Challenges in Processing of Materials to Reduce Weight of Structural Components.

“Challenges in Processing
of Materials to Reduce
Weight of Structural
Components”
ALAN TAUB MRS Brazil XVIII
Professor, University of Michigan Balneário Camboriú, Brazil
Senior Technical Advisor, LIFT Sepember 26, 2019

“Challenges in Processing of Materials to Reduce Weight of Structural Components”
Abstract
The potential for reducing weight in automobiles and aircraft using high-strength steels,
aluminum, titanium and magnesium alloys and polymer composites is well established. The
challenge is to achieve the weight reduction at a cost acceptable to the user. Optimization of
the material properties and processes together with robust design tools and joining
technologies to enable multi-material structures is required. This has become possible through
co-development of the new material, the component design and the manufacturing process
using state-of-the-art Integrated Computational Materials Engineering models. Examples will
be discussed crossing melt, thermomechanical and powder processing.
We will also describe the role of Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT). The Institute
was established to accelerate the adoption of advanced metals and serves as the bridge between
basic research and final product commercialization. Our industry partners in collaboration
with an extensive network of universities and the national and federal laboratories are
developing the next generation of advanced manufacturing processes.

LIGHTWEIGHT INNOVATIONS FOR TOMORROW
The Manufacturing
USA Network

LIFT Headquarters
• ~100,000 sq. ft. building in Detroit’s
Corktown area
• Ribbon cutting held January 2015

LIFT / IACMI Co-Location 1400 Rosa Parks Boulevard
Composites Processing
Metals Processing

Small/Medium Manufacturers
Industries & Professional Societies Academic & Research Partners
Start-ups
LIFT Members
Workforce/Education
Optimal Process
Technologies, LLC
University of
Texas at Austin

8
Deliver high value advanced alloy processing
technologies that reduce the weight of machines
that move people and goods on land, sea and air

LIFT Technology Portfolio
INCREASING VALUE OF WEIGHT REDUCTION
& DECREASING UNITS/YEAR
Value of Weight Reduction
Light Vehicle $5 / kg saved
Commercial
Aircraft
$500 / kg saved
Spacecraft $50,000 / kg saved

LIFT Technology Portfolio
INCREASING VALUE OF WEIGHT REDUCTION
& DECREASING UNITS/YEAR
Value of Weight Reduction
Light
Vehicle
$5 / kg saved
Commercial
Aircraft
$500 / kg saved
Spacecraft $50,000 / kg saved

Rule of thumb for rational design:
10% weight reduction ~ 6% fuel economy
Achieve lower weight by:
• Better design –
Topology optimization

• Better design –
Topology optimization + ICME

Integrated Computational Materials Engineering
(ICME) is the integration of materials information,
captured in computational tools, with engineering
product performance analysis and manufacturing-
process simulation.*
* NAE ICME Report, 2008
What is ICME?
Manufacturing
Process
Simulation
Engineering
Product
Performance
Analysis
Constitutive
Models
Courtesy John Allison (Univ Michigan)
1980’s ”Concurrent
Engineering”

1 m
Engine Block
1 – 10 mm
Macrostructure
• Grains
• Macroporosity
Properties
• High cycle fatigue
• Ductility
10 – 500um
Microstructure
• Eutectic Phases
• Dendrites
• Microporosity
• Intermetallics
Properties
• Yield strength
• Tensile strength
• High cycle fatigue
• Low cycle fatigue
• Thermal Growth
• Ductility
1-100 nm
Nanostructure
• Precipitates
Properties
• Yield strength
• Thermal Growth
• Tensile strength
• Low cycle fatigue
• Ductility
0.1-1 nm
Atomic Structure
• Crystal Structure
• Interface Structure
Properties
• Thermal Growth
• Yield Strength
Key metallurgical processes occur at
many length scales – and all can be
influenced by manufacturing history
Materials Genome
Initiative (MGI)
Integrated Computational
Materials Engineering (ICME)
“From atoms to autos”

Integrated Computational Materials Engineering
(ICME) is the integration of materials information,
captured in computational tools, with engineering
product performance analysis and manufacturing-
process simulation.*
* NAE ICME Report, 2008
What is ICME?
Quantitative
Structure-
Property
Relations
Quantitative
Processing-
Structure
Relations
Chemistry
Thermodynamics
Diffusion
Manufacturing
Process
Simulation
Engineering
Product
Performance
Analysis
Constitutive
Models
• Process &
product
optimization
• Innovation
1980’s ”Concurrent
Engineering”

