Jump to content

GM Working Hard To Offer Less Car For the Money - Weight Reduction


Gorehamj

Recommended Posts

post-139450-0-02913100-1496677785_thumb.jpg

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
6-5-2017

At a recent New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) annual meeting at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a representative from General Motors went deep on the topic of lightweighting. Charlie Klein, Executive Director, Global CO2 Strategy, Mass and Aerodynamics, for General Motors, wowed the group by pointing to steel, not necessarily aluminum, as a very common solution to adding lightness to vehicles. Although magnesium, composite plastics, and aluminum do play a significant role in modern automotive design, more and more advanced steel is the go-to solution for reducing mass cost effectively, while still maintaining platform rigidity and safety.

post-139450-0-53528900-1496678526_thumb.jpg

As the top of page chart highlights, General Motors has taken out hundreds of pounds of mass on every one of its popular models over the past vehicle generation. What Mr. Klein emphasized was that GM did this while steering straight into "headwinds" of increased safety requirements, infotainment and active safety electronics weight additions, and ever-increasing customer expectations of greater rigidity (which is felt by the driver as a premium feel on the road).

 

Among the technologies that GM has invented and patented in the past decade, the one that most impressed the group was GM's ability to spot-weld steel to aluminum. The group immediately had questions on how corrosion of the dissimilar metals was managed, but Klein assured the group it was part of the process and is now in production on the CT6.

 

Klein also showed how GM is making structural body segments (beneath the skin) more cost effectively, lighter, and more rigid by reducing parts. Kelin's example was the rear support section behind the rear wheel well. On the ATS that section has a dozen or more components. On the CT6, it is a single piece.

post-139450-0-02913100-1496677785_thumb.jpg

post-139450-0-53528900-1496678526_thumb.jpg

post-139450-0-02913100-1496677785_thumb.jpg

post-139450-0-53528900-1496678526_thumb.jpg

post-139450-0-02913100-1496677785_thumb.jpg

post-139450-0-53528900-1496678526_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think most people would be surprised where GM was in the last 20 years on accepted Patents for the company? Usually #1,2, or 3 year after year.......Ferd is up there too.......But man I can't stand Ferd's......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

that aluminum interaction makes sense.

bauxite is simply iron, silica and alumina.. always found together.

 

aluminized pipes rust fast as aluminum hydrates...gives off weird gas to any chemical (like coolant)

 

I'd just stay more steel, and make a unique alloy.

 

not sure why aluminum is such a focus. I was an aircaft mechanic.. I simply grew to hate the aluminum.

tip toe around it. always theorizing what weather will do what to it..

it just sucks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.