General Motors Engineers Receive SAE/AISI Award for Automotive Sheet Steel Research

WARRENDALE, Pa., June 17, 2008 - A team of engineers from General Motors Corporation is the recipient of the SAE International/American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Sydney H. Melbourne Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Automotive Sheet Steel. They were honored during the SAE 2008 World Congress in Detroit.

The SAE/AISI award, established in 1997, recognizes authors who effectively demonstrate ways to further the use of sheet steel in automotive applications. The award honors the accomplishments of the late Sydney H. Melbourne of Dofasco, Inc.

This award is funded through the SAE Foundation. In addition to supporting the awards, recognition and scholarship programs of SAE International, the SAE Foundation develops and funds programs and incentives that foster student interest in engineering, scientific and technical education.

The following recipients are recognized for co-authoring the paper, "On Improving the Accuracy of Springback Prediction and Die Compensation" (SAE paper #2007-01-1687).

Siguang Xu
Xu is a senior analyst with the Die Engineering Global Formability Group in the Manufacturing Engineering Division of General Motors in Pontiac, Mich. He works on developing new technologies using computer-aided engineering simulation for metal stamping. Prior to joining General Motors, Xu worked at Chrysler. He has worked in the area of materials forming for more than 20 years.

Xu has more than 30 technical publications to his credit. He is the recipient of several General Motors awards, including the Chairman’s Honor Award, the Boss Kettering Award and the R & D Charles L. McCuen Award.

Xu holds bachelor’s, master's and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering. He resides in Rochester Hills, Mich.

For more information on Xu, please contact Jean Terenzi at General Motors, jean.terenzi@gm.com.

Kunmin Zhao
Zhao is a senior manufacturing project engineer in the Manufacturing Engineering Division of General Motors in Pontiac, Mich. He has been involved in the research and application of sheet metal forming for 12 years.

Zhao has authored several publications on material parameters identification, formability of tailer welded blanks and the springback of high strength steels.

Zhao holds a doctorate from The Ohio State University in mechanical engineering. He resides in Rochester Hills, Mich.

For more information on Zhao, please contact Jean Terenzi at General Motors, jean.terenzi@gm.com.

Terry Lanker
Lanker is a stamping architect at General Motors. He resides in Rochester Hills, Mich.

For more information on Lanker, please contact Cheryl Grohoski at General Motors, cheri.grohoski@gm.com.

Jimmy Zhang
Zhang is an engineering group manager in the Manufacturing Engineering Division of General Motors in Pontiac, Mich. He has worked on the development of draw dies and line dies at General Motors for 12 years. Previously, he worked at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company.

This is Zhang’s second technical publication. He is also co-author of "Virtual Manufacturing of Automotive Body Side Outers Using Advanced Line Die Forming Simulation" (SAE paper #2007-01-1688). He is a member of SAE International.

Zhang received his bachelor’s in solid mechanics and his master’s in aircraft design from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He holds a doctorate in materials science and engineering from the University of California at Irvine.

For more information on Zhang, please contact Cheryl Grohoski at GM, cheri.grohoski@gm.com.

Chuantao Wang
Wang is Chief Die Engineer and Technical Fellow in the Global Die Center at the Manufacturing Engineering Division of General Motors in Warren, Mich. In this role, he is responsible for virtual manufacturing engineering technology, standards and processes in global dies and stamping. He is an internationally recognized technologist in the development and implementation of advanced stamping using computer-aided engineering technology and production systems for digital die manufacturing and stamping. Wang has more than 28 years of experience in manufacturing engineering and more than 70 publications to his credit.

Wang holds his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Chongqing University in China. He also holds a master's in material science and engineering and a doctorate in industrial systems and engineering from The Ohio State University.

For more information on Wang, please contact Cheryl Grohoski at GM at General Motors, cheri.grohoski@gm.com.

For more information on the SAE International/AISI Sydney H. Melbourne Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Automotive Sheet Steel, please contact pr@sae.org.