Search Results for automotive materials

Automotive designers and heat treaters have many choices when it comes to the materials and processes that will meet their overall needs. This article reviews some of the major trends affecting automotive heat treating.

Although computer modeling of friction phenomena continues to improve, bench-scale and subscale tribotesting remain important in selecting materials, surface treatments, and lubricants for automotive applications.

Scientists and engineers working on behalf of the U.S. automotive industry are nearing completion of a multiyear effort to accelerate the incorporation of advanced high-strength steels in American-made cars and trucks. This article reports on work to develop and validate an integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) model optimized for third-generation advanced high-strength steels.

Consumer demand for greater fuel efficiency and a changing regulatory environment have stimulated substantial interest in alternative materials for passenger vehicles. Automotive manufacturers now have a wide variety of choices available, ranging from various grades of steel and aluminum to the most advanced lightweight composite materials. This article describes testing innovations introduced to keep pace with the use of new materials in automobiles.

An ambitious automotive concept incorporates mixed materials in all major vehicle systems of a five-passenger sedan to achieve an overall weight reduction of 23%. This article explores the vehicle design and material usage details, system by system.

Automotive manufacturers are making significant investments in the design and development of bioplastics and biocomposites-based components.

Automotive die OEMs throughout Europe are using laser heat treatment (LHT) to deliver parts fast, with superior quality, at lower cost. This article presents a basic technical introduction to LHT and the results of a case study of LHT cost savings in automotive trim/form dies.

Metal-matrix composite (MMC) materials are being developed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for a diverse range of automotive applications from pistons and cylinder liners to exhaust manifolds and chassis sections. The ability to tailor not only the properties but also the functionality of MMCs gives automotive engineers a powerful new tool in dealing with increasingly strict fuel economy standards.

Beyond automotive, aerospace, and medical materials innovations, research and development of advanced materials and processes for sports and recreation activities is one of the most exciting areas for today’s materials scientists and engineers. This article compiles examples of materials innovations in equipment for cycling, ice skating, cricket, running, football, sailing, and fishing.

Custom equipment designed for the deposition of exotic materials allows advanced coating solutions and ceramic matrix composites to be utilized for applications in automotive, aerospace, defense, energy, and the farthest reaches of space. This article describes custom systems for chemical vapor deposition and advanced materials processing.

This article addresses work to develop core technology for high pressure die casting in order to enable high volume and low-cost manufacturing of lightweight automotive components with complex hollow structural shapes. Although experimental verification of the concept using a part with simplified geometry looks promising, the technique requires further testing using commercial components with internal cavities of complex geometry.

This article explains how coating technology originally developed for use in nuclear power generating equipment is helping automotive engineers solve heat, wear, and performance challenges using new materials and design approaches.

News about ASM members, chapters, events, awards, conferences, affiliates, and other society activities. Topics include: ASM affiliate societies name committee chairs for 2017-2018; ASM CEO William Mahoney announces new ASM Materials Solutions Network; Elvin Beach, Tom Luzanski, Dustin Marshall, and Brian Dix win the 2017 Jacquet-Lucas Award for their entry entitled “A Classic Aluminum Etch Supporting Development of a New Automotive Joining Process"; professional profile for Virginia M. Osterman; volunteer profile for Robert Shemenski.

Fasteners play a critical role in engineered structures as a method of nonpermanent joining for the aerospace, infrastructure, civil, automotive, energy generation/distribution, and many other industries. Fastener failures can lead to disastrous consequences and substantial financial losses. One of the most common fastener failure modes is fatigue crack initiation and growth. Inadequate design considerations, material problems, insufficient preload, loosening, and excessive loads can all contribute to fastener fatigue. A case study of steel screw failures highlights some of the critical manufacturing and design factors that affect fastener fatigue.

Simulation of components and joints made of hybrid materials enables innovative designs for corrosion protection in automotive applications. This article gives examples of simulations used to gain insight into the corrosion behavior of riveted joints.

This article describes research aimed at developing cast aluminum alloys with the necessary high-temperature tensile and fatigue strengths to withstand the modern automotive engine environment. Micro-additions of Ti, V, and Zr were added to an Al-7Si-1Cu-0.5Mg cast alloy, leading to the formation of phases that increase stability at high temperatures, positively affecting alloy strength.

The key obstacle to industrial scale magnesium rolling is the element’s inherently poor formability at room temperature. To address this challenge, the search is on for new magnesium alloys that feature improved formability along with novel rolling techniques. This article describes R&D activities at CanmetMaterials aimed at expanding manufacturing capabilities of magnesium-based sheet materials for future applications in transport vehicles.

As the American car companies moved toward the use of aluminum auto body sheet in the early 1970s, they brought with them a mindset very different from that of the aerospace industry.

Aluminum components with refined microstructures produced by high pressure die casting enable manufacturers to gain energy savings via shorter production cycles—if casting and tempering parameters are optimized. This article reports on research results indicating it is possible to increase hardness of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys by optimizing the water quenching rate and duration of room temperature hold, and producing castings with finer microstructures.

While today's composites encompass a broad and well-established family of materials, the commercial market for high-performance, structural composites has actually existed for well over 30 years. Adoption in the aerospace industry has resulted in a wide range of static test methods offering reliable results. This article reviews some recent innovations in composites testing, including developments related to fatigue testing, high strain rate testing, thermography, and high capacity test systems.