The development of a crash box that absorbs high crash energy has earned Sumitomo Metals and Toyoda Iron Works Co. Ltd a joint award of a Commendation from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for fiscal year 2009, in the Development Category for Science and Technology on 20 April 2009. A crash box is the body structure at the end of a car frame which provides crash safety improvement for automobile passengers. It deforms at the time of a frontal or rear crash, absorbing the energy of the impact before deforming the interior of the vehicle. Sumitomo Metals and Toyoda Iron Works jointly developed the design scheme of a new crash box that reduces the mass and improves crash energy absorption.