Steel nanotechnology

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/s...t-of-our-cars/

Steel nanotechnology can reduce the weight of our cars

by John McElroy (RSS feed) on Jan 31st 2011 at 4:30PM

Making Stronger Steel As Light As Aluminum



The world's largest steel maker, ArcelorMital, says it has come up with a new kind of steel that the world has never seen before. Thanks to nanotechnology, the company says automakers can now match the weight of aluminum cars, but do it in steel at far lower cost.

Specifically, ArcelorMital says it can take 188 pounds out of the body-in-white of a car. The body-in-white, or BIW, refers to the basic structure of a car, including the doors, hood and deck lid. That's a big number. By taking so much weight out of the structure, other components such as the powertrain, drivetrain, brakes, etc. can be downsized as well. In other words, the total weight savings could be even bigger.

ArcelorMital is already showing this new kind of steel to automakers. It isn't yet ready to publicly divulge any of the technical aspects of the steel or how it's using nanotechnology to make it. The company says we're still two to three years away before we get those kinds of details. And that's about the time we'll see this steel show up in production. No word yet on which car company may be the first to use it, but the rumor on the street is that Ford is all over this technology.

The nano steel itself is not inherently lighter, but it's so strong that automakers can use thinner gauges and that's where part of the weight savings comes from. Another part of the weight savings comes from not having to use additional brackets, gussets or panels to strengthen the structure.

For example, A-pillars are becoming so big these days due to roof crush standards that they are actually becoming a safety hazard. The fat A-pillars can partially block your view to side traffic or pedestrians. But with this nano steel, A-pillars could be made much thinner with no sacrifice to structure or safety.

Nor is this steel cheaper than other grades of steel. In fact, it's probably a little bit more expensive. But by eliminating all those brackets and extra panels, the total tooling cost of a car goes down, and that's where the costs savings comes from.

To get the maximum 188-pound reduction in the BIW, an automaker would have to design-in the nano steel's capabilities using a clean sheet approach. But ArcelorMittal says that some applications, especially cross-members, lend themselves to running changes on existing designs.

The nano steel does require a newer manufacturing technique called hot stamping. That's where automakers heat up the steel blanks that go into a stamping press to the point where they're literally glowing red. Then they feed the red hot blanks into a press and stamp them into body panels. Heating up the steel makes it much more pliable and enables it to be formed into more complex shapes. Actually, this is a fairly common process already in use today, used to form the high-strength steels that have been available for the last decade and a half. So, while the nano steel requires hot stamping, it's not as if automakers need to make a big investment in manufacturing technology.

It's very impressive to see the steel industry delve into new technology to keep its product relevant. Aluminum, magnesium and composites definitely pose a competitive threat to steel. But they're also considerably more expensive, are not as easily repaired in most body shops, and require considerably more energy to recycle. That's why they've not found widespread use in cars, or at least not as widespread as steel.

And yet, I've heard tantalizing whispers of the new breakthrough coming in aluminum. It's called covitic aluminum, where somehow they impregnate aluminum with carbon fiber. There, now you know about as much of it as I do.

I'm pretty sure we'll get some sort of announcement later this year about covitic aluminum. But for right now at least, this nano steel seems to be the latest word in materials technology.

[Cheese3]

Interesting!
Amazed that ford was mentioned? I would of guessed high end euro sport cars to reduce weight

[vztrt]

I know Volvo developed the technology when they were with Ford and it was about the way the steel was stamped (hence the thin gauges). I remember reading this back in 06. So they have the correct auto manufacturer.

[flappist]

Ah yes but at what cost.

These things are all good until the average tightarse is told it will cost $50 more.

[vztrt]

Actually compared to putting in other types of material its cheap. The big cost will be tooling which is factored in on cars.

[Airmon]

If replacing Aluminium from the gist of the article it would be cheaper. And as said, in the article and after, the tooling costs could go down.

[Revolver]

Its not a case of tooling that is the big price jump.

It is the physical cost of the metal.

Just the same as anything else. If has more strength for less wieght, that comes at a cost. Same as a run of the mill car vs a high-po one. It's not the tooling. It's the exclusivity of this product, & what it can do. If it it's a higher performance product you will pay more. Simple.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Blue Beast II

Its not a case of tooling that is the big price jump.

It is the physical cost of the metal.

Just the same as anything else. If has more strength for less wieght, that comes at a cost. Same as a run of the mill car vs a high-po one. It's not the tooling. It's the exclusivity of this product, & what it can do. If it it's a higher performance product you will pay more. Simple.

Its still steel, but the process in getting it lighter is actually making the metal thinner in places were it will not effect the strength. This is not a special alloy, its the same metal.

[Ibrox90]

Nanotechnology manufacturing isnt a new concept.

Ideally with nanotechnology, eventually the car will build its self in a similar way how the human body grows.

[buggo]

Originally Posted by Ibrox90

Nanotechnology manufacturing isnt a new concept.

Ideally with nanotechnology, eventually the car will build its self in a similar way how the human body grows.

What do you mean? Cars will be organisms or something???

[flappist]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Its still steel, but the process in getting it lighter is actually making the metal thinner in places were it will not effect the strength. This is not a special alloy, its the same metal.

You mean like diamonds are just carbon, like in a pencil?
CPUs are just silicon, like in sand?
Aircraft are made out of the same stuff as beer tins and foil.....

