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AUTOMOTIVE LIGHT WEIGHTINGa journey and not a destination

Dr. T. SundararajanHead , R&DWheels India Limited CII, Chennai. 9th March 2017

% Automotive Materials

Mild SteelHSLA Steel

Other Steel

CopperRubber

Aluminium

Powder MetalGlass

Plastics / CompositesStainless Steel

Lead

43.7%

1.4%

8.2%

1.5%

Cast Iron 13%

7.8%

5.6%

4.3%

2.8%

1.4%

0.8%

0.8%

Die Cast Zinc 0.5%

Fluids / Lubes 6%

Others 2.2%

CARBON FIBRE IN AUTOMOBILES

An European OEM has considered extensive usage of Carbon fibre in their vehicles for weight reduction to asignificant level. The photograph below shows the Roll Cage of the vehicle being lifted only by two personnel as aresult of extended light weighting

0 20 40 60 80 100

Carbon Fibre

Aluminium

Plastics

HSS

Steel

MATERIAL WEIGHT (% OF STEEL)

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Carbon Fibre

Aluminium

Plastics

HSS

Steel

MATERIAL COST (% OF STEEL)

ALUMINIUM IN AUTOMOBILES

Engine Block Transmission Housing Bonnet

Radiator Passenger Car Wheel Truck Wheel

MAGNESIUM IN AUTOMOBILES

The Ford F 150 stands to speak out the extensiveusage of magnesium in its parts for light weightingoptions without incurring the cost sway of HSS andfibre reinforced plastics

STEEL

ALUMINIUM

MAGNESIUM

50 % Lighter than Steel

30 % Lighter than Aluminium

Magnesium manifold in vehicle made by die casting technique

Advantageous over Aluminium in a way that it can bepressure die casted with ease resulting from itspeculiar property

Solidifies faster giving it excellent casting properties

MAGNESIUM BRACKETS

MAGNESIUM MANIFOLDS MAGNESIUM CLUTCH HOUSING

Crashworthiness

• Steels and Stainless Steels being highly strain rate sensitive.

• Faster the loading is applied the more the material will resist deformation.

• Steels and Stainless Steel has the capability to collapse progressively in a controlled and predetermined manner.

CRASHWORTHINESS AND SUBSEQUENT SAFETY REQUIREMENTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN

A CHALLENGE TO AUTOMOTIVE LIGHT WEIGHTING

Futuristic Automotive Materials

Power Train

Chassis

Exteriors

Interiors

Power Train

Chassis

Exteriors

Interiors

Iron, Steel, Aluminium

Steel, HSS

Steel, Aluminium, Plastic

Steel, Plastic, Composite

Aluminium, HSS, AHSS

HSS, AHSS, Composite

Steel, Aluminium, HSS, AHSS, Plastic

Steel, Plastic

CURRENT MAJOR OCCUPANTS FUTURISTIC OPTIONS

WHEEL : STEEL Vs ALUMINUM

No weight Saving in the passenger car segment for wheels.

Only Aesthetical.

12 Kg

11.6 Kg

6.8 Kg

7.03Kg

6.5 J x 16 5.5J x 15

Strength RatioCASTING DEFECTS

Pores and Dendrites

REASON FOR THE DEAD LOCK

High Strength Steel

Fatigue strength is 25% of UTS; Steel 50%50 X

ALUMINIUM IN AUTOMOBILES

INCREASE IN FUEL EFFICIENY = 2 – 3 %

TIRE LIFE INCREASE – 25 % COOLER RUNNING

Light weight by 55%LESS MAINTANCE COST

LIFE OF MATING PARTS INCREASES –BRAKE LINING AND

WHEEL BEARING

UNIFORM TIRE WEAR

WIL FORGED ALUMINUM WHEELS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATION

Development of Tubed Al wheel

Aluminum wheels are by default tubeless

Indian market is ruled by tubed wheels

Tubed wheels in commercial segment are 2piece/3piece construction

Required extra piece with springiness

Steel is the choice and can worn out the mating surface

Big safety issue if the flanges comes out

Tubeless wheel

Tubed wheel

Crash Worthiness

CAN STEEL BE RULED ALL THE TIME

?

ADI

CAST STEEL BEING REPLACED WITH AUSTEMPERED DUCTILE IRON IN TRUCK SUSPENSION

SUPPORT

ADI with hardness magnitude ofup to 550 BHN were producedand employed where high wearresistance in of importance inautomotive engineering.

Softer ADI (275 – 325 BHN) cantransform in to martensitewhen subjected to physicalstrain, hence in applicationsuch as transmission gearsworn out regions can befreshly replaced by strainhardened ADI therebyincreasing product life

Emerging Material: TWIP Steel

Twinning Induced Plasticity (TWIP) Steel

C850 SS

High Strength Steel

HIGH ENERGY ABSORBING AND STRENGTH STEEL WITH EXCELLENT FORMABILITY

Appliication 2

High Strength Steel Wheel

High Strength and High energy absorbing Steels

High Strength Steel Wheel

THE WIL MADE HIGH STRENGTH STEEL

6.0J x 16

900 MPa Strength

Excellent in Crashworthiness

Light Weight Conference

Frugal Methods

OTHER FRUGAL METHODS AND STATE OF THE ART MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES FOR

AUTOMOTIVE LIGHT WEIGHTING

HIGHLIGHTS ON AUTOMOTIVE WHEEL MAKING

1. Reducing the Parts with Better Efficiency

2. Light Weighting in Raw Material

3. Facilitating Efficiency of Other Parts

REDUCING THE PARTS

ALTERNATIVE FOR DUAL MOUNTING WITH ONE

BETTER PACKAGING SPACE AND CLEARANCE FOR OTHER AXLE PARTS

UPTO 71 % WEIGHT SAVING IN ALUMINUM WHEEL USAGE

UPTO 50 % WEIGHT SAVING IN STEEL WHEEL USAGE

UPTO 33 % COST SAVING IN STEEL WHEEL USAGE

UPTO 12 % COST SAVING IN ALUMINUM WHEEL USAGE

NO ISSUE OF TIRE BURST OR LOSS OF CONTROL PROBLEM

NO CHANCE IN DUAL TRACK WIDTH OR OTHER PACKAGING

DESIGN APPROVED FROM ROAD TRANSPORT AUTHORITY OF STATE

INTRODUCING : SUPER SINGLE WHEELS FOR TRAILER APPLICATION

Introduction to Wheels

Lock Ring Rim BaseDisc

Flange

Disc Lock Ring Flange Rim Base

INTRODUCTION TO WHEELS

Flow formed / Hoop discTHE FLOW FORMED DISC STEEL WHEELS

Conventional Disc Making Process

Flow Formed Hoop Disc

(a) Conventional Press Formed Disc – Having uniformthickness throughout

(b) The Flow formed / Hoop Disc – An innovative methodwhich allows variable thickness across the cross section ofthe disc thereby allowing significant weight saving

The Disc Gutter WheelThe Disc Gutter Wheel for LCV’s and ICV’s

Regular LCV / ICV wheel Disc Gutter LCV / ICV wheel