ABAQUS
Initial
Geometry
Database of
Material
Properties
Traditional Design & Manufacturing Analysis
Predict
Service
Life
Load
Inputs
Durable
Component
Y
N
N
Model
Casting
Ensure
Castability
Y
MagmaSOFT/ ProCast

Predict
Local
Micro-
structure
Predict
Service
Life
Load
Inputs
Optimized
Component
Meet Property
Requirements
N
Y
Optimized
Process &
Product
Y
N
MagmaSOFT / ProCAST
ABAQUS
Product and Process
Predict
Residual
Stress
Predict
Local
Properties
Model
Casting
and Heat
Treatment
Product
Property
Requirements
Product
Property
Requirements
Initial
Geometry
Alloy
Composition
Ensure
Castability
Y
N
ICME Virtual Product Development
Process
Big Change is Ability to Design to Local Properties
that are optimized by ICME models

Microstructure (Al2Cu)
•Micromodel (ThermoCALC)
•Empirical Kinetics
(OPTCAST)
Initial Geometry
•CAD Geometry
and Mesh
Filling
•Accurate filling Profile
(OptCast)
Thermal Analysis
•Boundary Conditions (OPTCAST)
•Fraction solid Curves (ThermoCALC)
Yield Strength
• Aging Model
(ThermoCALC)
Virtual Aluminum Castings Process Flow
Local Yield Strength Prediction

Casting
PrecipitationMicro porosity Eutectic Phases
Chemistry
Thermodynamics/
Kiinetics
nSolution Treatment Aging
Heat Treatment
Processing
Microstructure
Properties
High Cycle Fatigue Low Cycle Fatigue Yield Strength Thermal Growth
Cast Alloy Processing-Structure-Property Linkages

Casting
PrecipitationMicro porosity Eutectic Phases
Chemistry
Thermodynamics/
Kiinetics
nSolution Treatment Aging
Heat Treatment
Processing
Microstructure
Properties
High Cycle Fatigue Low Cycle Fatigue Yield Strength Thermal Growth
Cast Alloy Processing-Structure-Property Linkages
EXPANDING ICME CAPABILITIES TO
THERMO-MECHANICAL PROCESSING
INCLUDING POWDER CONSOLIDATION

ICME Model Development for Al-Li Forgings

• Better design – topology optimization + ICME
• Higher specific strength & modulus materials
à $5/kg saved ($2.50/pound)

ADVANCED MATERIALS
FOR LIGHTWEIGHT VEHICLES
Material
Weight Reduction
vs. Low-Carbon
Steel
Relative Cost per
Part
[DOE, Joost 2015]
High-strength steel 15-25% 100 – 150%
Glass-fiber composite 25-35% 100 – 150%
Aluminum 40-50% 130 – 200%
Magnesium 55-60% 150 – 250%
Carbon-fiber
composite
55-60% 200 – 1000%

ADVANCED MATERIALS
Material
Weight Reduction
vs. Low-Carbon
Steel
Relative Cost per
Part
[DOE, Joost 2015]
Aluminum 40-50% 130 – 200%
Magnesium 55-60% 150 – 250%
Carbon-fiber
composite
55-60% 200 – 1000%
CASTINGS

Casting Material Challenges
• Technology for large thin-wall castings
• Low-cost, creep-resistant alloys for powertrain
• Alloys with higher tensile and fatigue strength for chassis
• Galvanic corrosion guidelines (joint design and isolation)
• Recycling
• Environmental: Replace SF6 for protecting molten Mg
• Crash energy management

ADVANCED MATERIALS
Material
Weight Reduction
vs. Low-Carbon
Steel
Relative Cost per
Part
[DOE, Joost 2015]
Aluminum 40-50% 130 – 200%
Magnesium 55-60% 150 – 250%
Carbon-fiber
composite
55-60% 200 – 1000%
SHEET

