Big Numbers & Light Ones
Forged aluminum wheels for trucks—as in Class 8 trucks, for example—are evidently big business.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, AutoBeat Group
Alcoa, Rio Tinto Partner on Carbon-Free Aluminum Process
Alcoa Corp. and Rio Tinto Group are forming a joint venture to further develop and commercialize Alcoa’s carbon-free aluminum smelting process.
Tesla Touts Improved Plant Safety
Tesla Inc. says the total recordable incident rate (TRIR) for safety at its Fremont, Calif., plant fell 25% to 6.2 per 100 workers in 2017.
Cadillac CT6, ContiTech Win Lightweighting Awards
General Motors Co.’s all-new Cadillac CT6 sedan has been named this year’s winner of the Altair Enlighten Award for lightweighting in the full vehicle segment.
Alcoa to Split into Two Companies
Alcoa Inc. is splitting into two independent, publicly traded companies.
Ford Doubles Down on Aluminum with New Alcoa Alloy
Ford Motor Co. is teaming up with Alcoa Inc. to increase the use of aluminum on its aluminum-bodied F-150 pickup truck and other unspecified vehicles.
Alcoa Gets DOE Loan to Add Aluminum Capacity
Alcoa Inc. has been approved for a $259 million loan from a maligned U.S.
Arconic Inc. Has Great Expectations for Aluminum in Automotive
Alcoa Inc. has split in two, with there being Alcoa Corp. and Arconic Inc. The latter will focus on “multi-materials innovation, precision engineering and advanced manufacturing.”
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, AutoBeat Group
Auto Industry Demand Bolsters Aluminum Prices
Growing use of aluminum as a weight-saving material in cars is helping the metal maintain its price in a commodities market where other materials are in a slump, Bloomberg News reports.
Aluminum for Cars Seen Growing 6% This Year
Alcoa Inc. predicts demand for aluminum by U.S. carmakers will rise 6% this year as manufacturers strive to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel efficiency.
Alcoa Claims Stunning Advance in Aluminum
Alcoa Inc. describes its new Micromill process as a dramatic breakthrough in aluminum production and performance.
Auto Demand Drives Record Aluminum Shipments for Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. expects to ship record-high quantities of aluminum sheet for automotive body panels in the current quarter.
Modified Military Humvee Delivers 72% Better Fuel Economy
Posted: May 23, 2013 at 8:26 pmRicardo Inc. says the American General HMMWV vehicle its team modified with existing technologies delivers better performance and 72% greater fuel economy than the standard Humvee vehicle.Fuel-Efficient Ground Vehicle DemonstratorThe so-called Fuel-Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator (FED) is fitted with a supercharged I-4 Cummins engine, modified drivertrain, low-rolling-resistance Goodyear tires and a new aluminum chassis developed by Alcoa Defense.The FED was built in 2011 at Ricardo’s facility in Detroit in cooperation with the U.S.
Alcoa—Not Aluminum This Time
When you say “Alcoa” in this industry, the first thought of those in the steel industry probably runs to the 2015 F-150 and then to a word that we can’t use here.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, AutoBeat Group
Modified Military Humvee Delivers 72% Better Fuel Economy
Ricardo Inc. says the American General HMMWV vehicle its team modified with existing technologies delivers better performance and 72% greater fuel economy than the standard Humvee vehicle.
Alcoa to Expand U.S. Aluminum Sheet Capacity
Alcoa Inc. says it will spend $275 million to increase sheet aluminum capacity by an undisclosed amount at its rolling mill in Alcoa, Tenn., by 2015.
Aluminum Wheels for Trucks Are Green, Study Says
Alcoa has released a peer-reviewed, life-cycle assessment (LCA) of the use of forged aluminum wheels in place of steel wheels that finds that by replacing the steel wheels on an 18-wheel truck to aluminum, 16.3 metric tons of carbon emissions are reduced over the life of the wheels.
Dodge Challenger: Mopar's Modern Muscle Car
Work on the Challenger began at Chrysler's recently closed Pacifica Design facility in California in 2004, just as Ford was introducing the current generation Mustang.
Buell Motorcycle Engineering, Innovation and Dedication
In an industry marked by foreign domination, Erik Buell not only established America’s only sport bike maker, he changed the rules of design, engineering and procurement in ways the auto industry would do wellto emulate.
Panoz: In Fast Company
We hear it frequently around Detroit, the sad tale of good engineers and managers who lose their faith. People who love cars and have great pride in their work, but all the same grow weary of the bean counters, the anchor draggers, the compromises, the politics, and the overwhelming bureaucracy of the auto industry. “There’s got to be a better place, a better way, for the real car guys,” they think. Well there is. Welcome to Panoz—America’s coolest car company.
Auto Aluminum Advances
“Our objective was to find materials that allowed us to design the truck to be as tough as the current model, yet could help it be hundreds of pounds lighter for better capability and fuel economy.”
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, AutoBeat Group
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The Plymouth Prowler: Aluminum Intensity & Intensity of Purpose
This month, the Prowler hits the streets as a production automobile. It is a study not only in taking chances in design, but also in pushing the envelope in materials application.
