

Shape Corp., a leading automotive supplier in impact energy management, has been using Docol® AHSS in its Power B-Section bumper for many years. It allows for thinner steel gauges and reduced steel consumption by up to 20 percent. Shape Corp’s MonoLeg bumper, based on an exciting new design, offers the performance and mass of an aluminum bumper, with the cost advantage of a steel solution.
Updates to the IIHS and RCAR bumper test protocols include impacting beams into barriers that more realistically mimic other vehicle bumpers. Shape Corp. designed a geometry that counteracts both the torsion and bending demands of the IIHS and RCAR bumper test protocols. Blending the strength of the Shape Corp. Power-B bumper with the torsion strength of tubular sections, the MonoLeg improves torsion strength by 50% to combat the combined loading effect of these impacts.
By taking advantage of the high mechanical properties of AHSS and applying them to an optimal geometric design, the MonoLeg helps achieve fuel economy demands, including CAFE standards. A reduction in mass from a conventional steel bumper is achieved by roll forming the Shape MonoLeg bumper from AHSS, up to 1700 MPa. The characteristics of the Shape MonoLeg bumper can match those of 7000 aluminum alloys.
Force-deflection curves from IIHS bumper barrier impacts demonstrate the effectiveness of the MonoLeg vs. traditional lightweight:
This makes the Shape MonoLeg a key product for OEMs trying to balance mass reductions to meet CAFE, achieve the performance to meet impact regulations and maintain a reasonable price point.
The question of strength-to-weight ratio versus cost plays a key role in choosing bumper materials. Docol® steel helps you resolve this issue, bringing you the following benefits: