The Rapid Aluminium Cost Effective Forming (RACEForm) Project, a consortium of industry and academic partners lead by Impression Technologies, has been awarded funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK Ltd. (APC) to further develop and validate Impression Technologies’ hot form quench (HFQ®) Technology for use in the global automotive industry. The total project value is £9.5 million, with […]
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) decided to self-initiate an antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigation on imports of common alloy sheet from the People’s Republic of China. This is unusual, as such cases are generally started based on petitions filed by U.S. companies alleging that dumped or unfairly subsidized goods are being […]
Constellium N.V. has extended its long-term partnership with the Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA) in order to supply aluminium auto body sheet for the new 2018 Stelvio — the first ever SUV produced by Alfa Romeo. The company is the primary supplier of aluminum sheet both for the closures and inner parts for the Stelvio. “We are very proud to supply the […]
The latest edition of the BMW 5 Series saves 137 lbs (62 kg) compared to the previous model, while body strength and torsional rigidity have been increased. This is thanks to the use of lightweight materials including aluminum, magnesium, and high-strength steel. The new design includes a low center of gravity, a perfectly balanced axle load ratio, […]
Arconic completed the installation of its new manufacturing technology — the Very Thick Plate Stretcher. Located at the company’s facility in Davenport, Iowa, the stretcher improves the performance of thick aluminum and aluminum-lithium plate in aerospace and industrial applications. The stretching process reduces stress introduced into the plate as part of the manufacturing process, resulting […]
For the next generation of the Audi A8, an intelligent mix of four materials is being used for the first time in the weight-bearing body structure – more materials than in any of the brand’s previous production models. The mix includes aluminum, steel, magnesium, and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) to decrease weight, increase torsional rigidity, and offer greater performance, […]
Novelis signed an agreement with next-generation car company, NIO, to provide aluminum sheet products for the automaker’s fleet of premium electric and autonomous vehicles. NIO will use Novelis Advanz™ aluminum alloys to create a wide range of structural components and parts for its aluminum-intensive NIO electric SUV models to be launched over the next five […]
Ford Motor Company just unveiled its new 2018 Expedition, a full-size family SUV that saw a 44% rise in U.S. sales in 2016. This is the first update and retooling of the Expedition since it was introduced 20 years ago and, for its revamp, the model follows the lightweighting lead of the F-150 with the […]
ŠKODA, part of Volkswagen Group, officially opened their new PXL II servo press line at its main plant in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. The full operation of the company’s first stamping line for aluminum car body parts will commence in March, when up to 23,000 press car body parts will be produced daily for several models. The trial and […]
