The future of the aluminum industry
- Author:Dong Xing
- Source:Dong Xing
- Release on:2018-07-13
Recently, the new generation of Jaguar XF, which is built with iQ[AI] intelligent modular all-aluminum body platform, is officially launched in the UK market. It is expected that the Chinese market is expected to be officially launched in September. The new-generation XF's body structure will have an aluminum alloy content of more than 75%, and the weight of the car will be reduced by 190 kg compared with the old one.
This news rushed to the author's nerves, which made me feel refreshed. In the past few days, the low price of aluminum prices has been reduced, and the low-level feelings of aluminum production at home and abroad have been alleviated. As aluminum products are increasingly playing its "light" characteristics, it is expected that the future of aluminum products in the automotive and other fields will replace the trend of several other metal materials will become faster and faster.
As a high-quality metal material with light weight, corrosion resistance, energy storage and plasticity, aluminum is called "flying metal" because of its "light". In today's industrial sector, “light” means the lighter development of industry, which means that industrial materials have better performance, which means that fossil fuels are reduced and more environmentally friendly. Lightweight is the weather vane for the entire industrial development for a long time to come. Automotive aluminum, "aluminum" is easier. Nowadays, major auto manufacturers are increasingly favoring aluminum. Aluminum is more and more widely used in automobiles. We return to the new Jaguar XF mentioned at the beginning of this article.
The new model is made of all-aluminum alloy, which not only improves the performance of the car, but also meets the current lightweight trend of the automotive industry. It is reported that the car using iQ [AI] intelligent modular all-aluminum body platform is more traditional than
The body is more rigid and lighter, and its fuel efficiency and body handling are greatly improved. The aluminum alloy material used in the body is called RC5754. This aluminum alloy is stronger than traditional aluminum alloy and its weight is also
significantly reduce.
The weight of the car plays a vital role in reducing the energy consumption of the car. According to a set of statistics, the weight of the same displacement car can be reduced by 0.7 kilograms per 100 kilometers, and the exhaust gas emissions can be reduced by 8~. 11 grams, its acceleration performance will also be greatly improved. The XF car weighs 190 kilograms lighter than the old one. Correspondingly, it can save fuel consumption of 1.4 liters per 100 kilometers, and exhaust emissions can be reduced by nearly 20 grams. In addition, Audi A8L
Hybird uses the all-aluminum body frame structure (ASF) ASF body, which has a finishing weight of only 2035kg, making it the lightest of large hybrid luxury cars.
In addition, aluminum alloy cars have other advantages.
First, aluminum alloy cars reduce the weight of the car without reducing the car's capacity, the center of gravity of the car is reduced, and passenger comfort and safety are improved.
Second, due to the good energy absorption of aluminum, the car will wrinkle during collision, which can absorb a large amount of impact force and improve the protection of the driver and passengers. Furthermore, the aluminum loss during the recycling process of aluminum is only about 5%, and the value of the conventional materials used in the industry is the highest.
However, to achieve the ultimate "lightweight" of the car, it is not enough to use aluminum alloy. In fact, in addition to the body, the wheel hub, chassis, anti-collision beam, floor, power battery, motor drive / transmission Both the seat and the seat can be used with a "light" quality aluminum alloy, and the quality and performance are superior. As an example, the aluminum rim is relatively light in weight, so the moment of inertia is relatively small, which is more conducive to the acceleration of the car's drive, while also reducing some fuel consumption. Moreover, due to the high strength of the aluminum alloy, the spokes of the aluminum alloy rim can be designed to be smaller, and the rim of the rim is larger, which is more conducive to the ventilation and heat dissipation of the brake system.
In view of the obvious improvement in air quality and automobile performance in the light-weight development of automobiles, relevant national departments and automobile manufacturers have accelerated the promotion of lightweight vehicles. As early as during the Ninth Five-Year Plan and the Tenth Five-Year Plan period,
A number of new automotive materials projects have been listed as national "863", "973" high-tech projects and major national science and technology projects, promoting the progress of automotive lightweight technology, this year's China International Aluminum Industry Exhibition, automotive
The use of aluminum has also become the biggest highlight of the show.
The actions of the manufacturers are also in full swing. Recently, the world's first fully automated aluminum alloy forged truck wheel rim production line was put into operation in Zhengxing Group, Huaan County, Fujian Province. "Lightweight" - is also the clear coordinates of Chinalco's development strategy in recent years, the establishment of automotive lightweight research institutes, cooperation in the establishment of new materials companies, automotive interior and exterior panels into the maintenance market, automotive deep-drawing structural components have been applied by many internationally renowned enterprises ... successfully filled a number of domestic gaps and promoted the lightweight development of China's industrial sector. The all-aluminum van developed by the company is favored by logistics companies because it is 4 tons lighter than the average car.
According to the latest statistics in 2014, the amount of aluminum used in bicycles in North America has reached about 158 kg, accounting for about 9%. It is expected to reach 10.4% in 2015, about 179kg. At present, the average aluminum consumption per vehicle in China is only about 115 kilograms. It is certain that China has a very broad room for improvement in the automotive aluminum market.
However, at present, the development of lightweight vehicles is still facing a bottleneck: due to the high cost, the price of aluminum alloy cars is prohibitive. The most extensive market for cars is in private passenger cars. How can a competitive advantage be achieved if the price is high? How can I open the market? Our automotive companies and aluminum alloy parts companies should pay attention to this problem, improve their technology research and development capabilities, and reduce costs. Good quality is not enough. We must work hard to create a price that is close to the people. The vast space of the aluminum market for automobiles can only be played.