CANTON, Mich., Aug. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Material Sciences Corporation (MSC) was named one of only five winners globally of the 2019 Altair Enlighten Award at a ceremony on August 5. This awards event is timed to coincide with the CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan. The prestigious Enlighten Award was created to honor the greatest achievements in the world of vehicle weight savings each year.

MSC was honored for its MSC Smart Steel^®, a new multilayer steel laminate engineered as a direct substitute for low carbon steel stamped vehicle body parts. Offering a 20% to 40% mass save compared with same-thickness standard steel, MSC Smart Steel is produced as a coil, stamped in conventional dies, spot welded with existing equipment and processed through standard electro-coat and paint systems – essentially compatible with existing manufacturing systems. This is the first ever spot-weldable, low-density composite laminate to be used in a body application.

"I describe it as achieving the 'Triple Crown' of automotive technology recognition," states Matt Murphy, MSC chief technology officer. "First, we were awarded new MSC Smart Steel business on two all new global Ford platforms. Then, back in February, we won the prestigious Automotive News PACE Award for innovation. Now, we've won the Altair Enlighten Award for this remarkable product we call MSC Smart Steel. It has been a great year for Material Sciences Corporation!"

He continued: "MSC Smart Steel will make its first appearance in the automotive industry as roof bows on the 2020 Lincoln Aviator and the 2020 Escape/Corsair platforms. This is a perfect example of how innovative designs and lightweight materials are playing a significant role in delivering competitive vehicles that do not compromise performance."

Material Sciences Corporation earned this year's Altair Enlighten Award after extensive review by an independent panel of judges from Europe, Asia and the Americas. The 7th annual Altair Enlighten program is the automotive industry's only award dedicated to vehicle lightweighting. It inspires interest from industry, engineering, policymakers, educators, students and the public, creates further competition for new ideas in the industry, and provides an incentive to share technological advances. The award offers nominees the chance to be recognized internationally as a leading figure in the effort to reduce vehicle weight and meet emissions targets.

Go to www.materialsciencescorp.com/products/smart-steel to learn more about MSC Smart Steel. For complete details of the Altair Enlighten Award, visit http://altairenlighten.com/award/.

About Material Sciences Corporation
Material Sciences Corporation (MSC) provides advanced solutions in metals, metal products and metal processing across a diverse array of end-use markets. Specialties include electrogalvanizing, continuous coil-coating, laminating, acoustic composites and supply chain management. Headquartered in Canton, Michigan, Material Sciences Corporation has manufacturing operations in East Chicago, Indiana; Walbridge, Ohio; Canfield, Ohio; Elk Grove Village, Illinois; Los Angeles, California and Toronto, Ontario. Visit www.materialsciencescorp.com for details regarding products and services.

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SOURCE Material Sciences Corporation