February 2022 Volume 4

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

Conclusion Automotive lightweighting can take many forms such as conceptual design changes, functional or geometrical redesigns, and material substitutions, all thewhile trying to reduce or control manufacturing costs. Both domestically and abroad, forgers have made investments to accommodate shifting demand patterns from their automotive customers. Germany’s Lightweight Forging Initiative presented a precise collaborative method of examining where and how forged parts could be modified or redesigned to save weight. It was determined that a weight reduction of 42 kg was clearly possible on the diesel car that was studied; up to 99 kg for the light truck phase; and about 124 kg for heavier trucks and commercial vehicles.There is potential for much more analytical work to be done in this area. Many of the lightweighting investments we hear about are done by large companies and involve significant investments. It is too early to tell whether smaller forge shops who may need to diversify or change their focus will have the financial and technical resources to survive trending market shifts. Bharat Forge has picked up the lightweighting gauntlet on a grand scale, investing 9-figure sums to accommodate its automotive customers. Modeled after its aluminum forging operation in Brand- Erbisdorf, Germany, the new greenfield plant in Sanford, North Carolina, started forging parts in 2021.

Acknowledgements: [1] Nicolas Poulain has collaborated on lightweighting with Lyès Hacini, an independent consultant and former Director of the Centre of Expertise and Innovation on Aluminum at AluQuébec and Associate Professor at the École de Technologie Supérieure in Montreal, Canada. Lyès is a mechanical engineer specializing in the design and modeling of industrial processes. Mr. Hacini worked at Arvida Research and Development Centre (Rio Tinto) as a research scientist before working as a Forging Process Design and Development Engineer for Raufoss Automotive Components Canada.

Author Dean M. Peters has covered metal working markets, including the foundry, welding & industrial gas, heat treatment and forging industries for more than 30 years. His journalistic credentials are enhanced by his B.Eng in metallurgical engineering, his MBA in finance, and a decade of experience in market research. He can be reached by e-mailing info@ forging.org.

FIA MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2022 16