop this specific type of steel. We were actually already in the development phase, so we discussed the opportunities as well as where they could utilize this material and for which vehicle, “said Michael Lizak, global technology coordinator for Ford at Automotive Product Applications R&D. “Ford’s chief engineer gave us a goal to decrease the total vehicle weight by 10%. In terms of safety, we selected a higher strength material, which gives Ford a huge safety advantage.”

Ford prioritized sourcing a steel that has an excellent balance of strength and ductility with superior welding capability. Fortiform 980 GI out-performed the competition in a welding study. The high-strength steel is also a lower gauge than steels used in the prior Bronco model, which enables weight savings with complex shapes through better formability.

FordBronco

ArcelorMittal R&D and Ford’s design and welding experts worked closely on the project along with the joint venture partners at AM/NS Calvert.

“From a process perspective, because this was a coated product, we enlisted the coating experts on my team along with the product design experts,” said Jayanth Chintamani, director, automotive product research, ArcelorMittal R&D. “We then made sure that the target-critical processing parameters during various stages of industrial manufacturing were met with support from process experts at R&D as well.”

The steel is made on the upgraded line at AM/NS Calvert. “By designing the product at R&D and bringing it to Calvert for manufacturing, we are adding value to Calvert JV operations and ArcelorMittal at large,” added Jayanth.

The 2021 Ford Bronco will begin production in February and be available at dealers in Q2 2021. As the first new model of the Bronco in 50 years, Ford already has 150,000 pre-orders.