Manufacturability

The success of aluminum in numerous high-volume, quality-critical automotive applications, such as cast and forged wheels, extruded drive shafts, vacuum-brazed heat exchangers, and sheet closure panels, is testimony to its outstanding manufacturability. Efficient methods have been developed by manufacturing experts from the automotive and aluminum industries to handle, form, assemble, join, machine, and finish aluminum in all of its product categories.

In most cases, aluminum benefits from the same high-productivity manufacturing infrastructure that has evolved to serve the automotive industry relative to steel and other metals. For example, aluminum sheet is currently fabricated into hoods by employing essentially the same manufacturing processes as used for steel, while providing significant weight-saving benefits. Aluminum sheet can also be made into tailor welded blanks, just like steel.

Aluminum extrusions and tube, with a large variety of cross-sections, can be bent and hydroformed the same way as steel tube.

Aluminum, like other engineered materials, has its own unique properties and characteristics. Aluminum suppliers have the experience and ability to provide on-site expertise to assist automakers in adapting their manufacturing processes to take advantage of the significant lightweighting potential offered by aluminum.

Aluminum producers continue to respond to the need for improved quality and consistency by implementing process control programs to meet the requirements for tight dimensional tolerances and high mechanical properties.