Page 43 - MetalForming Magazine February 2023 - Metal Forming for the Automotive Industry

Prior to arriving at AISI, Kristock served as a scientist, manufacturing engineer and quality-assurance leader. He has served as vice president, quality and product development, at Severstal North America and as co-chair of its international global technology system. His career experience also includes quality assurance, product develop- ment, advanced engineering, technical service, process engineering, metal- lurgy, steelmaking and casting in both basic-oxygen-furnace and electric-arc- furnace operations. Kristock holds a degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, and is a past chair of AISI’s Com- mittee on Manufacturing Technology and a Life Member of the Association for Iron and Steel Technology. He also holds International Automotive Task Force auditor certifications.
“AISI is a catalyst for engaging the steel industry to conduct research, pro- vide technology transfer and promote steel-intensive solutions in the auto market,” said Kristock upon his hiring. “I am excited to be part of the auto- motive program and look forward working with the automotive industry to sustain the safety and durability of cars while reducing environmental impacts.”
Offering more specifics on the coat- ings discussions at GDIS 2023, Kristock tells MetalForming that some abstracts indicate presentations that focus on press hardening and coating types that have less requirements for post-hot stamping treatment than others.
“Recently developed coatings,” he says, “are more robust and can with- stand variances in heating, where some of the zinc coatings, to work properly, require a very tight window of heating. We’re also seeing new developments in zinc-based coatings that the auto- motive industry may someday incor- porate. We focus on preparations need- ed to provide these coatings, which are in use overseas.”
Tier Experience Brought to Bear
AISI efforts such as offering GDIS
seek to push materials-technology developments toward the manufactur- ing mainstream by educating OEMS and Tier suppliers on processing tech- niques, and Kristock feels that his extensive experience in both steel and its processing can help.
“I've been a Tier-One supplier to the automotive industry for all of my 40-some years in the business,” he says, “so I have great respect for what automakers require and what they need from supplier industries as well as sup- pliers themselves. And, this experience gives me a lot of insight. I'm trying to make sure that we're connecting on a superior technical level with the auto- motive-body-structures groups to show them the advances in steels, and edu- cate them on how these advances come about—through robust development efforts.
“There's a large number of propri- etary manufacturing and processing technologies now available,” Kristock continues, “and one AISI project, for example, seeks to integrate new steel grades with these technologies in order to make cost-efficient manufacturing proposals to automotive. AISI seeks to define, develop and communicate innovations, which then can take off on their own as manufacturing prin- ciples. We're not advocating for any one particular processor or supplier of technology, but as a whole in combi- nation with steel.”
From such over-arching missions, Kristock drills down on specific projects such as designing proposals for steel- intensive bumper systems and battery enclosures.
“Bumper systems and battery enclo- sures have in a sense gravitated in the aluminum direction due to their appli- cation in the initial premium alu- minum-intensive EVs,” he offers. “Tier manufacturers now hear from automakers a desire to improve cost performance as well as sustainabili- ty—both well-served by steel. So, we need to propose some functional steel- intensive alternatives to the market- place for acceptance in design, and
we’re working on that.”
Another area where Kristock hopes
to capitalize on his steel-processor experience: He sees a broad opportu- nity for information on the nuances of processing AHSS on the shop floor. One example: “While working at a blanking company,” he recalls, “I noticed that operators were attempting to manually fold AHSS blank scrap and sometimes jump on it to make it easier to toss into a scrap bin. That, for me, was a safety concern on a detail of AHSS consumption, and the experi- ence was emblematic of the need for education on this and other opportu- nities related to working efficiently with AHSS.”
As a result, AISI is creating a website to collect available training for metal formers and other steel processors to enable improved shop-floor practices with AHSS. Look for availability by the end of 2023, according to Kristock. Also in the works this year, a searchable online database of past GDIS presen- tations owing to requests from auto- motive engineers.
Focus on Sustainability
With GDIS 2023 rapidly finalizing, and so many AISI-automotive projects in the works, there’s plenty to report on, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t dis- cuss sustainability.
“One of the great unknowns about steel as a material for automotive man- ufacturing—the U.S. steel industry is a global leader in terms of addressing greenhouse-gas emissions,” Kristock offers. “Our technologies and technical improvements in steel-making process- es make us the world's lowest emitter. In addition, we’re working with many decarbonization initiatives including the potential, when it becomes avail- able, of how to integrate more hydro- gen into our steel-mill operations.”
Increasing U.S. investment in direct- reduced-iron technology and facilities provides for a win-win, in decarboniza- tion and domestic steel-making self-suf- ficiency, and is a message that AISI and Kristock want everyone to know. MF
40 MetalForming/February 2023
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