Jaguar XJ, BMW 7 Series Use Novelis ‘Fusion’^TM Technology

Multi-Layer Aluminum Sheet Product Allows for Weight Reduction, Improved Performance

Novelis, the sole supplier of aluminum sheet for the all-new Jaguar XJ sedan, will employ its proprietary Fusion^TM technology to reduce the vehicle’s weight and improve its performance.

Fusion^TM is a solidification technology that produces aluminum sheet ingots with multiple layers of different alloys. These “multi-alloy” ingots are then rolled into sheets with what Novelis describes as “previously unattainable combinations of attributes such as high strength and superior surface quality.”
 
Jaguar plans to use the material for its distinctive fenders as part of a running change program that will enable a reduction in panel thickness and weight.

In so doing, Jaguar becomes the second automaker to employ aluminum sheet fabricated via the Fusion^TM process in volume production. Earlier this year, BMW became the first vehicle manufacturer to use the multi-layered aluminum sheet on the BMW 7 Series saloon.

BMW incorporated the innovative aluminum sheet in the 7 Series’ door panels. According to Novelis, using the material allowed BMW to manufacture one-piece door “inners” with integral window frames in a way that is not possible with conventional aluminum sheet. In this particular application, Novelis says, the Fusion^TM sheet provided an alloy combination providing superior formability and corrosion resistance.

Use of the Fusion^TM sheet provided the automaker with the manufacturing and assembly advantage of a one-piece design. According to Novelis, use of a conventional sheet product would have required a less-efficient multi-part design.

The Fusion^TM technology is based on a conventional direct chill (DC) mould modified in order to allow multiple metal streams to be cast into a single aluminum sheet ingot. An ingot produced with this technology consists of several distinct layers, joined together by a perfect metallurgical bond, that can be rolled and finished with existing equipment that is typically available in the aluminum industry.