1250 Maple lawn Troy Michigan 48084 PH. 248.644.0086
Transportation * CONSTRUCTION * INDUSTRIAL * materials * FINANCIAL
Material Analysis
18
ducker.com
The Cost of Weight Savings
This chart shows the relative ranking of the cost for weight savings.
It should not be used for anything other than a “very rough estimate” of cost.
This is not a decision tool. It is just a guide
Cost per Pound Saved Over Mild Steel
$2.50
$1.75
$1.75
$1.50
$1.00
$0.75
$0.40
$0.30
$0.15
$0.00Deep Drawing Mild Steel
HSLA Steel
DP 590 Steel
DP 780 and 980 Steel
Roll Formed Martensite
Hot Formed Boron Steel
Aluminum Hoods
Aluminum Bumpers
Aluminum Suspension/Steering
Other Aluminum Closures
Ext
In addition to the types of materials,
every component will have a different
premium for weight savings based on
the substituting product form, tooling, scrap rate,
cycle times, parts consolidation, and the
difference in raw material costs at the time of
the analysis
rruded Al Ladder Frame no Box $2.75
Aluminum BIW Structures $2.75
Magnesium HPDC $2.75
Stamped Al Box Beam Ladder $3.25
$0.00 $0.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50
Source: Ducker Worldwide

2013 Cadillac ATS Body, Bumpers and IP
16% Mild Steel
17% Bake Hard
22% HSLA
29% Dual-Phase/Multi Phase
5% Martensitic
5% Press Hardened Steel
6 % Aluminum Saves 30 lbs.
Aluminum Hood and Cradle
(not shown) also saves 30 lbs.
670 lbs.
The ATS Body is 40% AHSS
20% Weight Savings for
AHSS parts
27
1250 Maplelawn | Troy | Michigan | 48084 248.644.0086 Confidential - © Ducker Worldwide

Press Hardened Steels
• Press Hardening is a process by which advanced ultra high strength steel is formed
into complex shapes than possible with traditional cold stamping.
• The process involves the heating of the steel blanks until they are malleable
• This is followed by stamping to shape and then rapid cooling in specially designed
dies, creating in the process a transformed and hardened material.
https://www.gestamp.com/what-we-do/technologies/stamping/hot-stamping

Elongation(%)
Tensile Strength (MPa)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 600 1200300 900 1600
DP, CP
TRIP
MART
HSLA
IF
Mild
IF-HS
BH
CMn
ISO
Elongation(%)
600
-
TWIP
AUST. SS
L-IP
ISO
Third Generation AHSS:
Affordable Multiphase Steels:
Unique Microstructures**
Goal: Formable steels with
Increased strength and ductility
Future Opportunities for AHSS
**Predicted to contain:
• High strength constituent
• Retained austenite with controlled stability
AISI: www.steel.org (2006)D. Matlock 06/18/2013

Processing Opportunities for AHSSElongation(%)
Tensile Strength (MPa)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 600 1200300 900 1600
DP, CP
TRIP
MART
IF
Mild
IF-HS
BH
CMn
ISO
-
BH
TWIP
AUST. SS
L-IP
Future Opportunity
Third Generation AHSSHSLA
$$
Enhanced TRIP with
Modified γ
Q&P
B-Modified Hot
Formed
TWIP with Lower
$$
Enhanced
DP
D. Matlock 06/18/2013

Overcoming the Lower Formability of AluminumReduced Formability of Aluminum vs Steel

ALUMINUM PREFORM ANNEALING
AL DOOR INNER PANEL
THAT FRACTURED DURING
STAMPING
ANNEALED PREFORM
FOR AL DOOR INNER PANEL
FULLY FORMED AL
DOOR INNER PANEL

Resistance Spot Welding of
Aluminum – 1980 State of the Art
¶ Welding
practices based
on MIL spec
guidelines
¶ Quality measures
– Metallurgical
integrity
– Surface finish
¶ Radiused
electrodes
¶ Weld/forge
practices
¶ Approaches
unsuitable for
automotive use
– Equipment
expense
– Power
demands
– System
maintenance
| 1-mm |
Courtesy of J. Gould (EWI)

Fig. 1 Self-piercing riveting process
(Porcaro et al., “Self-piercing riveting connections using aluminium rivets”, International Journal of Solids and Structures,
Volume 47, Issues 3–4, 2010, 427 - 439
Audi pioneered high volume SPR in the early
1990's. SPR is still the first choice for Audi,
Jaguar,Daimler and BMW when considering
aluminium intensive vehicles.
Self-Piercing Rivets

q Common electrode can be used for Al/Al and Fe/Fe welding
q Required aluminum currents reduced vs. historic RSW
MACRO-FEATURED ELECTRODES
WELD BOTH ALUMINUM AND STEEL
0.8 to 1.0 mm 6111-
T4 Al
2.0 to 2.0 mm 5754-
0 Al
0.75 to 0.75 mm
HDG (hot dip
galvanized) low-
carbon steel
1.5 to 1.5 mm HDG
low-carbon steel

