Materials Used in Automotive Manufacture and Material Selection Using Ashby Charts

Abstract

Need for higher fuel efficiency, weight minimization, environmental regulations and policies as well as customer demand forces the auto maker companies to focus on developing new materials and re designing of the existing one and selecting materials reasonably. All material industries plastics and polymer composites, as well as steel, aluminum, and magnesium, are operating to respond to the automotive industry changing needs. For decades, advanced plastics and polymer composites have helped the improvement of appearance, functionality, and safety of automobiles while reducing vehicle weight and delivering superior value to customers at the same time. Various materials are used to make cars. The main materials used for making cars, parts and components, along with future trends, are steel, aluminum, magnesium, copper, plastics and carbon fibers. The prime reason for using steel in the body structure is its inherent capability to absorb impact energy in a crash situation. The use of aluminum can potentially reduce the weight of the vehicle body. Recent developments have shown that up to 50% weight saving for the body in white can be achieved by the substitution of steel by aluminum. Magnesium is another light metal that is becoming increasingly common in automotive engineering. It is 33% lighter than aluminum and 75% lighter than steel/cast iron components Titanium has been mainly used in high temperatures zones, and high strength requirement areas, such as exhaust systems, suspension springs, valve springs, valves and connecting rods. Fiber reinforced composites offer a wide range of advantages to the automotive industry. It is because the composite structures are the high strength/low weight ratio. The use of lightweight plastics and composite materials in the automotive industry has been increasing in recent years due to legislative and consumer demands for lighter weight, fuel efficient vehicles. One of the methods to choose best materials for automotive applications is to use material selection charts, which provides the performance index of the materials to suit the requirement and conditions for specific application.