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Aluminum Alloys for Industrial Applications - Focus on Ground Transportation
Materials Selection for Applications Seminar
Eastern Virginia ASM2005 April 21
R. E. Sanders, Jr.Alcoa Technical CenterAlcoa Center, PA 15069
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Outline
• Current aluminum applications– Automotive– Trucks, trailers, and tankers
• The case for aluminum– Payload and economics– Maintenance and appearance– Longer life– Safety and highway damage
• Materials development
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United States and Canada
10,536 M tonnes (23.6 billion lbs)
Building &Construction
14.8%Exports10.1%
Other8.5%
Electrical6.4%
ConsumerDurables
6.8%
Containers& Packaging
21.3%
Transportation32.2% Ingot
33.4%
Extrusion & Tube16.5%
Other5.2%
Sheet, Plate& Foil44.8%
Aluminum Shipments by Major Market (2002 A. A. Statistical Review)
Major Market Product Form
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2002 –Usage of Aluminum in North American Ground Transportation
Total: 2,950 M tonnes (6.6 billion lbs)
Trailers & Semis
492*
Trucks& Buses
767*
Passenger Cars5,348*
*values x 1 million pounds
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Aluminum Alloys
•Wrought alloys – semi-fabricated– Available as sheet, plate, extrusions,
forgings– 8 major alloy systems: >400 alloys
•Cast alloys – net shape– 6 major alloy systems: >70 major
alloys
•How do you pick the alloy and product form?
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The Alloy Selection “Puzzle”
• Properties and performance vary with product application• Strength may be a large or small piece of the puzzle• Optimizing one aspect of performance may cost us in
another area.
CorrosionResistance
Surface Quality Formability
Cost
JoiningStrength
FractureToughness
Finishing
Fatigue
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About 95% of the Aluminum Alloys for Aerospace Applications Today Have Been Developed by Alcoa
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Aerospace Alloys - Strength vs Year First Introduced
Upper Wing
Fuselage Skin
Lower Wing
Thick Product
Al-Li Alloys
Yie
ld S
tren
gth
, ks
i (T
yp
ica
l, L
-Dir
ecti
on
)
Year First Used in Aircraft or Aerospace
7075-T651B29
7178-T651707
7075-T7651L1011
7150-T651757/767
7150-T6151A310/MD11
7150-T7751C17
7055-T77777
2324-T39737
2324-T39 Type II777
2017-T4Junkers F13
Wings, Fuselage, Others(Alcoa)
2024-T3DC3
Wings, Fuselage, Others
2524-T3777
7075-T7351DC10
7050-T7451A62020 Wing Plate
RA5C Vigilante
2090-T83 Thin PlateAtlas/Centaur Payload Adapter
2097 Thick PlateF16 Bulkhead
2195-T8M4 Thin PlateExt Fuel Tank of Space Shuttle
A6013-T6A318
C433-T351A340-500/600
2026-T3511A340-500/600
7055-T795XA380
7085-T7X5XA380
2017-T4Junker F13
Wings, Fuselage, Others
7055-T765XA380
A340-500/600A380A318
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2xxx Alloy Aerospace Applications
Alloy 2519 Armor Plate
Space Shuttle Fuel TanksAlloy 2219, Alloy 2195
Alloys 2x24 Sheet Aircraft
From ATC Slide LibraryFuselage Under Construction -- alloy 2024
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High-Strength 7xxx Alloys
Alloys 7050/7055 Sports Equipment Alloys 7150/7055 Extrusions
Alloys 7150, 7085 Aircraft (Upper Wings) Alloys 7175/7050/7085 Forgings
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Aluminum vs. Steel in Automobiles– Steel was used in Europe and USA for outside of
vehicles before 1903– Complex body frames in early 1900s – Al castings – “All-Steel” car body invented and patented in 1912
(Edward G. Budd)– Aluminum preferred for auto body panels before 1920
(i.e., ductility)– First large sheet metal presses (stamping) gave steel
edge after 1920– Renewed interest in Aluminum in 1970s following
energy crisis and CAFÉ legislation– Current steel usage in autos still > 50% of vehicle
weight– Aluminum usage is currently 130 kg per vehicle
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Cast Aluminum Bodies - 1904
Alcoa Builds Aluminum Auto Bodies for the Ford Model T in New Kensington, PA.
