Alumobility webinar to delve deeper into the benefits of using an all-aluminium BIW

Alumobility is a global organization that aims to encourage using aluminium in the automotive sector. They are organizing a webinar highlighting the benefits of shifting from a steel-based body-in-white (BIW) to an all-aluminium BIW. The discussion will be based on a recent technical case study by the association.

Interested people might log into Alumobility's website for a free 60-minute webinar with the brand'sTechnical Director, Mark White. During the session, Mark will cover important topics and provide valuable insights, including:

- How aluminium can help achieve all safety and BIW performance targets while offering a 40% weight reduction compared to a steel-intensive vehicle.

- How can we convert steel parts and aluminium designs to ultimately commit to parts reduction

- How switching from an SIV BIW to an AIV BIW made of aluminium can result in a decrease in the overall joint count

- Why does aluminium BIW have significantly less gauge and grade complexity than a steel-intensive projects

The Technical Director of Alumobility, Professor Mark White, exemplified: "This webinar is an ideal forum for sharing our findings, which reveal that shifting from steel to aluminum-intensive BIW delivers 40% weight savings for the same attribute performance, while reducing the total number of parts and joints. Our goal is to inform the automotive industry on the benefits of aluminum, which is the material of choice for producing lighter, safer, smarter and more sustainable vehicles."

This project looked at converting all steel parts on a mixed material production body-in-white (BIW) to a full aluminium BIW. This resulted in a 40% weight reduction for the converted parts while maintaining or improving the safety, noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) attributes of the BIW. The study found that aluminium-intensive BIW has less complexity, fewer parts and joints, and lower gauge and grade combinations compared to steel-intensive mixed material BIW.

The study had two phases: the first phase focused on geometry carry-over with a gauge and grade conversion, while the second phase optimised topology, geometry, gauge, and grade. The project was carried out in collaboration with a leading global automaker, using one of their latest steel-intensive mixed material production battery electric vehicles (BEV) BIW structures.

Alumobility, a non-profit association, supports the use of aluminium in vehicles through technical studies and collaboration with leading aluminium and downstream technology partners. They aim to create lighter, safer, smarter, and more sustainable vehicles. The Alumobility webinar, part of an ongoing series, will air on July 6 and provide valuable insights for those interested in this field. The replay will be available on the Alumobility website.