The introduction of aluminium to the automotive industry changed its course in a remarkable way by helping making vehicles lighter and safer. With sustainability being the key to the planet’s survival, the metal will have a bigger role to play, says Bajrang Das Garg, Executive Director, Jindal Aluminium Ltd.
The automotive industry has been continuously evolving and aluminium has had a key role to play in this process of evolution. In the early stages, steel was excessively used in the transport sector to make vehicles, but automakers were on the constant lookout for an alternate material that would enhance the fuel efficiency of vehicles while reducing the carbon footprints and cost. Aluminium’s potential was not entirely discovered as it was initially being used only in the structural body parts of vehicles.
The first sports car made with an aluminium frame was showcased at an exhibition in Berlin and it highlighted the diverse yet unknown properties of aluminium. In fact, 1980 and the years that followed proved to be a ‘shining’ period for aluminium as it found its way into trains, trams as well as aircraft. Automakers soon realised that aluminium was an ideal material and a lot could be done with the metal to manufacture efficient and modern vehicles. Today, aluminium alloys are the second most used materials in the automotive sector.
Automotive applications
With the automotive industry evolving over the years, the application of aluminium in vehicles has increased with time. Aluminium met the requirements of metal that automakers were obsessed about. The need to reduce the weight of the vehicles so as to enhance energy efficiency increased the demand for aluminium. Aluminium in its various forms started featuring in the manufacturing of vehicles. Aluminium extrusions were increasingly being used in gear pumps, vehicles’ body structures, truck trailers, vehicle windows, engine parts and components, metro and railway coaches as well as the automatic braking system.
Aluminium flat-rolled products have found their way into the flooring and body of commercial as well as passenger vehicles in India due to its anti-skid properties. Aluminium today is not only used for structural but for aesthetic purposes as well. It can be found in tailgate frames, roof rails as well as for decorative and show beadings. Indian automakers today are looking at modernising vehicles without compromising on the quality and performance of the vehicle to remain at par with global standards and aluminium is contributing to that vision.
Aluminium in commercial vehicles
Aluminium’s tryst with commercial vehicles dates back to 1910. From commercial buses, tankers, vans and tipping vehicles, aluminium was synonymous with commercial vehicles. Aluminium became an integral part of cabins, powertrain parts, and suspension parts in tractors and rigid trucks. Commercial vehicles also started adorning aluminium made front, rear and side bumpers. It also enhanced the superstructure of commercial vehicles by featuring in curtain rails, front walls, sideboards and stanchions.
The metal was used in accessories of commercial vehicles like diesel tank, toolbox, wheels and tail lift. Taking into consideration the Indian roads and infrastructure, commercial vehicle manufacturers constantly need to innovate while minimising costs. Light-weighting of commercial vehicles was necessary to achieve energy efficiency and reduced delivery time, given the load these commercial vehicles carried. Hence, aluminium became the preferred choice of metal for these manufactures due to its properties over other metals.
Automotive suitability
Accounting for almost 30% of the aluminium consumption globally, the transport sector heavily depends on aluminium. Given below are some of the unmatched properties of aluminium that make it suitable for the automotive sector:
- Lightweight: One of the most important properties that make aluminium a preferred choice in the automotive industry is its nature of being lightweight. According to a report by International Energy Agency, 20% of the manmade greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the transportation sector. The only way to combat this challenge is reducing the weight of vehicles. Aluminium being light enables weight reduction in vehicles, lesser fuel consumption, and lesser greenhouse gas emissions. Aluminium is used as a substitute to heavier parts in a vehicle by enhancing the designs without compromising on the quality and performance. Using aluminium reduces the body weight of a vehicle by 40%.
- Strength: Aluminium is strong despite being light. The combination of strength and design reduces injuries and saves lives during accidents. It is known to absorb twice as much crash induced energy as compared to other metals. It is essentially used in different components of the vehicles to increase the overall strength of the vehicle.
- Corrosion-resistant: Vehicles are exposed to different weather conditions and being a metal that is corrosion-resistant, aluminium increases the lifespan of the vehicle. The metal has a natural oxide coating that is a protective barrier to external elements that usually wear off other metals. Aluminium alloys improve the corrosion-resistance of the metal.
- Recyclability: With the future being a sustainable model of living, it is increasingly important for vehicle manufacturers to resort to materials that reduce the negative impact on the planet. Up to 95% of the aluminium in cars can be recycled, recovered, and reused. This therefore saves maximum energy required in the primary production of aluminium. Recycled aluminium can be utilised for various applications in vehicles and the lifecycle of aluminium does not end with the lifecycle of the product.
Road to the future
With the future hurtling towards us at a fast pace, aluminium is the one metal that is making a great impact on how the trends unfold. Aluminium is continuously growing, delivering and innovating with the help of technology, enhanced engineering, designs, and better performance. The range of applications of aluminium is evolving with the transformation of the sector and it has set a strong foothold in the transportation sector in India. With the country gearing up for the advent of electric vehicles, the need for sustainable materials like aluminium is only set to grow. No wonder then that aluminium is often referred to as the ‘future’ metal since it will define the future of the transportation industry and the shape it takes.