Auto/Steel Partnership's John Catterall Featured Panelist at the 2017 Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., July 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Auto/Steel Partnership's (A/SP), newly appointed executive director, John K. Catterall, was a featured panelist during the 2017 Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management Briefing Seminars (MBS), taking place today through Thursday, Aug. 3, at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City, Michigan.

The panel titled "World Class Manufacturing Technologies" was held Monday afternoon, covering new manufacturing processes being developed and implemented to improve efficiency or advance capabilities in world class manufacturing systems.

Catterall's presentation focused on A/SP's collaborative work with OEMs and member steel companies to implement new, third generation advanced high-strength steels (3(rd) Gen AHSS) into future vehicles. He also unveiled the 2017 A/SP Technology Roadmap, which details technical areas of research and new development project opportunities for the automotive and steel industries over the course of the next four years. Focus areas for 2017 through 2021 include materials, modeling, joining, forming, and other /crosscutting.

"The opportunities presented in the roadmap illustrate how the steel and automotive industries will continue to work hand-in-hand to overcome the challenges and to advance the global automotive industry while driving innovation," said Catterall. "There are many synergies between A/SP and CAR and MBS is a great forum to announce our vision."

A/SP is a 30-year collaboration of auto companies and steel makers that leverages the intellectual and technical resources of the automotive, steel and related industries and organizations to develop pre-competitive lightweight steel solutions to meet the current and future needs of automakers. This consortium has proven to be a long-time leader in delivering mass-efficient, high-performing and cost-effective solutions for body and chassis applications as evident by numerous applications on the road today.

Formed in 1987, the Auto/Steel Partnership is a consortium of North American automotive companies and the Steel Market Development Institute's Automotive Applications Council. The Partnership leverages resources of the automotive and steel industries to pursue research, validation and education that have helped automakers enhance vehicle safety and fuel economy and improve design and manufacturing.

Through the Auto/Steel Partnership, automakers and steel companies have worked to drive improvements through projects focused on new steels, manufacturing processes and design challenges, including mass reduction with steel. Auto/Steel Partnership members include AK Steel Corporation, ArcelorMittal, FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Nucor Corporation. For more information, visit www.a-sp.org.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/autosteel-partnerships-john-catterall-featured-panelist-at-the-2017-center-for-automotive-research-management-briefing-seminars-300496798.html

SOURCE Auto/Steel Partnership