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Aluminum in Trucking Applications
•By 1930’s aluminum was recognized as key weight saving material for trucks– Delivery vehicles– Dump trucks– Tankers
2000 extra liters per load
1800 extra kg. per load
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Al Body Delivery Truck – circa 1936
Weight savings vs. steel – 500 kg25 extra cases of drink per load; payback in 140 trips
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Automotive Applications
Wheels
ClosurePanels
TransmissionBrackets
Wiring Harness
Heat ExchangerComponents/Radiators
SuspensionComponents
Drive Shaft Yokes
BumperBeams
Knuckles and Control Arms
AirbagCanisters
Fasteners, Stamping Assemblies
EngineComponents
Steering Yokes
BrakePistons/Calipers
ElectronicComponentsBody-in-white
Structure
Step Plates
Inner Door Panels
Cross members
Water PumpHousings
WindshieldSurrounds
Full Frames
Examples of Aluminum Utility & Flexibility
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Product Selection
• Aluminum sheet– Forming critical parts– Flat surfaces– Design for dent resistance and stiffness
• Extrusions– Longitudinal stiffeners– Energy Absorption– Ease of assembly
• Castings– Part simplicity, low cost
• Forgings– High performance finished parts, e.g., wheels
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6xxx Alloy Auto Sheet Applications
Nissan Altima
Ford RangerChrysler LHS
2002 Harley-Davidson
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Al space frames use extrusions as energy absorbing structure
Audi A8
Ferrari Modena
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Alloy 6061 Forged Wheels
• Heavy Duty Truck Wheels• Motorcycle Wheels• Crane Wheels• Automotive\SUV\Light
Truck
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Roof sheetRoof sheet
Side sheetSide sheet
Extrusions forExtrusions forskeleton, side postsskeleton, side posts
Floor, Floor, scuff plate, scuff plate, tread platetread plate WheelsWheels
HuckHuckfastenersfasteners
North American Commercial Vehicles
The Utility Logo is a Registered Trademark of Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co.
Cab doorsCab doors
Fuel tanksFuel tanks
Body trimBody trim
Frame Frame
railsrails
Cross Cross membersmembers
Cab structureCab structure
Huck Chassis
fasteners
Huck Chassis
fasteners
Wiring harnessWiring harness WheelsWheels
Huck Cab fastenersHuck Cab fasteners
Peterbilt is a Registered Trademark
BumperBumper
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Advantages of Aluminum
• Light weighting saves 500-800 kg per trailer vs steel– Increased payload (payback is very short) (next slide)– Marginal fuel savings (493 liters/160,000 km)– Better braking and improved safety (lower center of gravity)– Less damage to roads from overloaded trucks– Longer tire life for dump trailers: $400/year for 8-tire trailer
• Lower corrosion-related maintenance costs– No need to paint flat beds or dump trucks
Cost to re-paint steel vehicles every five years: $600
– No rust when sheet is sheared or scratched– Better appearance over time, easy to clean
• Premium attractive appearance– Bright trim, bumpers, fuel tanks, tread plate
• Non-sparking
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Economics• Payload-limited tractor trailers can increase
productivity by increasing payload– The tare weight of heavy vehicles is limited to
36,363 kg (80,000 lbs) in US
• Consider: – Incremental cost of Aluminum vs steel (~$3000)
– Increased payload revenue results in payback in 0.5 to 2.0 years depending upon mileage
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Highway Safety and Road DamageChina – 2001-2002
• Many truck accidents caused by overloading• 119 deaths in Beijing alone, caused by
overloaded trucks in 2001-2002• Overloading causes failure of safety critical
components: Tires; brakes; wheels; axles• Such failures are usually catastrophic.
