"Currently the use of Aluminium seems to be the most viable option for high volume vehicle production," Mr. John Catterall, GSSLT Leader, Underbody Structure, General Motors

Mr. John Catterall has held a direct position at General Motors for over 15 years. His current responsibilities include leading the Global Subsystem Leadership Teams (GSSLTs) and direct management of the General Motors North America Advanced underbody engineering team. Mr. Catterall holds degrees in Mechanical and Production Automotive Engineering from Bolton Technical College and Leyland Technical College in England, UK. He is one of the expert OEM led speaker faculties in the Global Automotive Lightweight Materials Detroit 2015 to be held on August 18 - 20.

An excerpt from his Pre-Conference Interview:

What do you see as being the primary barriers to the wider application of lightweight materials in the automotive industry at the moment?

So far to date most of the lighter/low density materials have come at a cost premium which holds back their application in the very competitive cost sensitive automotive industry. This is why full vehicle business cases have to be performed to justify the introduction of these materials. Second barrier, has also been the lack of installed manufacturing base to produce the components in high enough volume for the automotive industry.

What materials/technologies do you see having the most potential with enabling high volume lightweight vehicle production?

Currently the use of Aluminium seems to be the most viable option for high volume vehicle production. Also introduction of adhesives and continuous joining technologies like laser welding are proving very effective. If the cost issues can be addressed I see Composites having the highest potential for mass reduction in the future.

What lightweighting solutions are you keeping a close eye on at the moment?

I would say Composite material options, not just carbon fiber but the whole range of potential composites. I want to see studies where the right composite material is used in the right place for the right reasons. I am also keeping a close eye on additive manufacturing; perhaps this is a way to make composite structures viable.

What are you looking to carry out of your participation at Global Automotive Lightweight Materials US this year?

Participation in the conference will allow me to keep up with the latest technologies that are being proposed to support vehicle light weighting. It is also a good networking vehicle as it brings together people from diverse companies and countries.

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