Articles Tagged with ''lightweight materials''

DETROIT—General Motors uses seven joining methods—including spot welding, laser welding, self-piercing rivets and flow drill screws—to assemble the aluminum body of the new Cadillac CT6 sedan.

"Faster, higher, stronger” is the Olympic motto. It’s also the underlying philosophy behind the $25 billion U.S. sporting goods industry.

If it rolls, floats or flies, light weight is always good. Just ask anyone who’s ever been in a Pinewood Derby competition.

CAMBRIDGE, MA—Engineers at MIT and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a new ultrastiff, ultralight material. Based on repeating microscopic units, the material has record-breaking stiffness at low density.

DEARBORN, MI—Roofs made of carbon fiber. Plastic windshields. Bumpers fashioned out of aluminum foam.What sounds like a science experiment could be your next car. While hybrids and electrics may grab the headlines, the real frontier in fuel economy is the switch to lighter materials.

DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. has introduced a new lightweight concept vehicle, built using advanced materials including new metals, alloys and composites.

A new concept vehicle on display at the Geneva International Motor Show uses wood to replace traditional plastic components.

By redesigning multipart components, such as fuel nozzles, ducting and valves, into one-piece components, engineers can reduce weight, simplify assembly and cut costs.

Weight issues are not something that’s common with U.S. Army soldiers. The military organization prides itself on running a lean, mean fighting machine. But, even so, the Army is on a weight-loss program when it comes to vehicles, artillery, ordnance, helmets, electronic gear and other devices.

CAMBRIDGE, MA—MIT researchers have developed a lightweight structure whose tiny blocks can be snapped together much like the bricks of a child’s construction toy. The new material could revolutionize the assembly of airplanes, spacecraft, and even larger structures, such as dikes and levees.