Overview
Meeting the new EU CO2 emission limits is imperative for automakers, otherwise the sanctions would be unbearable.
Automakers have several options they can pursue in parallel. One of these is to achieve weight reduction, mainly by replacing steel with equally resistant but lighter weight materials. Aluminium is one such leading material for this. However, replacement comes at a cost that the end market does not recognize and it is this cost that drives manufacturers choices.
Our project aims to reduce the current costs of production of components in aluminium through the engineering of a new technique for construction of the dies, a technique which will revolutionize the world of aluminium die-casting (95% of all automotive parts in aluminium are produced by the hot die-casting process), making it the competitive material to replace steel.
In the mid-term, automakers will be able to intensify the use of aluminium as a replacement for steel and do so faster and more cheaply than afforded by other light materials, accelerating the process of weight reduction of the vehicle.