Rolls-Royce launched its Cullinan model, an aluminum-bodied SUV designed to provide the classic “magic carpet” ride expected from Rolls-Royce vehicles. According to the company, it is the most technologically advanced, purpose-built, luxury SUV in the world. The Cullinan is the second model to use the company’s proprietary all-aluminum structure (the first being the new Phantom), […]
Compiled and edited by Joseph C. Benedyk. U.S. Patents US9905214 — EXTRUDED SONAR CHASSIS — Navico Holding AS (Norway) — An aluminum transducer chassis prepared by a process having the following steps: performing an extrusion using a die and an aluminum billet to create an extruded chassis, wherein the die has a cross sectional shape […]
By Jeff Henderson, AEC. The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) will host the first-ever Extrusion Design University (EDU ’18) event, May 14-16, 2018, at the Chicago Marriott O’Hare in Chicago, IL. This event is the natural evolution of the AEC’s industry promotion efforts, which started in 2011. Since then, over 14,000 architectural, engineering, designing, and specifying […]
Novelis Inc. plans to build an approximately $300 million automotive aluminum sheet manufacturing facility in Guthrie, Kentucky. The greenfield facility will include heat treatment and pre-treatment lines, which prepare aluminum for use in vehicle parts such as body-in-white, hoods, doors, lift gates, and fenders. The facility will have an annual nameplate capacity of 200,000 tonnes. Demand for […]
Shape Corp. signed a purchase agreement to acquire Magnode, an Ohio-based aluminum extruder, with the aim of elevating its aluminum offerings by leveraging Magnode’s 70-plus years of aluminum extrusion expertise and their vertically integrated business model. The two companies have had a successful business relationship prior to the acquisition, in which they collaborated on engineering projects and […]
The 5th edition of the Lightweight Vehicle Manufacturing Detroit Summit has been rebranded as the Lightweight Materials and EV Body Structures Manufacturing Technologies Summit. The event will occur in Detroit, Michigan, on February 21-22, 2018. Automotive OEMs are currently utilizing mixed-material components for automotive manufacturing to optimize structural integrity and achieve weight reduction objectives. This […]
HRL Laboratories, LLC, developed technique for successfully 3D printing high-strength aluminum alloys — including Al7075 and Al6061 — which were previously not amenable to additive manufacturing. This opens the door to the additive manufacturing of engineering-relevant alloys for aircraft and automobile parts. Nanoparticle Functionalization Additive manufacturing of metals typically begins with alloy powders that are […]
Magnesium is 75% lighter than steel and 33% lighter than aluminum. As the lightest of all structural metals, magnesium has a lot of potential for lightweighting cars and trucks in the aim of improving fuel economy. However, auto makers have been challenged in their attempts to incorporate magnesium alloys into structural car parts. The Department […]
The 6th Global Automotive Lightweight Materials Detroit Summit (GALM Detroit 2017) is the world’s leading automotive lightweight materials conference, focused on the North American automotive industry which is undergoing considerable changes at present. The review of CAFE standards, autonomous vehicle technologies development, push on powertain lightweighting, and considerable uptake in electric vehicles are among the key […]
