Porsche's lightweight GT3 gets heavier, and that's the point
Porsche's 911 GT3 Bergsport swaps its lightest magnesium wheels for forged aluminium, proving that a few extra kilos can make sense when the road gets serious. There are few places where saving weight matters more than inside a Porsche 911 GT3. Yet for its new 911 GT3 Bergsport, Porsche has done...
New DuAlumin-3D alloy could unlock stronger 3D-printed aluminium engine parts
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have advanced the use of DuAlumin-3D for high-temperature automotive components, opening new possibilities for stronger, lighter 3D-printed aluminium parts in engines and beyond. Aluminium has long been attractive for automotive components because it...
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21 percent sales growth for Audi India
With the Indian economy in sheer dire straits, the four ring auto manufacturer - Audi India seems to be on a growth trajectory. The company has just shared its sales figures for the period of January to August 2013, which states that the German manufacturer has sold 6426 vehicles during this period...
Toyota to invest $102 mln to boost transmission output in U.S.
Toyota Motor Corp said on Friday it will invest $102 million at its West Virginia engine and transmission plant and aluminum casting factories in Missouri and Tennessee to boost production. The Japanese automaker said it will invest $90 million at the Buffalo, West Virginia, plant to increase...
Alcoa Inc wants to speed-up auto market efforts
Alcoa Inc has been gaining some reach in the auto market. This has fueled its confidence and is stepping up operations in that direction. AA will be breaking ground on the expansion project for its rolling-mill in Tennessee. This will raise its quota of auto grade aluminum sheet production. One...
Two important aluminium conferences in November 2013
The Aluminium in Road Transport Conference 2013 (The road ahead with aluminium) is taking place on 5-6 November 2013 at Birmingham, UK. The Aluminium in Road Transport Conference 2013 brings together key speakers from major vehicle makers, the recycling industry, automotive suppliers and academics...
Jaguar releases preview of aluminium architecture at Frankfurt Motor Show
Jaguar has released a teaser image of its C-X17 crossover concept in advance of the model’s unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week. The design study introduces Jaguar’s new modular aluminium architecture, which the brand said underpins its future. According to reports, Jaguar could switch...
Japan's Mazda Motor to expand aluminum engine output capacity 25% by end-2014
Japanese automaker Mazda Motor plans to increase production capacity of aluminum passenger vehicle engine Skyactiv at its Hiroshima plant by 25% to 1 million units/year by the end of 2014, the company said Tuesday. The current nameplate capacity stands at 800,000 vehicles/year. Mazda started...
Alcoa to break ground on aluminum mill expansion
Alcoa Tennessee Operations will break ground Thursday on the expansion of its aluminum rolling mill to accommodate automotive sheet production. Currently, Alcoa is the world's largest producer of rolled aluminum can sheets for beverage cans. Over the next three years, the company expects to invest...
GM to incorporate a lot more aluminum in its full-size trucks
Automotive News and other industry sources have recently reported that GM is preparing to incorporate a lot more aluminum and composites in the construction of its full-size trucks in order to lower their weight, though the big changes are still several years away. One supplier told Automotive News...
Chrysler expands Midwest production
Chrysler Group recently announced expansions of their production in Midwest, according to Industry Week. With procurement of new factory operations Chrysler and Honda, these automobile manufacturers will invest over $260 million into American manufacturing. Meanwhile, Chrysler said it was providing...
BMW’s rechargeable carbon fiber and aluminum i8 enters sports car market
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW)’s rechargeable i8 sports car is entering a soon-to-be-crowded field of supercars with a hint of green. While they tap into Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA)’s popularity, they’re for different buyers. “This is the supercar of the future: It has the driving performance of an...
Opel’s new all-aluminum 3-cylinder turbo sets refinement benchmark
Opel’s all-new three-cylinder will be celebrating its world premiere at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September. The 1.0-liter turbo gasoline engine is not only climate-friendly, it also represents a new benchmark for refinement in three-cylinder engines, with noise and vibration...
Tesla's Demand for Aluminum may bring hopes for Alcoa
Matt DiLallo speculates that Tesla's aluminum-intensive Model S could be harbinger of greater use of the metal by other carmakers, 'rekindling hopes that Alcoa can once again thrive.' When Tesla Motors launched its Model S, it arguably changed the face of the auto industry forever. The company...
Honda to invest $215 million in Ohio operations
Honda Motor Co said on Wednesday it will invest about $215 million in its Ohio manufacturing operations to add new powertrain technology and two training centers. The Japanese automaker said about $180 million will be spent at its Anna, Ohio, engine plant to expand capabilities in aluminum die...
Shiloh Industries acquires Contech Castings
Shiloh Industries, Inc. today announced it has acquired Contech Castings, a leading provider of high-pressure aluminum die cast parts for the automotive industry. The purchase adds significant capacity and depth to Shiloh's existing high-pressure, high-vacuum casting capabilities with the addition...
JLR Focuses on Lightweighting to to meet fuel-economy goals
The only way for Jaguar Land Rover to meet fuel-economy goals with its big cars and SUVs is to make them as light as small cars, says Mark White, the man in charge of JLR’s vehicle bodies. For the U.K.-based auto maker, that means switching materials from steel to aluminum, and the new Range Rover...
China's aluminum alloy wheel exports crossed 334,000 in H1 2013
The Chinese exports of aluminum alloy wheel during the first six months of the year totaled 334,000 tons, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers Wheel Committee. According to data, the value of exports during the first half of the year amounted to $ 1.67...
Novelis Hikes Automotive Aluminum Prices in Europe
The aluminum company Novelis, headquartered in Atlanta, has announced plans to increase the price for all of its automotive aluminum sheet products in Europe y 160 Euros (US$209.45) per ton. The company notes that the price change is effective immediately for all new orders not covered by current...
Japan Kyowa Casting's Thai aluminum plant starts regular production
Japanese diecaster Kyowa Casting's first overseas plant in Thailand is producing at a rate of 150 mt/month, 14 months after it was started up in May 2012, company president Tatsuhiro Ii said Tuesday. "The Thai plant when running fully will output 300-400 mt/month. The plant has more room for...
