ALUMINIUM FORMING

Forming of Aluminium Body Vehicle

Forming of an Aluminium Body vehicle Introduction

Our Company has decided to make a new car model which will be produced on medium scale. It is being suggested by our design Engineers to make the body of the car as monocoque using aluminium alloys. It is a huge change for company as all the previous models were constructed from mild steel. In this report, a quick review of the potential problems that may be a rise in the process of forming will be taken into consideration along with their solutions. Discussion

As it has already been mentioned the designers have come up with the suggestion of experimenting of a new formation technique for the new car model that has to be produced on a medium scale. Currently the body of cars is being manufactured in the factory using the convention mild steel frame. In the new design strategy, it is considered to be replaced by aluminium alloys. As the entire forming process has to be shifted from steel alloys to aluminium the entire framework and infrastructure of framing supply chain has to be replaced. This advancement is mandatory as the old method of framing is outdated and many critical problems have been seen in the production. Some of the major issues with the old method are as follows. Problems in the forming with Mild steel

The conventional technique for framing the bodies of the car was based on mild steel. Due to the increased competition in the industry and to meet the global requirement of the customers, it is going to be replaced with aluminium. The problems that were present in the old method of framing using mild steel are discussed below.

Weight Mild steel is heavier in comparison with aluminium frames. The body of the vehicle which has been made using mild steel will be much heavier than its aluminum counterpart that will affect the overall aerodynamics of the vehicle.

Strength

The tensile strength of mild steel is significantly lower than aluminium. Considering the overall strength of the frame it is needed to be replaced with aluminium whose strength is significantly high (Hirsch, et al, 2010).

Fuel Efficiency

More weight means the requirement of more powerful engine that is consuming more fuel so from the economical point of view mild steel is not a good choice. Heat Dissipation

Steel does not dissipate heat energy as good as aluminium. It is heated up early and takes too long to be cooled down. Considering the present scenario of the market and industry it has become mandatory for the company to replace steel with aluminium for survival in the market.

Corrosion

The rate of corrosion of mild steel is significantly higher than that of aluminium which affects the overall life and performance of the car (Chasten, 2010).

From the above mentioned points, it is evident that the changes that are considered for the application have become mandatory. As the entire setup of forming the bodies is ...