Making light work

While conventional steel has ruled the roost for more than a century, the lightness and strength of aluminium, magnesium and titanium, and their alloys makes them attractive for firms developing next-generation transport. At the University of Manchester, a five-year, £6m research project is underway to make these materials more workable.

Moreover, according to project director George Thompson, these materials could potentially be more versatile, and cost less to manufacture, than steel and even composite materials.

The Light Alloys Project is classified by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as a ‘portfolio partnership’, combining several related projects. For automotive applications, the focus is on aluminium and magnesium alloys; for shipping and light transit systems, it’s aluminium alloys; and for aerospace, alloys of all three metals.

There is much industrial interest, and partners include Alcan, BAE Systems, Corus, Qinetiq, Pechiney, Airbus and The Welding Institute (TWI), all of whom are contributing with funds and research to various parts of the project.