The call for lightweighting has led to significant advancements in how we design and construct vehicles. Technology gains have resulted in new and exciting possibilities, but they have also created unique problem sets. The move toward increased aluminum usage in vehicles is one example.
While it is widely accepted that aluminum improves fuel economy and agility, aluminum also poses joint design challenges. The lessons learned while fastening steel bodies do not translate to the new aluminum joints, since aluminum behaves differently than steel. Based on this fact, even accepted practices like welding must be re-thought. Fortunately, proven technologies already exist to replace, and even improve upon, now incompatible practices.
Project to investigate hybrid approach to titanium manufacturing
What is this a hybrid of? Superplastic forming tends to be performed slowly as otherwise the behaviour is the hot creep that typifies hot...