The automotive industry has been continuously evolving and aluminium has had a key role to play in this process of evolution. In the early stages, steel was excessively used in the transport sector to make vehicles, but automakers were on the constant lookout for an alternate material that would enhance the fuel efficiency of vehicles while reducing the carbon footprints and cost. Aluminium’s potential was not entirely discovered as it was initially being used only in the structural body parts of vehicles.
The first sports car made with an aluminium frame was showcased at an exhibition in Berlin and it highlighted the diverse yet unknown properties of aluminium. In fact, 1980 and the years that followed proved to be a ‘shining’ period for aluminium as it found its way into trains, trams as well as aircraft. Automakers soon realised that aluminium was an ideal material and a lot could be done with the metal to manufacture efficient and modern vehicles. Today, aluminium alloys are the second most used materials in the automotive sector.
Automotive applications
With the automotive industry evolving over the years, the application of aluminium in vehicles has increased with time. Aluminium met the requirements of metal that automakers were obsessed about. The need to reduce the weight of the vehicles so as to enhance energy efficiency increased the demand for aluminium. Aluminium in its various forms started featuring in the manufacturing of vehicles. Aluminium extrusions were increasingly being used in gear pumps, vehicles’ body structures, truck trailers, vehicle windows, engine parts and components, metro and railway coaches as well as the automatic braking system.
Bu hikaye MOTORINDIA dergisinin September 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye MOTORINDIA dergisinin September 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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