New aluminum forming method will halve the weight of future car chassis

AP&T is collaborating with Lofos Technology, Hydro Aluminium, and the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology to develop new aluminum forming methods. This method will significantly reduce the weight of the passenger car body compared to today, thereby reducing fuel consumption and reducing the impact on the environment.

Dr. Christian Koroschetz, chief technology officer of AP&T, believes this new method has considerable potential.

He said: "The goal of this cooperation project is to use aluminium thermoforming to replace the current chassis parts made of steel or die-cast aluminum to significantly reduce the weight. The project calculations show that this new method can reduce the weight of the chassis by half."

In order to achieve this goal, a cost-effective production process is required to ensure that the produced body parts meet the performance requirements, and in particular the strength and stability must not be destroyed. The project team members plan to complete the test production line deployment within 4 years, and prior to this, complete the development of materials, forming technology, production processes and other aspects.

In addition, AP&T will also share knowledge of molds and production process design, and be responsible for providing a complete production line for the production of test pieces. At present, as part of the start of the cooperation project, a metallurgical expert from the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology has worked at AP&T's R&D and production base in Ulricehamn, Sweden.