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by Gary S. Vasilash > Editor-In-Chief Jody N. Hall has a PhD from the department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan. She had a GM Fellowship while pursuing her PhD. Her Masters' is from the same department. Her BSE comes from the Metallurgical Engineering Dept. at Michigan. What's interesting to note is the sub- ject of Hall's PhD thesis: "Fatigue Behavior of SiC Particulate Reinforced Aluminum." Interesting because of where Hall, who had been with General Motors for some 30 years, having joined the company in 1984, now works. She is the vice president, Automotive Market, Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). That's right, Hall is heading up an organization that is committed to advancing the interests of steel manufacturers in the automotive space. She knows her stuf about nonferrous materials as well as the ferrous that she promotes. Steel: Where It Is & Where It Is Going While there is a lot of discussion of alternative materials for vehicle manufacture nowadays, one of those alternatives just may be something that's in the 3GAHSS category—that's as in "third-generation advanced high-strength steel." Of course, "3GAHSS" just sounds more up-to-date than steel, doesn't it? p This is a look at the structure of the 2016 Cadillac CT6. The skin of the car is all aluminum, but as is evident here, the structure is a combination of steel and aluminum. According to Travis Hester, Cadillac CT6 executive chief engineer, "The structure of the CT6 is one of the most advanced body systems we've ever produced. The innovation surrounding our joining techniques have enabled us to create a vehicle structure with the highest torsional rigidity of any Cadillac while achieving one of the most mass-efcient vehicles in the segment." Note that steel is used for the B-pillar, which is thin enough to provide ingress, egress and visibility, while being strong enough to provide cabin safety. The material is also used in other areas around the cabin to handle crash energy and to resist intrusion. Although 64% of the CT6's body structure is aluminum, it should be noted that it is the most premium of the Cadillac sedan lineup. Said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen of the approach to materials use, "With the CT6, we used high-strength aluminum and high-strength steels; lightweight chassis components; we integrate aluminum and steel where it makes sense; we eliminate every gram of mass possible, while achieving world-class performance." AD&P; > May 2015 > FEATURE > Steel: Where It Is & Where It Is Going > Gary S. Vasilash > gsv@autofeldguide.com 32