FCA US recently announced that the new 2018 Jeep® Wrangler will be manufactured with lightweight, high-strength aluminum for closures, which includes parts of the doors, fenders, swing gate, and windshield surround, boosting fuel economy with a 200 pounds lighter structure than the previous steel version and an improvement of three miles per gallon in gas mileage. Jeep enthusiasts will also find it easier to remove the doors, which will be 14 pounds lighter compared to previous models.
Global aluminum rolled products manufacturer Novelis will supply the aluminum for the next generation Wrangler from its facilities in Oswego, New York, and Kingston, Ontario.
By incorporating aluminum into this design, FCA US joins a number of automakers that are turning to aluminum for the benefits they see in vehicle performance, agility and safety.
A German steelmaker recently ordered a five-strand billet caster for their steelplant in Völklingen, designed for an annual capacity of 850,000 tons of billets.
The new casting machine to be installed by SMS Group for Saarstahl AG, a leading manufacturer of high-quality steel grades, will produce 7 x 7 foot (180 x 180 millimeter) square billets in a wide range of steel grades, including bearing steels, spring steels, cold heading wire rod and free-cutting steels. Products made of these steel grades are used in the automotive industry and in mechanical engineering applications.
A French manufacturer of high-performance automobiles has developed the largest titanium functional component produced by additive manufacturing in a 45-hour process that includes heat treating to achieve minimum weight with maximum stiffness.
The development department of Bugatti Automobiles, S.A.S., which established itself as a pioneer for new technical developments and innovations in the extreme performance sector of the auto industry with the Veyron and Chiron super sports car models, recently announced the successful design of an eight-piston monobloc brake caliper that can be produced by 3-D printing. Bugatti, in cooperation with Laser Zentrum Nord of Hamburg, bypassed aluminum and turned to aerospace-grade titanium alloy, with the scientific designation of Ti6AI4V, for a tensile strength of 1,250 N/mm2. This means that a force of slightly more than 125 kg (276 lbs.) be applied to a square millimeter of this titanium alloy without the material rupturing.
The development time for the 3-D-printed titanium brake caliper was about three months. The basic concept, the strength and stiffness simulations and calculations and the design drawings were sent to Laser Zentrum Nord by Bugatti. The institute then carried out process simulation, the design of the supporting structures, actual printing and the treatment of the component. Bugatti was responsible for finishing.
The printing process results in a brake caliper complete with supporting structure which maintains its shape until it has received stabilizing heat treatment and reached its final strength. Heat treatment is carried out in a furnace where the brake caliper is exposed to an initial temperature of 1,292°F (700°C), falling to 212°F (100°C) in the course of the process to eliminate residual stress and to ensure dimensional stability.
The new titanium brake caliper, which is 16.2 in. long (41 cm), 8.2 in. wide (21 cm) and 5.4 in. high (13.6 cm), weighs only 6.4 lbs. (2.9 kg). In comparison with the aluminum component currently used, which weighs 10.8 lbs. (4.9 kg), Bugatti could, therefore, reduce the weight of the brake caliper by about 40% at the same time as ensuring even higher strength by using the new part. The result is a delicately shaped component with wall thicknesses between a minimum of only one millimeter (.039 in.) and a maximum of four millimeters (.157 in.).
“It was a very moving moment for the team when we held our first titanium brake caliper from the 3-D printer in our hands,” said Frank Götzke, head of New Technologies in the Technical Development Department of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S, which is a brand of Volkswagen AG. “In terms of volume, this is the largest functional component produced from titanium by additive manufacturing methods. Everyone who looks at the part is surprised at how light it is – despite its large size. Technically, this is an extremely impressive brake caliper, and it also looks great.”
The first trials for use in production vehicles are due to be held in the first half of the year.
As sure as the Alabama Crimson Tide wins NCAA championships, more and more representatives of the global automotive industry are finding the state of Alabama an appealing location for expansion of manufacturing operations. In 2017, Mercedes announced plans to build a new electric battery plant at its facility in Tuscaloosa, and Honda began expansion of its Lincoln factory near Birmingham.
Last month, Toyota and Mazda announced a joint venture, named Project New World, to invest $1.6 billion in a new plant in Huntsville, Alabama, where Mazda will produce a crossover model new to North American car buyers and Toyota will produce the Corolla, not far from the company’s existing engine plant.
With new automakers come automotive suppliers and industry support, therefore, the question is whether the good news of auto industry growth in Alabama will spell good news for heat treaters in the state. Dave Sullivan, product analysis manager at AutoPacific Inc., an automotive research company, said the Toyota-Mazda factory itself is a huge asset for the state, but it will also cause economic ripples by bringing spinoff jobs at suppliers and service companies in the area.
Don Hendry, president of Pinson Valley Heat Treating
That sounds like good news. We asked a commercial heat treater in Alabama.
