Aluminum is a good light material for cars now and in the future, because it is cheap, easy to make parts with, strong for its weight, and easy to recycle. This article will explore the important role aluminum plays in automotive and list several types of aluminum car parts.
Advantages of Aluminum in Automotive
The densities of aluminum, magnesium, and titanium alloys are 2.7, 1.74, and 4.51g/cm³, respectively. These light-weight metals point to a new direction for vehicle manufacturing, significantly enhancing the environmental performance of vehicles and greatly reducing their curb weight. Among these low-density metals, aluminum alloy is the most used and has been recognized and favored by the automotive manufacturing industry since the 1970s.
Lightweight Materials
Survey results suggest a significant correlation between vehicle fuel consumption, exhaust emissions, and vehicle curb weight. For every 1Kg reduction in vehicle weight, fuel consumption decreases by 0.7L over 10,000 km of travel. For every 10% reduction in vehicle weight, tailpipe emissions decrease by 5–6%. Therefore, achieving automotive lightweighting has become a critical challenge for major car parts manufacturers. Aluminum’s density of 2.7 g/cm3 is one-third that of steel. Aluminum also has good thermal conductivity, second only to copper among metals. What’s more, aluminum has good corrosion resistance because a protective oxide film naturally forms on its surface.
Driving Performance and Safety
As people’s living standards rise, the demand for higher speed, comfort, and safety in driving is increasing. When a vehicle’s weight is reduced, its center of gravity is lowered, which makes the car more stable and comfortable to drive, and reduces noise from rotating and vibrating components. Due to the properties of aluminum and the vehicle body structure, they can absorb the energy generated during a collision, reducing damage to the vehicle and thus enhancing safety. Simultaneously, lightweighting can reduce the load on the engine and power transmission system, allowing the vehicle to exhibit original or better performance under lower tractive loads.
Recycled
Aluminum is a metal material with a high recovery rate, because the probability of corrosion issues during its application is low. In the life cycle of the aluminum parts, from production, use, recycling into aluminum ingots, and remanufacturing into products, the material loss rate is only 5%. Its recycling value is the highest among metal materials. Currently, most countries use recycled aluminum for manufacturing auto parts. Furthermore, aluminum has a low melting point and good fluidity, which allows it to be cast into structural components of various complex and irregular shapes.
Cast Aluminum Car Parts
Cast aluminum alloys have excellent casting properties. The appropriate alloy and casting method can be selected based on requirements across various aspects, including the intended purpose, part shape, dimensional accuracy, volume, quality standards, mechanical properties, and economic efficiency. Cast aluminum alloys are primarily used for engine cylinder blocks, clutch housings, rear axle housings, steering gear casings, transmissions, valve train components, oil pumps, water pumps, rocker covers, wheels, engine frames, brake calipers, master cylinders, and brake discs, as well as other non-engine components.
Aluminum Car Engines
The lightweighting achieved by using aluminum alloys for automotive engines is the most significant, generally resulting in a weight reduction of over 30%. Furthermore, engine cylinder blocks and cylinder heads require materials with good thermal conductivity and strong corrosion resistance. Aluminum alloys possess very prominent advantages in these areas, leading auto manufacturers to vigorously research and develop all-aluminum engines.
Currently, many auto companies have adopted all-aluminum engine cylinder blocks and cylinder heads. For example, General Motors has used all-aluminum cylinder liners; French auto companies have achieved 100% aluminum cylinder liners and 45% aluminum engine blocks; Japan’s Nissan VQ and Toyota’s Lexus IMZ-FE V6 both use cast aluminum engine oil pans; and Chrysler’s new V6 engine cylinder block and head utilize aluminum alloy materials.
Volkswagen’s advanced 6.0L W12 engine predominantly uses aluminum-magnesium alloys. The use of the W12 engine in the Audi A8L 6.0 quattro sedan reduced the vehicle’s curb weight to 1,980 kg, which is lower than all other models. The W12 engine’s strong output of 450 horsepower and 560 Nm results in a weight-to-power ratio of only 4.7 kg per horsepower, comparable to high-performance sports cars.