1250 Maple lawn Troy Michigan 48084 PH. 248.644.0086
Transportation * CONSTRUCTION * INDUSTRIAL * materials * FINANCIAL
Material Analysis
18
ducker.com
The Cost of Weight Savings
This chart shows the relative ranking of the cost for weight savings.
It should not be used for anything other than a “very rough estimate” of cost.
This is not a decision tool. It is just a guide
Cost per Pound Saved Over Mild Steel
$2.50
$1.75
$1.75
$1.50
$1.00
$0.75
$0.40
$0.30
$0.15
$0.00Deep Drawing Mild Steel
HSLA Steel
DP 590 Steel
DP 780 and 980 Steel
Roll Formed Martensite
Hot Formed Boron Steel
Aluminum Hoods
Aluminum Bumpers
Aluminum Suspension/Steering
Other Aluminum Closures
Ext
In addition to the types of materials,
every component will have a different
premium for weight savings based on
the substituting product form, tooling, scrap rate,
cycle times, parts consolidation, and the
difference in raw material costs at the time of
the analysis
rruded Al Ladder Frame no Box $2.75
Aluminum BIW Structures $2.75
Magnesium HPDC $2.75
Stamped Al Box Beam Ladder $3.25
$0.00 $0.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50

Al-Intensive Ford F150
Is this the industry tipping point?

Novelis Breaks Ground on
Automotive Aluminum Facility in
Changzhou, China
October 10, 2018
$180 million investment will double facility's
capacity in 2020
Novelis to build automotive sheet
plant in Kentucky
Atlanta-based Novelis Inc. has announced plans to
build an approximately $300 million automotive
aluminum sheet manufacturing facility in Guthrie,
Kentucky. The greenfield facility, with a projected
annual capacity of 200,000 metric tons, will include
heat treatment and pre-treatment lines designed to
prepare aluminum for use in vehicle parts such as
hoods, doors, lift gates and fenders. The company
expects to break ground in the early spring of 2018
and to open the plant in 2020.
Recycling Today January 25, 2018 Edited by Brian Taylor
Arconic Announces Multi-
Year Deal with Toyota
Arconic aluminum debuted on 2016 Lexus
RX, Toyota’s first vehicle in North America to
feature aluminum sheet . Deal makes Arconic
the sole aluminum sheet supplier to Toyota
for the Lexus RX
Business Wire March 19, 2017
Mitsubishi Materials to roll out
automotive aluminum in the US
Nikkei Asian Review
September 16, 2017
47

Weight Reduction Game Is Still Playing Out

$ / pound saved (2003)
Light Vehicle $2 / pound saved
Commercial Aircraft $200 / pound saved
Spacecraft $20,000 / pound saved
What is beyond lightweight metals?
Material
Weight Reduction
vs. Low-Carbon
Steel
High-strength steel 15-25%
Glass-fiber composite 25-35%
Aluminum 40-50%
Magnesium 55-60%
Carbon-fiber
composite
55-60%
Will the automobile follow
the aircraft industry with
bodies made from
carbon-fiber composites?

Splitter
Roof
Roof Bow Cover
Rocker
BMW I-Car
Say Goodbye to Carbon-Fiber BMWs
The i3 and i8 structure won’t be repeated.
Car and Driver, July 16, 2018 AT 3:03 PM By Mike Duff
If you want to buy a new carbon-fiber BMW, then don’t delay too long in realizing the dream; the
i3 and i8 look set to be the last of the company’s products to feature carbon-fiber structures. The
iNext—which is going to show BMW’s expertise in both electrification and high-level autonomy—
will be based on the company’s new Fifth Generation architecture when it arrives in 2021. That
means it will need to share a metal structure with its numerous platform buddies.

The major challenges for large scale
implementation of carbon-fiber composites
• Crash performance
• Molding cycle time
• Carbon fiber cost
• Repair for primary structure
• Recycled content and end-of-life recycling

Appearance of Crush Tube
A study on an axial crush configuration response of thin-wall, steel
box components: The quasi-static experiments, B.P.DiPaoloJ and
G.Tom, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Volume 43,
Issues 25–26, December 2006, Pages 7752-7775
Crashworthiness of composite structures: Experiment and
Simulation , Francesco Deleo, Bonnie Wade and Prof. Paolo Feraboli
(UW) , Dr. Mostafa Rassaian (Boeing R&T) JAMS 2010