All the same aren't they?

[Raptor]

This sounds just like the latest development from the ULSAB (UltraLight Steel Auto Body) Consortium that has been in place for around a decade.

UltraLight Steel Auto Body (ULSAB) Programme

There is also a number of offshoot projects listed under WorldAutoSteel PROJECTS menu for these keen on further reading.

The Australian Steel Industry and Ford have been represented from day 1. The technology developed is gradually being taken up as it becomes cost effective.

[The Wheel Deal]

Originally Posted by buggo_gt

What do you mean? Cars will be organisms or something???

Didn't you watch Transformers??

[burnz]

Originally Posted by Ibrox90

Nanotechnology manufacturing isnt a new concept.

Ideally with nanotechnology, eventually the car will build its self in a similar way how the human body grows.

we are borg, your biological destictivness will be added to our own..

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by flappist

You mean like diamonds are just carbon, like in a pencil?
CPUs are just silicon, like in sand?
Aircraft are made out of the same stuff as beer tins and foil.....

All the same aren't they?

You can make diamonds on a production lab to the point it can fool the experts.

CPU's are made by a process of flowing chemicals to create the billions of transistors in silicon.

Pretty sure they have a material with the metal (escapes me what it is ATM) that keeps the strength but keeps it lightweight. But it isn't a new allow.

The nanotech makes panels/parts out of steel that are thinner then how it would normally be done. But it would be done in a way that it would keep it strength. So thus using less steel and making it lighter.

[phillyc]

Would be a great way for Ford to reach their weight reduction targets. One of the key stated goals of One Ford.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by vztrt

You can make diamonds on a production lab to the point it can fool the experts.

CPU's are made by a process of flowing chemicals to create the billions of transistors in silicon.

Pretty sure they have a material with the metal (escapes me what it is ATM) that keeps the strength but keeps it lightweight. But it isn't a new allow.

The nanotech makes panels/parts out of steel that are thinner then how it would normally be done. But it would be done in a way that it would keep it strength. So thus using less steel and making it lighter.

Yes exactly right but each of these uses several patented and/or proprietry processes to achive the end result all of which are licensed and therefore cost money.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by flappist

Yes exactly right but each of these uses several patented and/or proprietry processes to achive the end result all of which are licensed and therefore cost money.

Unless you own the patent.

[Ibrox90]

Originally Posted by The Wheel Deal

Didn't you watch Transformers??

not at all like that.

Tiny Nano builders put the molecules in by them selves.

No cars wont be organisms thats impossible but in theory one day they will build themselves

finally glad i got to use my 3 weeks of a nanotechnology degree for something

[Rev28K]

They don't really elaborate on the nanotech side of things (something to remove/hollow out the metal?). While I'm a fan of forged composites, plastic panels, carbon fibre panels, 3d printing and now covitic aluminum it'll be interesting to see how they can be repaired after a bingle (e.g. Glued aluminum Aston Martin monocoques).

[flappist]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Unless you own the patent.

Exactly, then it just costs everyone else money......

[Fled74]

Originally Posted by flappist

Exactly, then it just costs everyone else money......

Leaving you to roll around in it like Scrooge McDuck.

[vztrt]

Not really wanting to start a new thread, but Ford seem to have a plastic weight save tech that is being worked on.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/04/f...used-plastics/

Ford looks to save weight with bubble-infused plastics

by Aaron Richardson (RSS feed) on Apr 4th 2011 at 6:21PM



Just like every other automaker, Ford is looking into making its cars lighter, and thus more eco-friendly. Thanks to a bubble-infused plastic introduced at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology [MIT] called MuCell, Ford says it can step further toward its goal of lightening all its cars by anywhere from 200 to 750 pounds.

MuCell is made by pumping tiny bubbles of nitrogen or carbon into standard injection-molded plastics. Though the bubbly plastic is slightly weaker than the standard stuff, Ford says the difference will be negligible, since its plastic parts are engineered to be 50 to 100 percent stronger than they should ever need to be.

Though the idea is still in development, Ford says it wants to be running MuCell plastics in all its cars by 2020. Though the technology has been around since 1995, it hasn't made sense for automakers to start buying in until now. With a new focus on green technology in the automotive industry, the move suddenly makes a lot of sense, and Ford will start using the plastic in items like engine covers beginning in the next few years. Check out the official press release after the jump.

[Sources: Ford, FastCodeDesign]

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by flappist

Exactly, then it just costs everyone else money......

Until the Patent runs out.....

[Buntz]

Luckily I forum searched this before posting it.

I'd expect to see a concept car from Ford introducing it's new ideas and technologies for saving weight, in the near future. Finally America has seen the light. Lightweight equals better fuel economy, and more sportiness. Cars are coming full circle but far more advanced. Ford may not have got a car guy for their CEO.. but this aeroplane guy seems to be working as well if not better than hoped.

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by Buntz93ED

Luckily I forum searched this before posting it.

I'd expect to see a concept car from Ford introducing it's new ideas and technologies for saving weight, in the near future. Finally America has seen the light. Lightweight equals better fuel economy, and more sportiness. Cars are coming full circle but far more advanced. Ford may not have got a car guy for their CEO.. but this aeroplane guy seems to be working as well if not better than hoped.

The concepts are all basically the same anyway.