Aluminum Wheels
Aluminum wheels have gradually replaced steel wheels due to their light weight, effective heat dissipation, and desirable appearance. Over the past 10 years, the global growth rate of aluminum alloy automotive wheels has been 7.6% annually. A365 is a cast aluminum alloy that offers both good castability and high comprehensive mechanical properties, and it is the alloy used to produce cast aluminum alloy wheels across the world. Almost all new vehicle models have adopted aluminum alloy wheels.
Aluminum Structural Parts
Scholars have researched aluminum alloy die-cast parts. Specifically, for the lightweighting requirements of a damper tower, a body structure component in an electric vehicle, a high-vacuum die-casting process suitable for aluminum alloy was developed. Experimental results showed that the aluminum design for the damper tower achieved a weight reduction from 5.5 kg to 3.6 kg while meeting performance requirements. Focusing on improving the crashworthiness of the car body in a rear-end collision and lightweighting, research was conducted on a vacuum high-pressure die-cast aluminum alloy rear crash beam. Through topology optimization, combined with requirements for die-casting and joining processes, the designed aluminum alloy rear longitudinal beam weighed approximately 9.3 kg, representing a 31% reduction compared to the original part.
| Material | Component | Model | Process |
| Magsimal-59 | Rear Subframe | GAC Trumpchi | Die casting |
| Magsimal-59 | Damper Tower | NIO | Die casting |
| Magsimal-59 | B-Pillar | Audi A8 | Die casting |
| Magsimal-59 | Longitudinal Beam | Tesla | Die casting |
| A356 | Control Arm | Jaguar XK | Die casting |
| ADC12 | Instrument Panel Bracket | BMW | Die casting |
Wrought Aluminum Car Parts
Wrought aluminum alloys are mainly used in vehicles to manufacture body panels such as doors and trunk lids, as well as bumpers, engine hoods, wheel spokes, hubcaps, wheel exterior trims, protective covers for brake assemblies, mufflers, anti-lock braking systems (ABS), heat exchangers, structural components like body frameworks, seats, and floor panels, and decorative parts such as instrument panels.
Aluminum Car Body
The proportion of aluminum sheet application in passenger cars is continuously rising. For example, heat-treated 6000-series aluminum alloy sheets (such as T4, T6, T8 tempers) can well meet the requirements for automotive shells and can be used as body frame materials. The body sheet metal of the Audi A8, for instance, utilizes 6000-series alloy aluminum material. Additionally, 2000-series, 5000-series, and 7000-series aluminum alloys can also be applied as body materials. In recent years, thin sheets and hollow profiles made from high-strength 6000-series and 7000-series aluminum alloys have been widely used in automobiles because they are light, high-strength, offer good crack resistance, and have good formability.
| Component | Alloy Grade |
| Instrument Panel Reinforcement Beam Bracket | 6063-T6 |
| Front Longitudinal Beam | 7003-T6 |
| Floor Cross Beam | 6063-T6 |
| Front End Frame | 6063-T6 |
| Subframe | 7003-T6 |
| Door Sill Beam | 6082 -T6 |
| Crash Beam | 7003-T6 |
| Front Crash Beam, Crash Box | 6082-T6 |
| Bushing, Connecting Rod | 6060, 6063, 6061 |
| Roof Rack, Seat Rail | 6082-T6, 6063-T66 |
Other Aluminum Structural Parts
Aluminum alloys are also widely applied in other areas of the vehicle. For example, General Motors uses 7021 aluminum plate to manufacture reinforced bumper support brackets. Aluminum alloy materials are also applied to suspension components, effectively reducing the mass of corresponding parts and improving vehicle ride smoothness and stability, such as disc brake calipers and powertrain frames produced from 6061 forging parts. Furthermore, aluminum alloy is extensively used in automotive air conditioning systems, such as the aluminum 6595 used in Japan for automotive radiators and heat exchangers.
How Can Getzshape Help
Getzshape is your essential manufacturing partner in producing lightweight aluminum car components. By leveraging our certified network and advanced systems, Getzshape can handle the complex CNC machining required for advanced aluminum alloys, ensuring your engine blocks, structural nodes, and body panels meet the exact strength-to-weight ratios necessary to achieve next-generation vehicle performance and efficiency goals.
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