Page 18 - MetalForming March 2015
P. 18
16 MetalForming/March 2015
www.metalformingmagazine.com
Materials & Coatings
“This is a good example for both Beguer and SSAB of how a student project can develop into real business development projects,” says Luis Antunano, area sales manager for SSAB Specials Steels in Spain, which provides high-strength advanced steels.
“Alcoa Micromill represents a major breakthrough in aluminum materials,” says Klaus Kleinfeld, Alcoa chairman and chief executive officer. “This technology will unlock the next generation of automo- tive products with strength, formability and surface-quality combinations never before possible. It will allow our customers to redefine the boundaries of vehicle design, supporting the creation of lighter, more fuel efficient, safer and more stylish vehicles for the future.”
In awarding the prize, the section jury offered the following:
“In his master work, the winner has skill- fully introduced advanced high-strength steel into an industrial product. He has demonstrated a holistic understanding of structural design, production and end- users requirements. The exemplary learn- ing process starts with a straightforward computation of a reference layout, and con- tinues with phased optimizations for dif- ferent steel grades, geometries and attach- ments. Finally, the manufacturer’s successful test of the prototype and the launch of the product to the end-users have proven that this former student is now an innovative and competent engineer.”
Micromill-produced aluminum sheet, with its ease of formability, can be shaped into intricate forms such as the inside panels of automobile doors and external fenders, which generally are made of steel, explain Alcoa officials. The 30 per- cent increase in material strength can improve dent resistance, enabling the production of automotive sheet that is thinner and even lighter than previous generations. Automakers also can bene- fit from reduced system cost by stream- lining the number of aluminum alloys used in their manufacturing process.
Since completing the project, Beguer has built and sold three more trailers based on his prize-winning design. SSAB: www.ssab.com
The process also represents an immense improvement in material pro- duction, as a traditional rolling mill takes roughly 20 days to turn molten metal into coil, while Micromill reportedly accom- plishes this task in only 20 minutes. The Micromill also has a significantly smaller footprint than a traditional rolling mill, at just one quarter the size, and lowers ener- gy use by 50 percent, claim Alcoa officials.
Manufacturing Breakthrough Yields Next-Generation Aluminum Sheet, Ideal for Automotive
Alcoa has secured a strategic devel- opment customer, and from its pilot Micromill facility in San Antonio, TX, has also conducted successful customer tri- als. Alcoa currently is qualifying the mate- rial for use in next-generation automotive platforms.
Alcoa has unveiled its patented Micromill process for production of alu- minum sheet, a process said to create an alloy for automotive applications that has 40 percent greater formability and 30
Alcoa Inc.: www.alcoa.com
percent greater strength than the incum- bent aluminum used today while meeting stringent automotive surface quality requirements.
The process, which dramatically changes the microstructure of the metal, according to Alcoa officials, gives alu- minum sheet formability characteristics comparable to mild steels.
