Optimization of manufacturing costs, weight and complexity of vehicle production: Door Ring made from a single tailored blank replaces up to eight individual parts of the vehicle structure.
At this year’s Blechexpo, the leading trade fair for sheet metal working and processing from October 21 to 24, 2025 in Stuttgart, Thyssenkrupp Steel will be presenting an innovative solution for the automotive industry in the form of the Door Ring. This technology has the potential to significantly simplify the lightweight body construction of the future while increasing efficiency – without compromising on safety.
The Door Ring is part of the “InPart Solutions” concept, with which thyssenkrupp Steel is specifically reducing complexity in vehicle production. The aim is to reduce material usage, joining operations and production costs through component integration. As part of a holistic approach to lightweight construction, the Door Ring demonstrates how performance, efficiency and sustainability can be combined in vehicle production.
The development was carried out in close cooperation with Baosteel Tailored Blanks, a long-standing partner for customized shaped blanks and joining technologies.
Simplified production, increased performance
The door ring, which is made from a single tailored blank, replaces up to eight individual parts in the vehicle structure. “Our solution not only optimizes manufacturing costs, but also reduces the weight and complexity of vehicle production,” explains Dr. Thomas Böttcher, Head of Application Concepts at thyssenkrupp Steel. “By integrating several components into a single part, manufacturers can simplify their production processes and increase the performance of their vehicles at the same time.”
The solution is based on a tailor-made blank that combines various steel grades with locally different properties such as thickness, strength and coating. This means that high-strength materials such as the MBW® 1200+AS, MBW 1500 and 1900+AS Pro grades are always used exactly where they are most needed for crash safety and lightweight construction.
Manganese-boron steels MBW with strengths of up to 1,900 MPa ensure maximum material efficiency. Simulations with the reference body of a compact vehicle show that weight savings of up to 5.8 kilograms per vehicle are possible in this way.
The particular technological challenges in the production of the door ring – such as the high material thickness jumps – are mastered using innovative processes such as the GONAtech welding process. This process makes it possible to weld blanks without decoating, thereby helping to reduce costs.
Potential for more sustainable vehicle construction
“With the combination of high-performance materials and customized production techniques, we ensure that the Door Ring is not only efficient but also sustainable. For us, this is the way to a more climate-friendly automotive industry,” Dr. Böttcher continues.
In addition to the production-related advantages, the Door Ring also offers potential for reducing CO2 emissions over the entire life cycle, as less material is required than with conventional vehicle structures and the lower vehicle weight contributes to a reduction in CO2 emissions during the use phase.
The close cooperation with the Duisburg-based partner company Baosteel Tailored Blanks in the development of the door ring also shows how thyssenkrupp Steel, as a partner to the automotive industry, not only supplies innovative materials, but also offers customized solutions for modern manufacturing processes. In doing so, the steel manufacturer is supporting the transformation of the industry towards more sustainable and efficient production.
