The demand for aluminum and its alloys is projected to grow by 39% over the next decade in the North American light automotive sector [1]. Aluminum is an attractive material for the transportation industry as it is lightweight and possesses excellent static and dynamic mechanical properties. With the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards mandating reduced fuel consumption, automotive vehicles need to be lighter in weight. However, reducing fuel consumption is only one part of the issue. The reduction of CO2 emissions and energy usage during production is also critical moving forward. By manufacturing aluminum components from secondary material streams, 95% less CO2 is emitted and the energy consumed is reduced by 92% compared to primary production [2-3]. The complete benefit of automotive light-weighting using aluminum cannot be fully achieved without an efficient and effective end-of-life collection and recovery process.
Aluminum armor solutions have been in existence for the past 60 years, almost since the start of the Aluminum Association circa 1954. These plate products were developed for armored personnel carriers, either wheeled or tracked. Armored vehicles serve an important function as reconnaissance, ambulance, scout, or infantry delivery vehicles. One of the first armored vehicles, which used aluminum armor, was the M113 armored personnel vehicle (Figure 1). The M113 introduced new aluminum armor that made the vehicle much lighter than earlier vehicles; it was thick enough to protect the crew and passengers against small arms fire, but light enough that the vehicle was air transportable.
General Motors Co. said it will spend an additional $1 billion on US manufacturing plants, a move the automaker estimated would add or retain 1500 factory jobs.
GM (Detroit) didn’t specify the factories affected, saying in a statement that such details “will be announced throughout the year.” The investment will involve “multiple new vehicle, advanced technology and component projects,” GM said.
Researchers at Ohio State University have found a way to deactivate “nano twins” to improve the high-temperature properties of superalloys that are used in jet engines.
The advance could speed the development of turbine engines of all sorts, including those used for transportation and power generation.
Dana Incorporated announced that several of its advanced technologies are incorporated into vehicles and engines that have recently received significant industry accolades. Specifically, its technologies are utilized on the 2017 North American Truck and Utility Vehicles of the Year, the Motor Trend Truck of the Year, and six of the 2017 Wards 10 Best Engines.
The 2017 Honda Ridgeline and 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, named the North American Truck and Utility Vehicles of the Year at this year’s North American International Auto Show, incorporate Dana’s high-performing technologies into their powertrain assemblies. The Honda Ridgeline features Dana’s Victor Reinz® cam cover module on its 3.5L V-6 engine, and Victor Reinz® heat shields are incorporated on the Chrysler Pacifica.
Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year, the 2017 Ford Super Duty, boasts a variety of Dana’s leading driveline, sealing, and thermal-management technologies. Specifically, Dana supplied its Spicer® front and rear axles, as well as Spicer® propshafts, for the 2017 F-250 through F-550 models.
In addition, Dana supplies exhaust manifold, exhaust gas recirculation, and turbo gaskets; thermal-acoustical protective shielding (TAPS); and charge air, transmission oil, engine oil, and diesel fuel coolers for the Ford Super Duty 6.7-liter diesel engine. Dana’s valve stem seals, transmission oil cooler, and plastic cam covers also are incorporated into the 6.2-liter gas engine. Together, these technologies help the automaker meet industry demands by improving fuel economy and engine durability, and by reducing oil consumption, weight, and emissions.
Multiple Dana solutions were also integrated onto this year’s Wards 10 Best Engines. Included among these are Dana’s Victor Reinz® exhaust manifold gaskets, which deliver peak performance and withstand temperatures up to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, Dana’s Long-brand engine oil cooler helps to properly utilize energy and improve fuel economy while reducing emissions.
Dana technologies on the 2017 Wards 10 Best Engines include:
Chevrolet Volt 1.5L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor EREV – Equipped with Victor Reinz TAPS and valve stem seals.
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid 3.6L DOHC V-6/Dual Motor PHEV – Features Victor Reinz heat shields.
Ford Focus RS 2.3L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. – Equipped with Long engine oil cooler and Victor Reinz cylinder head, exhaust manifold, and secondary gaskets.
