Transport industry continues to stand aluminium’s demand in 2016. Transportation sector has been the major end use market for aluminium due to its lightweight, flexible, strong, and anti-corrosive properties. The aluminium industry develops and manufacture aluminium products for the transport market manufacturers through the supply chain in the development of vehicle. The use of aluminium helps in weight reduction and fuel economy and improves the aesthetics too. Few days remain until the end of the 2016 let’s look back at the popular stories covering transportation sector.
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7.Porsche has revealed its all-new Panamera four-door aluminium-body super saloon, with a refreshed new look, a tech-laden interior and new, more powerful turbocharged engines fitted with a new eight-speed PDK transmission.
Other automobile companies like Bristol, BMW, Audi have also made significant uses of aluminium in their latest model cars.
More aluminium in the sky
Aluminium alloy is the perfect choice for manufacturing aircraft body parts and engines due to its corrosion resistant, high strength, less expensive qualities.
1. Amsterdam’s Constellium launched Airware, a technology which lowers density and improves metal properties, helps to optimize structural design, which translates into weight reduction and a corresponding drop in CO2 emissions.
2. Leading car manufacturer Audi is set to launch a lunar rover made with weight-saving 3D-printed aluminium parts by the end of 2017. Audi has developed the vehicle in last two years in collaboration with a space travel group called Part-Time Scientists and entered the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition. The final goal is to facilitate the sending of the co-developed rover to the moon.
3. Honeywell Aerospace a Phoenix-based manufacturer of aerospace parts has commissioned a new aluminium 3D printer laboratory. Aluminium is a preferred metal for manufacturing aerospace parts because of its lightweight and anticorrosive qualities. The facility uses lasers, electron beams and sand to print a variety of parts in nickel and now they will be using the technology to make aluminium aerospace parts.
4. Nasa publishes details of radical 'proton power' system that could send a spacecraft to the edge of the solar system in just 10 years. The slowly spinning spacecraft will use 10-20 electrically charged aluminium wires. They hope to test this new system or spacecraft by 2020.
Revolutionizing the Railways
The Indian railway ministry is endorsing the proposal of the Aluminium Association of India to manufacture aluminium rail coaches after conducting a techno-eco study recently. Coaches made of aluminium will be much lighter and faster.
1. After the successful trial run of Talgo train, Indian Railway Ministry is decisive about procuring 300 light-weight aluminium coaches from the market to for faster inter-city travelling. According to the railway ministry sources, a global tender will soon be floated to acquire lightweight aluminium trains.
2. Aluminium is expected to acquire a permanent place in the Indian high speed train sector, as the light-weight train uses less energy and moves faster in comparison to steel coaches.
3. Indian Railways have taken a decision to use a span made of Aluminium alloy in a steel rail bridge. Railways would replace the ageing Scherzer’s span, designed by a German Engineer, at the century-old Pamban Rail Bridge with an aluminium alloy span that will be strong durable and corrosion free.
Lighter, portable vehicles- aluminium changes the transport sector
Aluminium is replacing other metals and materials in vehicles. Transport sector generates 25% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The reduction of the weight of transportation vehicles improves fuel efficiency, and reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
1. Norway based Sapa AS has announced signing of an agreement with Sweeden's Chargestorm whereby the downstream aluminium manufacturer and technology leader provides aluminium profiles for wall-mounted chargers (for electric vehicles) made by the latter. The product is meant to capitalize on the now booming electric vehicle market in Europe.
2. Kirkby Tyres, “one of the largest stockists of truck trailer and industrial wheels in the UK and Ireland," is introducing Accuride forged aluminium wheels for the European market, a brand that occupies top supply positions to American OEMs.
Aluminium has proved indispensable in the transport sector. vehicle makers are constantly using aluminium due to its distinctive combination of high strength. Use of aluminium in the transport industry is expected to increase significantly in 2017.
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