To increase vehicle fuel economy, an automaker must make an automobile lighter. With magnesium sheet metal, GM thinks they've found a more cost-effective solution.
Using magnesium to save fuel
Magnesium used to be too expensive to form and corroded way too fast to actually use in an automobile in spite of the fact that it is 33 percent lighter than aluminum and 75 percent lighter than steel. That is why carmakers have been using aluminum and carbon fiber in cars instead to make the car lighter. Now, there is a leap forward with magnesium sheet metal forming.
There is a new idea that has surfaced from General Motors engineer Paul Krajewski. He believes that taking a sheet of magnesium, heating it to 842 degrees Fahrenheit quickly, putting it in an air-right die and letting air pressure turn it into an automotive panel might be the solution to this problem. It is very comparable to high-temperature plastic vacuum forming and could very well work.
"You don't form the magnesium with mechanical action of pushing it or drawing it or ironing, like you would typically do with sheet metal," he says. "Rather, you clamp it around the outside so it's sealed, and you apply gas pressure to form it into shape."
Production after tests
There is a corrosion-resistant coating that was added to help the magnesium sheets. These sheets have been tested in trials by General Motors involving salt spray, 100 percent humidity and extreme temperatures to make sure it works. To be able to make it cheaper to create the material, high amounts of production will be used.
Weight all that matters
General Motors Executive Director for Global Vehicle Body Engineering Greg Warden noted that weight reduction is a key element of remaining competitive in today's automotive industry.
"Every gram of weight reduction matters when it comes to improving fuel economy," said Warden. "Being able to replace heavier metals with one of the lightest will help us deliver better fuel economy to customers around the world while also still providing the safety and durability they expect."
Magnesium was used to produce steering wheels, motor cradles and mag wheels in the past, meaning this is not the first time the material has been used in vehicles. A 9 to 12 percent gas mileage savings is expected, according to General Motors, if GM is successful. Every car will decrease in weight by 150 pounds.
Lifting high-temperature magnesium sheets
Using magnesium to save fuel
Magnesium used to be too expensive to form and corroded way too fast to actually use in an automobile in spite of the fact that it is 33 percent lighter than aluminum and 75 percent lighter than steel. That is why carmakers have been using aluminum and carbon fiber in cars instead to make the car lighter. Now, there is a leap forward with magnesium sheet metal forming.
There is a new idea that has surfaced from General Motors engineer Paul Krajewski. He believes that taking a sheet of magnesium, heating it to 842 degrees Fahrenheit quickly, putting it in an air-right die and letting air pressure turn it into an automotive panel might be the solution to this problem. It is very comparable to high-temperature plastic vacuum forming and could very well work.
"You don't form the magnesium with mechanical action of pushing it or drawing it or ironing, like you would typically do with sheet metal," he says. "Rather, you clamp it around the outside so it's sealed, and you apply gas pressure to form it into shape."
Production after tests
There is a corrosion-resistant coating that was added to help the magnesium sheets. These sheets have been tested in trials by General Motors involving salt spray, 100 percent humidity and extreme temperatures to make sure it works. To be able to make it cheaper to create the material, high amounts of production will be used.
Weight all that matters
General Motors Executive Director for Global Vehicle Body Engineering Greg Warden noted that weight reduction is a key element of remaining competitive in today's automotive industry.
"Every gram of weight reduction matters when it comes to improving fuel economy," said Warden. "Being able to replace heavier metals with one of the lightest will help us deliver better fuel economy to customers around the world while also still providing the safety and durability they expect."
Magnesium was used to produce steering wheels, motor cradles and mag wheels in the past, meaning this is not the first time the material has been used in vehicles. A 9 to 12 percent gas mileage savings is expected, according to General Motors, if GM is successful. Every car will decrease in weight by 150 pounds.
Lifting high-temperature magnesium sheets
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