Honda Accord Hybrid 2.0L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor HEV – Includes a Victor Reinz cam cover.
Infiniti Q50 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC V-6 – Equipped with Long engine oil cooler.
Mercedes-Benz C300 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. – Utilizes Victor Reinz secondary gaskets and TAPS.
“Having the honor of being a part of these industry-leading vehicles and engines speaks to the culture of innovation and customer service at Dana,” said James Kamsickas, president and chief executive officer of Dana. “Every day we strive to develop technologies that will help our customers meet their performance and efficiency goals. It is a privilege to have had the opportunity to help power these well-deserving award recipients.”
Vehicle and aircraft manufacturers are positive about 2017. Increased passenger traffic is pushing up demand for new aircraft, whilst new models are expected to drive automotive sales.
GKN Driveline has committed to a five-year, $179-million capital-investment program at five manufacturing operations in North Carolina, taking advantage of several state and local subsidies in four counties. The manufacturer indicates the investments will add 302 new positions to its payroll in the state, where it already employs an estimated 2,700 workers.
GKN Driveline designs and manufactures a variety of automotive driveline components and systems, including constant-velocity joint (CVJ) systems, all-wheel drive systems, trans-axle systems, and eDrive systems. It is one of four business units of the British engineering group GKN plc.
Sapa has developed the first-ever automotive aluminium brake line using a high-strength aluminium alloy.
“The entire industry is on a mission to reduce weight in cars as a key to lowering emissions. In Sapa, we are using our knowledge to identify new parts where we can use aluminium to make cars lighter, safer and more efficient. The brake line development is one such innovation that can reduce the weight with over 50 percent compared to steel,” says innovation and technology manager Jens Sandahl Sørensen.
Fourteen meters of weight savings The normal volume of a brake line in a light vehicle is around 12-14 meters. By replacing steel with aluminium in this component, car manufacturers can shed around 600 grams of the approximately 1 kilogram of weight.
“Aluminium is a material that gives enormous flexibility in both design and workability, and this opens up for new developments. The automotive market is one of Sapa’s main markets, and we are dedicated to investing in research and development to help car manufacturers develop lighter and safer cars,” says business development manager Klaus J. Sandfeld.
The full potential of extruded aluminium in cars and trucks is far from realized. Aluminium is often viewed only as an alternative material, but aluminium is not lightweight steel. “You can design components that simply cannot be manufactured in steel, with different properties and added functionality,” says Sandfeld.
Sapa supplies the automotive industry with a broad range of solutions based on aluminium profiles, from semi-finished to fully fabricated and value-adding components.
Facts about the brake line
– The high-strength alloy in combination with a proprietary designed production process and line-connection design brings optimized mechanical properties toward brake lines requirements.
– The new solution has passed tests toward OEM specifications, including vibration, burst, torque, leak, coating adhesion and corrosion.
A Tier 1 automotive supplier located in the Midwest has placed (2) orders with AFC-Holcroft for the supply of heat treating equipment related to the processing of aluminum.
The first order will consist of a Roller Hearth Homogenizing Furnace for processing aluminum products. The complete system includes a multi-position loading table, a multi-position furnace, cooling station and multi-position unload table.
The second order is for a Solution Heat Treat Line, which will also be used for processing aluminum products. This system will include charge and discharge transfer cars, a multi-position solution furnace, water quench system, multi-position age furnace, multi-position accumulation charge and discharge tables, accumulation cross-over mechanism and a tray pull-off station.
Additionally, AFC-Holcroft will provide their Remote Diagnostic Service™ during the furnace warranty period. This service provides a complete remote monitoring and diagnostic package including transmission and analysis of machine data, targeting the most common or noteworthy events and identifying root causes. The Remote Diagnostic Service transmits data automatically to AFC-Holcroft’s secure servers, eliminating the human time and cost associated with manually gathering historical data for the same purpose.
“While AFC-Holcroft is best known for providing equipment for the processing of steel components, we also have a long history of providing equipment to the aluminum industry” stated Mark Johnston, Aftermarket Equipment Sales. “This order is a further inroad into this growing market.”
Source: Light Metal Age February 2017