Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

Students in the transportation design program at Lawrence Tech have won scholarships from the Wheels Task Force of the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI) after competing in the 2011 steel wheel design competition held at Lawrence Tech on March 17.

Colin Bonathan, a sophomore, won first place and was awarded a $2,500 scholarship. Second place went to senior Chris Nichols, who received a $1,500 scholarship, and Matthew Eash, a sophomore, placed third and was awarded a scholarship of $1,000.

In addition, nine students who participated in the competition received honorable mentions and were awarded $100 each.

“The steel wheel design competition presented student designers with a rare opportunity to influence the growing automotive styled steel-wheel market,” said Ron Krupitzer, SMDI’s vice president for the automotive market. “This year, the students took steel to a new level in terms of lightweighting and their designs proved to be low-mass, feasible concepts that automakers and customers would love.”

Students designed wheels for luxury cars and were judged by a panel of steel industry experts, automotive designers and wheel manufacturers on the following criteria: material celebration, changing customer perception of steel wheels in the automotive industry, creativity and feasibility in a real-world design, and concept.

Bonathan’s winning design for a 2011 Chrysler 300 includes a cylindrical shape that offers more character than today’s flat blanks. Based on a paper model he designed as a solution on how to simulate folding steel, the wheel features high-strength stainless steel to achieve a lightweight design;

Nichols , the winner of last year’s competition at Lawrence, gave his presentation via Skype from Germany, where he is an intern with Volkswagen. Nichol’s wheel was designed for the luxury electric car Fisker Karma. His wheel, inspired by a heated coffee mug, is designed to celebrate electric cars and integrates heatsinks on the spoke, drawing heat from the hubmotors and electronic components for a functional and appealing design. With heat reactive paint that has a subtle glow, the wheel creates an eco-friendly identity at night.

Inspired by an electric guitar and American culture, Eash created a modular design that feature a lightweight, steel-stamped backbone with a concave side in front to show depth and accentuate its steel-rolled spokes. Designed for a Lincoln MKR concept, the wheel is integrated for balance and allows for owner customization without compromising strength.

The steel wheels design competition highlighted the significant gains steel wheels are achieving with automakers through innovative styling, higher profit margins, lower warranty costs, competitive weight, and superior durability.

SMDI is a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute that grows and maintains the use of steel through strategies that promote cost-effective solutions in the automotive, construction and container markets, as well as for new-growth opportunities in emerging steel markets.  For more news or information, visit www.autosteel.org.

SMDI’s Automotive Application Council investors include AK Steel Corp., ArcelorMittal Dofasco, ArcelorMittal USA, Nucor Corporation, ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, LLC, and United States Steel Corp.

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