Page 3 - Motor Fan illustrated Special Edition

Roof panel
The use of aluminum alloy sheet for Aluminum alloy sheet
weight of the body, but also realizes a The specific gravity of aluminum is only 2.7,
the roof panel not only reduces the
approximately one-third of that of steel. It’s
lower center of gravity, which can lead
to improved driving performance. widely used for industrial products because of
its great strength per unit of weight, along with
its superior formability, corrosion resistance and
Back door & trunk lid recyclability. In the automobile field, it has been
As with the bonnet, front fenders and increasingly adopted since 2000 as a material
door panels, the use of aluminum for body panels. Even the current models using
multi-material bodies employ mostly aluminum
alloys for these parts is increasing. alloy sheet for their body panels.

Aluminum extruded shapes
Intricately shaped cross-sections can be
formed using the extrusion process. This makes
aluminum extruded shapes optimal for the
production of parts with a constant
Doors cross-section and long length, such as bumper
beams. It’s now common to find space-frame
These are constructed from internal structures made of aluminum extruded shapes
and external sections. The internal
sections are often made from 5000 in large SUVs and electric vehicles. Moreover,
series aluminum alloys, while the extruded shapes with simple cross-sections

external sections are often made from can be processed 2- or 3-dimensionally for Motor Fan illustrated

6000 series aluminum alloy sheet. sub-frames and braces.
Aluminum cast products
Typical examples of automobile parts that are
now made from aluminum cast products are
cylinder blocks, transmission cases and wheels.

They are also ideal for members connecting the
body and chassis, such as in the area ALUMINUM AUTOMOBILE TECHNOLOGY
connecting the suspension tower with the cross

members and front side members.

Aluminum alloy sheet
Aluminum extruded shapes 03
Aluminum cast products

Side impact beams

Located inside the doors to absorb side
collision impact, these parts require high
strength to ensure shock-resistance.

AUDI Q7

All-aluminum alloy monocoqueRange Rover Sport

Q7, the luxury Audi SUV, features an all-aluminum alloy body structure known as
Based on knowhow accumulated through the the ASF (Audi Space Frame) which has realized high rigidity and a low center of
development of the Jaguar XJ, this is the first SUV gravity. High-strength aluminum alloy extruded shapes are used for the front side
to feature an all-aluminum body design. members and front bumper.