GM Welding Breakthrough Enables More Use of Aluminum

[GM Super News Ticker 2]

DETROIT – General Motors Research & Development has invented an industry-first aluminum welding technology expected to enable more use of the lightweight metal on future vehicles, which can help improve fuel economy and driving performance.

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[Greg_E 211]

That's kind of interesting. Wish they could have used more aluminum in the Spark to make it lighter. Then if they could anodize it to make it resistant to corrosion that would be great.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Greg_E

[mightydog 3]

i wonder if that is to expensive

[Greg_E 211]

Aluminum is highly recycleable so it can be pretty cheap, cheaper to use recycled than new aluminum so it makes a lot of sense with cars. I expect the welding tips are several times the price of the tips for steel, and probably need to be replaced more often, but given time it should work out to be the same. The anodizing would be the hard part since it takes a certain length of time to build up the layer, so I hope they can find a way to deal with it. Cost of anodizing would not be that much more money than the zinc they used to dip cars in before painting. The navy anodizes everything on the aircraft to prevent corrosion, but we all know how much military aircraft cost.

I know this news article was concentrating on sheet metal work, but the manufacturers could already see major weight reduction by using aluminum for other parts that can be cast or forged, not sure why this isn't more popular for suspension parts, engine mounts, things like this.

[Kam 1]

Yeah, right now the aluminum may be a bit too pricey. Hopefully one day they will have that.

[NewSpark 4]

You almost certainly have to use aluminum - mag and carbon fiber are the next big ones to cut some weight out.

[Greg_E 211]

Titanium too, not sure if it is cheaper than carbon fiber though. The aircraft industry is starting to consider gluing some structures together, if glue is good enough for an airplane, then glue could be used for things like the outside door skin. Aluminum for door skins, hood, hatch, etc. would save a lot of weight and still provide the steel safety cage that some people insist on having.