A view of the Tata Steel factory in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, May 15: A Tata Steel technological breakthrough could pave the path for manufacture stronger, lighter, safer and joint-less metal frames for cars.

The tube division of the company has successfully made a special frame, called “hydro-formed” or “space frame”, that are strong but compact and light. The structure of the frame is believed to be similar to those used in spacecraft.

These frames, experts perceive, would make cars safer, cheaper and more fuel-efficient.

The technology is the first of its kind to be used by an Indian company. As of now, experts said, Indian car manufacturers use frames made out of flat steel bars, which make the vehicles heavier and less fuel-efficient.

Hyrdo-formed frames are widely used by automob- ile manufacturers in the USA and Europe. The new technology is being widely accepted by car manufacturers elsewhere, too.

Head of the company’s technology services O.P. Sharma said they have set up a unit with technical collaboration from German company Schuler to manufacture these frames.

“All the machines for setting up the state of the art hydro-formed frames have been supplied by Schuler,” said Sharma.

The frames, Sharma said, would be used in the Tata Motor’s small car expected to hit the market next year. “Depending on the success and requirement we will start manufacturing these frames for other cars. How and when is yet to be decided,” he said.

Refusing to divulge details of the weight and the cost of the frame, Sharma added: “I can assure (you) that it will be cheaper, lighter, stronger and more fuel-efficient than the conventional frames.”

Sources in Tata Steel said the breakthrough was achieved by the efforts of a team of experts who were working on the project for five years.

“We have subjected the frame to all kinds of test and are satisfied with the outcome. The frame was also subjected to the Charpy Impact Test, an internationally accepted test to assess toughness of the frame, by breaking it and the result was excellent. The frame was more tougher than those used by car manufacturers in the country,” said an official.

The frame is called hydro-formed as it is manufactured by passing water at a specific temperature through a single tube and bending it as per the requirement. The tube can be made to constrict or expand at a particular point by using this technique.