Abstract: Aluminum sheet products having high strengths and favorable crashworthiness are disclosed. The aluminum alloys include Si, Mg and Mn in controlled amounts which provide high yield strengths while retaining formability and crash resistant properties. The sheet products undergo heat treatment and slow quenching. The sheet products are particularly suitable for use as auto body sheet products.

Abstract: An energy absorption system and method comprised of a crush tube, a taper component, and a flare component. The crush tube is inserted into a matching hole in the taper component. As the taper and flare components are moved down over the crush tube, the taper component decreases the diameter of the crush tube and the flare component splits the crush tube in a plurality of petals. The crush tube may include a plurality of initiator slits to aid in the flaring process. When mounted with the longitudinal axis of the crush tube parallel to an axis of an impact, the present invention is capable of absorbing some or all of the crash event by dissipating energy by the tapering, flaring, friction, and other methods.

Abstract: An energy absorption system and method comprised of a crush tube, a taper component, and a flare component. The crush tube is inserted into a matching hole in the taper component. As the taper and flare components are moved down over the crush tube, the taper component decreases the diameter of the crush tube and the flare component splits the crush tube in a plurality of petals. The crush tube may include a plurality of initiator slits to aid in the flaring process. When mounted with the longitudinal axis of the crush tube parallel to an axis of an impact, the present invention is capable of absorbing some or all of the crash event by dissipating energy by the tapering, flaring, friction, and other methods.