 |
| Purchase Information |
| Use this form to request purchase information on AA online subscriptions. |
|
|
Document AA AT 3 is offered by IHS as part of an online subscription. This subscription contains many documents on the same topic.
You may also purchase this document alone from the IHS Standards Store.
AA AT 3 Document Information:
Title
Aluminum for Automotive Body Sheet Panels
The Aluminum Association Inc.
Publication Date:
Dec 1, 1998
Scope:
This technical publication has been prepared by The Aluminum
Association to assist automotive
companies and their suppliers in the selection and effective
application of aluminum alloy sheet
materials for body panel and closure components. In this publication,
the focus is on those
specific aluminum sheet alloys recommended for body components, and it
covers all relevant aspects
of design and application.
During the past decade, aluminum body sheet has been used for specific
applications such as hoods
on a few high-volume production vehicles in North America. On a
worldwide basis, aluminum panels
have been used on a large number of specialty vehicles in similar
applications. The use of aluminum
saves weight, 40 to 60% compared to steel, e.g., about 11 kg (24 lb)
for the hood of a mid-sized
sedan. In recent years, this weight saving potential has enabled cars
to be kept within a certain
weight class while safety and environmental functional improvements,
such as air bags and anti-lock
braking systems, have been added to the vehicles.
The overall benefits of aluminum for weight reduction and fuel savings
are being increasingly
recognized by the automotive industry. Many more aluminum body panels
are now being specified for
vehicles at the conceptual design stage so that designers can take
advantage of the additional
weight savings in design of other systems like braking and suspension.
Aluminum body sheet has the major advantage that it can be handled,
formed, joined, and finished in
much the same ways and using largely the same equipment and systems
that are used today for steel
sheet panels. However aluminum has its own unique characteristics, and
it is the purpose of this
publication to provide specific information on:
• the mechanical properties, physical properties and formability
of the current generation
of aluminum alloys;
• design considerations, blanking and forming information, and
relevant die design
considerations;
• joining technology, including spot welding, fusion welding,
mechanical fastening, and
adhesive bonding technologies; and
• finishing processes, including both conventional phosphating
and electro-coating, plus
newer alternative methods now becoming available.
Aluminum panels have excellent corrosion resistance. When they are
used and finished in ways that
recognize the unique characteristics of aluminum alloys, they will
provide outstanding performance
and longterm durability. The purpose of this publication is to aid
designers and manufacturers in
using aluminum sheet to its maximum advantage in automotive
structures.
A listing of the applications of aluminum body sheet in current
production applications is provided
in the Annex, page 50.
About IHS
IHS (NYSE: IHS) is a leading global provider of critical technical information, decision-support tools and related services in a number of industries including aerospace and defense, automotive, construction, electronics, and energy. IHS serves customers ranging from large governments and multinational corporations to smaller companies and technical professionals in more than 100 countries. IHS been in business for more than 45 years and employ more than 2,300 people around the world.
