Using aluminum alloy materials to achieve lightweight automotive

【China Aluminum Industry Network】 Energy saving, environmental protection, safety, comfort, intelligence and networking are the trends in the development of automotive technology. Energy saving and environmental protection in particular are related to the sustainable development of humankind. Therefore, reducing fuel consumption and reducing the emission of CO2 and harmful gases and particles to the atmosphere have become major research topics in the automotive industry. Reducing the quality of automobiles (lightweight cars) is one of the more effective measures to reduce fuel consumption and reduce emissions. There are two ways to reduce the weight of automobiles: one is to optimize the automotive frame structure; the other is to use lightweight materials in the bodywork. The commonly used lightweight material is aluminum alloy.

At present, aluminum used in the world's transportation industry accounts for 26% of aluminum production, compared with 5.7% in China. With the development of our country's economy and the improvement of people's living standards, the demand for transportation is increasing. Therefore, aluminum alloy materials have great room for development in the transportation industry in China.

Almost all pistons of modern car engines use cast aluminum alloys. This is because the pistons, as the main reciprocating parts, rely on weight reduction to reduce inertia, reduce crankshaft weight, increase efficiency, and require good thermal conductivity of the material. The coefficient of thermal expansion, as well as good mechanical properties around 350°C, can be met by cast aluminum alloys. At the same time, due to the use of cast aluminum alloy parts for pistons and connecting rods, the quality is reduced, engine vibration is reduced, noise is reduced, and engine fuel consumption is reduced. This is also in line with the automotive trend.

The car body accounts for about 30% of the car's quality. For the car itself, about 70% of the fuel consumption is used for the body's quality. Therefore, the car body's aluminizing is crucial to improve the vehicle's fuel economy. Earlier in 1980 Audi used aluminum alloy doors on the Audi80 and Audi100, and continued to expand its use. In 1994, Audi Company spent 8 million euros to establish aluminum center (1994 - 2002), was renamed "Audi aluminum and light and heavy juice design center" two years ago. Developed in 1994 on the basis of the former Audi A8 aluminum space frame structure (ASF), the ASF body exceeds the strength and safety level of modern car sheet steel bodies. However, the quality of the car itself has been reduced by about 40%. The AudiA2, which was born in 1999, became the first mass-produced sedan with this technology. In 2002, Audi's aluminum and light weight design center realized the birth of the second generation AudiA8.

During this period, Alcoa developed a new automotive production technology. Today, the automated operation of aluminum body manufacturing has reached 80%, catching up with the automation level of traditional steel body production. Audi and Aluminum Corporation of America have maintained a good relationship of cooperation. The goal of the cooperation between the two companies is to jointly develop a new all-aluminum body car that can be mass-produced.

Alcoa provides global automakers with a wide variety of high-performance automotive components and assemblies, including aluminum panels for automotive body panels, die-cast wheels, power distribution systems, chassis and suspension components, and bumpers, engine mounts, and transmissions. Shafts, roof systems, etc.; second-generation ASF frame structures including the AudiA8, aluminum suspensions for the BMW 5 and 7 series, Nissan Altima's hood and hub, Ferrari 612-Scaglietti's all-aluminum body structure, and The vacuum die-casting technology used by Jaguar XJ. Alcoa’s products and solutions have enabled these models to be more lightweight and more technical.

At present, one of the main reasons restricting the large-scale application of aluminum alloys in automobiles is that their price is higher than that of steel. In order to promote the large-scale application of aluminum alloys in automobiles, the cost of materials must be reduced. In addition to the development of low-cost aluminum alloys and advanced aluminum alloy forming processes, recycling and recycling technologies can further reduce the production costs of aluminum alloys. Another research direction for the expansion of aluminum alloy applications is the development of new connection technologies. The future development of multi-material structure cars requires the connection of two different types of materials (such as cast iron, aluminum, steel, aluminum, aluminum, magnesium, etc.). These connection technologies and surface treatment technologies for preventing corrosion of materials and parts are important issues for the future expansion of aluminum alloys in automotive applications.