Constellium N.V. announced that it is supplying aluminum automotive body sheet for the hoods of several Groupe PSA vans, including the new PEUGEOT Partner and Citroën Berlingo Van, as well as the PEUGEOT Rifter. While Groupe PSA frequently uses aluminum in passenger cars, this is the first time the company is using aluminum body sheet for its light commercial vehicles.
“We are proud of our more than 20-year collaboration with Groupe PSA,” said Dieter Hoell, vice president, Global Automotive for the Packaging and Automotive Rolled Products business unit at Constellium. “This new project is another step forward in our role to accompany Groupe PSA in its development, and to deliver the benefits of aluminum to its entire vehicle range.”
The vans will use Surfalex® aluminum sheet for the outer hood panels. The material was developed by Constellium to meet stringent requirements for high surface quality with specific hemming and roping properties. For the inner hood, the company is delivering an aluminum material solution designed for superior formability and mechanical resistance that enables efficient processing of complex geometries on the customer’s equipment.
Constellium is also supplying the front crash management system for this range of vans. Aluminum is the ideal material for these systems as it provides superior energy absorption to protect the passengers and vehicle in the event of a collision. The bumper beam and crash boxes are extruded components, allowing the company to design a lightweight crash management system that meets customer specifications for size, shape, package space, and strength.