FARMINGTON HILLS, MI—Alcoa Inc. says it has solved one of the biggest wrinkles automakers wrestle with when stamping aluminum body panels: formability. The company has developed a new manufacturing process that produces aluminum sheet that is 40 percent more formable than current aluminum alloys.
DEARBORN, MI—Two things are missing in the body shop of the revamped Ford Rouge Center, which includes the Dearborn Truck assembly plant making the 2015 F-150 out of aluminum: sparks and noise.
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.
Aluminum will play a growing role in the automotive industry in the years ahead. In fact, aluminum use in vehicles is projected to double by 2025, as automakers continue to roll out a wide variety of lighter weight models.
LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany—BASF plans to spend millions of euros to develop new thermoplastic and thermoset composites for lightweight vehicles. The company predicts OEMs can reduce vehicle weight by up to 220 pounds by using short-fiber-reinforced plastics in seats, oil pans, cross beams, air intake manifolds, engine mounts and structural inserts.