• Rmb 4 billion in Hebei province was spent in 2001 alone for road damage repairs.
• Lightweighting with Al can reduce tendency to overload, improving safety and highway life.
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Road Damage from Overloaded Trucks
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Material Selection for Truck Parts
Use Alloy Key AttributesChassis, Trailer Frames
6061-T6 extrusion Strength, fatigue*
Side Sheets 3004, 5052-H291 Painted, durability
Roof 3003-H1x Wide width
Fuel Tanks 5052-O Impact resistance*
Compressed Air 5083, 5754, 5154 Impact resistance*
Wheels 6061-T6 Fatigue, surface, wear
Cab Sheets 6022, 6111-T4, 5182-O Formability
Bumpers 6061, 5xxx Surface, strength
Trim Various 3xxx, 5xxx Good surface
* After welding
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Dry Van Wall Product Attributes
• Alloy 3004 or 5052-H291 Side Sheets– Hard temper for high strength and dent resistance– Painted surface for corrosion durability– Economical to produce– Available in wide range of colors, surfaces, and finishes
• Alloy 6061-T6 Extrusions– Moderate strength, good fatigue– Shapes facilitate truck frame manufacture and assembly– Economical to produce
• Alloy 6061 or 5xxx for Bumpers– High strength for dent resistance– Bright, durable finish after polishing
• Alloy 3003-H1x Sheet for Roofs– Moderate strength, Wide width to eliminate seams
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Aluminum Tanker Trucks
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Aluminum in Tanker trucks
• Aluminum tankers used to haul petrol for US armed forces in World War II
• Alcoa marketed aluminum tanker trucks for commercial use starting in late 1940’s
• Alloy 5454 introduced in early 1950’s to insure good corrosion performance in tanker applications
• Aluminum tankers currently carry oil, petrol (gasoline), chemicals, cement, and other dense materials
• Currently alloy 5083 (Europe) and 5454 (USA) are most commonly used alloys
• Non-sparking nature of aluminum improves safety in crash situation
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Economics: Aluminum Tankers
• Practically all aluminum tanker trucks are limited by total weight (not by volume)
• Lightweighting with Aluminum can haul more volume at same weight – or – haul equal volume at lower weight - typically 10% higher payload for same or less operating cost vs steel design
• Value of Aluminum is in reduced number of loads to haul same amount of cargo
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Alloy Selection for Tankers
• Alloy 5454 (2.7 Mg, 0.6 Mn) – H321 temper– Good combination of strength and formability– Excellent corrosion resistance, even after elevated
temperature exposure– Good weldability– Good fatigue resistance after welding
• Available as Bulk Transport Sheet (BTS) in various finishes– Mill finish – Consistent uniform surface finish– Specular – Engineered bright finish– Al Bright – ultimate in brightness and image clarity
• Alloys 5083 and 5182 – standard alloys used in Europe
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Future Directions
• Improved alloys for automotive applications– Better formability for sheet– Castings which do not require heat
treatment (lower cost)– Extrusions for energy absorption
•Couple alloy, process development and design
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Filiform Corrosion(3 weeks Exposure to Dry Bottom MASTMAASIS per ASTM G85)
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Summary and Conclusions
• Economics drives aluminum usage– More payload: Lightweighting with Al pays for itself quickly
in weight-limited applications– Reduced maintenance costs due to corrosion
• Additional benefits: attractive appearance, safety, reduced damage to highways and infrastructure
• Proper selection of Al alloys enables maximum benefits to be realized– High strength where needed– High formability (sheet)– High fatigue performance (forgings)– Parts simplification (extrusions and castings)
• Development of new materials is proceeding in combination with design technology
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Acknowledgements
• Alcoa Technical Center– Shawn Murtha– Ron McClure– Andy Trageser– Greg Bartley– Jotpreet Chahal
• Alcoa Asia-Pacific– Michael Swain– Anil Govada