The second generation Nissan Titan pickup is all-new for 2016, and the XD has been named Cars.com 2016 Truck of the Year, with high marks for ruggedness and payload.
Among the features making a significant contribution to the extra-strength capability of the all-steel body is the hydroformed roof structure system designed and produced by Vari-Form.
Vari-Form director of sales and marketing Terry Nardone said: "The roof rail system is an excellent example of our Hydroform-Intensive Body Structures (HIBS) strategy.
"It's essential to ensuring cab integrity and occupant protection, and our hydroforming expertise helped Nissan meet their targets for roof strength and crash performance."
Designing this part around a single hydroformed component helped Vari-Form to commonize a diverse selection of roof rail configurations into a single concept that works well for all variants of the Titan model.
Nardone continued: "The efficiency of our approach also reduces part count by over 20 parts per truck. In previous designs, those separate pieces had to be welded together to form the rail. Integration of features like flanges and piercings into the die allows production of the hydroformed tube as a single part.
"The resulting vehicle mass savings of 15.9kg are particularly significant because we can reduce weight while retaining the proven strength of steel."
Noting that this is the first use of high-strength, variable-gage steel tubing in a roof rail application, Mr. Nardone indicated that Vari-Form R&D engineers adjusted the design to hold tolerances in the part coming out of the die.
