Where Classroom Meets Factory Floor: A/SP and MTU Partner to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Advanced High-Strength Steel Trim Tools

MTU Team at Sun Steel Treating (From Left to Right: [Jim McGuirk, Jr. (Sun Steel), Jim McGuirk III (Sun Steel), Aaron Longstreet (MacLean Additive), Drew Hill (GM), Sophia Vue (MTU), Karoline Lenczewski (MTU), Liam Farr (MTU), Alec Clark (MTU), Eric McCarty (A/SP)]

The Auto/Steel Partnership (A/SP) is sponsoring a Capstone Project at Michigan Technological University (MTU) to explore the use of additive manufacturing for fabricating trim tools used to process advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) in automotive components and assemblies.

On March 5, the MTU team—comprised of four engineering students—visited the Detroit area to gain firsthand exposure to the technologies and manufacturing environments supporting this research. The visit included tours of Sun Steel Treating (South Lyon), MacLean Additive (Madison Heights), the Oakland University Research and Innovation Center (Rochester Hills), and Gestamp (Mason).

At Sun Steel Treating, Inc. , the students learned about commercial ion nitriding and vacuum heat treatment processes used to enhance the durability and performance of tool steels for stamping dies. MacLean Additive demonstrated laser powder bed fusion technologies used to produce both small and large-scale metal components. At Oakland University , the team toured the formability laboratory, reviewed a trim die test system, and learned about research methodologies used to evaluate trim die wear and performance. The visit concluded at Gestamp, where students toured the facility and observed the production of large automotive body components (“giga-stampings”) manufactured from laser-welded blanks.

A/SP extends its sincere thanks to Sun Steel Treating, MacLean Additive, Oakland University, and Gestamp for their support of this project and for hosting the students. Experiences like these provide invaluable opportunities for students to engage directly with industry while advancing collaborative research that supports the future of automotive manufacturing.