Don Hendry, president of Pinson Valley Heat Treating, outside of Birmingham, notes that most major automakers do captive heat-treating or depend upon processing at established overseas locations, and posits that heat treaters who serve automotive support and parts suppliers will likely see improved business, especially since most commercial heat treating companies have already begun adjusting their equipment and facilities in response to the upward trend in the use of light-weight aluminum alloy for sheeting and structural applications. Pinson Valley added a drop bottom furnace in 2001 to solution treat and age aluminum parts due to the increase in automotive manufacturing.
A global leader in aluminum rolling and recycling recently announced plans to build an approximately $330M automotive aluminum sheet manufacturing facility in Guthrie, Kentucky, that will include heat treatment and pre-treatment lines.
Novelis Inc., a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, reports that the greenfield facility, which will prepare aluminum for use in vehicle parts such as body-in-white, hoods, doors, lift gates, and fenders, will have an annual capacity of 200,000 metric tons. The company expects to break ground in early spring, 2018, near Logan Aluminum Inc, a Novelis joint venture in Russellville, Kentucky, and create approximately 125 new jobs when it opens in 2020.
Steve Fisher, president and CEO, Novelis, Inc.
“Aluminum is a growing material of choice for the automotive industry worldwide as auto manufacturers continue to demand more and more aluminum to produce lighter, safer and stronger cars, trucks and SUVs,” said Steve Fisher, president and CEO, Novelis, Inc.
Just days following this announcement, Novelis reported that it signed a binding agreement to acquire operating facilities and manufacturing assets at its Sierre plant in Switzerland that has historically been leased. The nearly $250M acquisition from Constellium, which is co-located on the site, will allow Novelis to establish a joint venture with Constellium to administer shared infrastructure activities; Novelis’s fully integrated system covers the entire process from casting to finishing, including hot and cold rolling mills and a state-of-the-art continuous annealing line for automotive sheet.
Italian-U.S. automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV recently announced plans to shift production of select truck models from Saltillo, Mexico, to Warren, Michigan, where the company already maintains a manufacturing facility. The added production will lead to 2,500 new jobs. FCA has committed to an investment of $1 billion to execute the relocation, which will bring all phases of production for consumer favorite, the Ram Heavy Duty truck, to the Michigan plant.
A 540,000-ton-a-year electric arc furnace and 680,000-ton-a-year rod mill serving the construction and automotive markets will re-start melting and rolling in Spring 2018 following the acquisition of a Georgetown, South Carolina, steelworks facility.
Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of the GFG Alliance
Liberty House, part of the global metals, industrials, and energy group, the GFG Alliance, recently completed the purchase of the 600,000-sq.-ft. rod and wire mill from ArcelorMittal, the first in a series of North American acquisitions and new projects targeted by the group founded and run by British industrialist, Sanjeev Gupta.
The company is already in discussions regarding the acquisition of other major US steel assets and new greenfield projects, which it expects to announce in the coming year.
Liberty House, will initially re-hire 125 former employees at Georgetown and then build the workforce to 250 in the medium-term. The group is targeting a major share of the US market for home-produced wire rod, demand for which is projected to grow substantially during 2018.
The steelworks was a pivotal part of the state’s industrial infrastructure for nearly 70 years until it was shuttered in 2015. Liberty House now aims to restore its role in the steelmaking industry and bring hundreds of skilled jobs back to the plant and to the local and state economy.
Under an agreement with the United Steelworkers, the company expects key roles on the furnace, casters and rolling mill to be filled by experienced former employees of the plant and it is also in discussion with Georgetown Council about training programs to prepare workers for the industry.
“Securing the Georgetown furnace and mill is a major milestone for us, marking our first major step in the USA,” said Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of the GFG Alliance said. “The melting and rolling facilities here give us a formidable entry to the American market and provide a strong platform for expansion. We see major prospects for the metals industry here.”
A manufacturing technique capable of producing high-strength aluminum sheet alloys includes heat treatment as part of the Hot Form Quench (HFQ) process. Developed by Professor Jianguo Jin at Imperial College London, the technique can also produce aluminum components in complex shapes and has already been used to manufacture parts for a British-based automaker.
A high-end producer of high-pressure aluminum die casting, plastics, and machining, with locations in the United States, Germany, Mexico, and Japan, recently announced that construction on a manufacturing facility in Alabama will begin spring 2018.
Governor Kay Ivey joined BOCAR executives at a groundbreaking ceremony in Huntsville, Alabama, including Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle; Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce; and Marcus Baur, president of BOCAR Group.
Alex Chen, managing director of Sumeeko Industries Co Ltd, Photo credit: Fasteners + Fixings Magazine
Taiwanese automotive parts and fastener manufacturer Sumeeko Industries Co Ltd, which recently commissioned its first in-house heat treatment line, is progressing in its acquisition of Max Mothes GmbH, a Neuss, Germany-based logistics and packing facility, as well as VSP Fasteners SpA, an Italian hot and cold forger, according to Alex Chen, managing director of Sumeeko, and reported by Fastener + Fixing Magazine.
