Today the primary driving force for the use of magnesium in vehicle components is weight reduction. Mg has been rediscovered as the lightest metallic structural material. Lightweight construction using magnesium is in competition with lightweight construction using aluminium, plastics and steel. Ultimately the decision as to which method to adopt will be based on the price per kg saved. It is the declared aim of VW to establish the use of magnesium in volume production cars wherever it makes technical sense and is economically viable. Almost certainly, limited-series and niche-market vehicles will initially be used to introduce new technologies (sheet metal, extruded section). At present, around 14 kg of magnesium is used in the Passat. That represents 1 % of the vehicle weight. The authors are assuming an increase to around 2-3 % of overall weight by the year 2005 for specific vehicles. Assuming a figure of 2 Mio vehicles/y this would create a demand of approximately 56000-84000 t/a of magnesium finished products for this type of vehicle. As already explained, in the short to medium term, that growth is expected to take place in the engine/transmission and interior component groups using magnesium castings. Sheet metal and extruded section applications in the vehicle structure can be expected in the medium to long term. The absolutely essential prerequisites for this type of development in view of the high price of magnesium even in the medium term are a greater use of in-house recycling (cost reduction), a building up of a secondary material cycle, a rapid prototyping of Mg-components, an adaptation of existing casting and forming techniques and development of new ones, a development of new magnesium alloys with improved property potential, a magnesium-compatible design (integrated approach), and an incorporation in a multi-material design concept. The traditional choice of material based on various material characteristics will be replaced by a new optimum for volume production cars provided by an integrated assessment of material + design + process. Magnesium will, assuming appropriate alloys and processes are developed, represent a key technology in multi-material design for the motor car.
The use of magnesium in cars - today and in the future
Gegenwärtige und zukünftige Verwendung von Magnesium im Fahrzeugbau
1998
7 Seiten, 6 Bilder, 2 Tabellen, 7 Quellen
Conference paper
English
The use or magnesium in cars - today and in future
Tema Archive | 1998
|Electric cars — Here and now - Our battery-powered future driven today
Online Contents | 2009
Battery cars today, some theory and practice
Tema Archive | 1975
|Street cars in the Berlin of today
Engineering Index Backfile | 1931
|Brake Force Control and Distribution in Passenger Cars, Today and in the Future
SAE Technical Papers | 1984
|