Automotive Structures
Forging

Automotive Structures


Aluminium structural components are the technology of choice for leading car manufacturers to reduce vehicle weight and enhance safety. Structural components and lightweight materials have proven their ability to be successfully installed in any vehicle assembly, and provide high potential for further improvements in weight reduction, safety and structural stiffness (NVH). As a global leader in this segment, Alcan Engineered and Automotive Solutions develops cost-efficient solutions.


Crash Management Systems
Aluminium Crash Management Systems (CMS) consist of a bumper beam and two crash boxes. These systems play a key safety role in contemporary vehicles by:

   - Saving weight
   - Enhancing passenger and pedestrian safety
   - Protecting the integrity of the car structure
   - Meeting and exceeding legal requirements and insurance standards

Due to the significant advantages of aluminium CMS for automobiles, this technology is strongly penetrating the market and has already achieved a market share of more than 30% cars in Europe. Aluminium CMS for bus and truck applications are increasingly entering the market.



Cockpit Carriers / Instrument Panel-beams
The cockpit carrier / IP-beam is the "backbone" of the cockpit module, where high demands for rigidity, structural integrity, and tight dimensional control are paramount in meeting today's vehicle requirements. It plays a key role in the NVH and craftsmanship character of the vehicle, providing support for many important interfaces to the driver: the steering wheel, sound and climate controls, etc. It must also meet stringent structural requirements since it is a crash-relevant body component. Alcan Engineered and Automotive Solutions - the global leader in this segment - offers customer-specific cockpit carriers. Concepts span from modular, low-investment designs (50-100 thousand vehicles per year) to fully integrated and automated platform solutions (1-2 million vehicles per year).


Body-In-White Structures (BIW)
Automotive BIW-structures have to possess exceptional performance characteristics. It is recognized that aluminium is the only material that allows a breakthrough in weight-savings for BIW structures today. The cost-effectiveness can be optimized by utilizing hybrid Body-In-White structures, which integrate steel components. Alcan Engineered and Automotive Solutions offers high performance aluminium structure components and modules.









Other Safety Components
Aluminium side impact beams preserve passenger compartment integrity while reducing weight.

Aluminium "Add-ons" are increasingly used by engineers to fulfill structural requirements and to enhance crash performance - mainly in the engine compartment - while achieving additional weight savings.