Energy Absorption of Crush Tube
Numerical and experimental investigations on the axial crushing response of
composite tubes, Jiancheng Huang and Xinwei Wang, Composite Structures,
91(200-9)222-228

COMPOSITE PANELS
(1953 Corvette)

SMC PRODUCTION AND CYCLE TIMES
(Breaking the 1 minute cycle time barrier)

FIBERGLASS FABRIC-REINFORCED COMPOSITE
UNDERBODY PROTOTYPE
Courtesy USCAR

Lowering the cost of carbon fiber
Lowering the cost of carbon fiber, Mark
Holmes, Reinforced Plastics, Volume 61, Issue
5, September–October 2017, Pages 279-283
• The high cost of specialty precursor materials (e.g. - polyacrylonitrile or
PAN) and the energy of the conversion process drive the high cost of the
fiber.
• Acrylic, lignin and pitch fiber precursors offer potential for dramatic
cost reduction
• >90% of the energy needed to manufacture advanced composites is
consumed in manufacturing the carbon fiber
Wide tow textile grade carbon fiber produced at
Oak Ridge National Laboratory [105]

Mg-Intensive
Front-end
AHSS Passenger Compartment
Steel: 79 Parts; 84 kg
Mg: 35 Parts; 46 kg
(Eliminate 44 Parts and Save 38 kg - 45%)
Castings (15): 31 kg
Extrusions (3): 9 kg
Sheet Parts (17): 6 kg
MULTI-MATERIAL BODY – THE FUTURE
Composite Floor Pan

CHALLENGE FOR FUTURE VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION
Design engineers can utilize topology optimization + ICME to maximize
vehicle level weight savings opportunities
Component engineers can design increasingly complex geometries utilizing
a wide range of materials
(AHSS, Al, Mg, Composites)
Manufacturing engineers can produce components using a variety of
processes
(Stampings, Extrusions, Castings,…)
Need to be able to join any combination of materials in any form with –
Low Cost, High Stiffness, Durability, Corrosion Resistance

Metamorphic Manufacturing:
Shaping the Future of On-
Demand Components
The goal of Metamorphic
Manufacturing: Shaping the Future of
On-Demand Components is to help
jump-start this potentially disruptive
technology. This new technical report
is organized by TMS on behalf of the
Office of Naval Research (ONR) and
the Lightweight Innovations for
Tomorrow (LIFT) Manufacturing
Institute.

Traditional Blacksmithing Evolved into
Large, Dedicated Machines with Expensive Tooling

“Back to the Future” though CNC Blacksmithing
High Value
Component
with local
Microstructure
and Shape
Simulation
and ICME
Machine
Heating
and
Cooling
Sensors
Position
German anonymous, circa 1606

LIGHTWEIGHT INNOVATIONS FOR TOMORROWPreliminary Exam Maya Nath
68
Incremental Sheet
Forming
(CIRP Encyclopedia of Production Engineering. 2014)
Sheet metal part
Forming tool
(E. Salem, NAMRC Conference 2016)
Conventional Stamping

LIGHTWEIGHT INNOVATIONS FOR TOMORROWPreliminary Exam - University of Michigan 69
Advantages of ISF and Additive Mfg
(J. Allwood, 2005)
Advantages of Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF)
ü Lower forming forces
ü Die-less or low-cost die
ü Shorter lead time
ü Component customizability
Volume (parts/year)
Complexity
Additive
Manufacturing
Conventional
Forming
Incremental
Forming

LIGHTWEIGHT SOLUTIONS THROUGH
INCREMENTAL SHEET FORMING
State-of-art sheet metal forming technology
Enables more flexibility in part geometry and cost
efficiency compared to conventional processes
Product, process, and material development:
• Baseline established by forming a cone and a pyramid
• Benchmark used to study the effect of different
process parameters and tool paths on the structural
properties, fatigue and dimensional accuracy of the
component
Outcomes:
• Formed “heart-shape” test component with die
assisted two-point incremental forming (TPIF).
• Demonstrated ability to form same shape with no die
single-point forming (SPIF).
• Delivered prototype to customer.
No die –Single Point FormingStrategy
Base die – Two-Point Incremental FormingStrategy

Challenges in Processing of Materials to Reduce Weight of Structural Components.

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Challenges in Processing of Materials to Reduce Weight of Structural Components.

Similar to Challenges in Processing of Materials to Reduce Weight of Structural Components. (20)

More from Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa em Materiais

More from Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa em Materiais (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Challenges in Processing of Materials to Reduce Weight of Structural Components.