Ford and Alcoa cooperate on new aluminum alloys

Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Michigan, and Alcoa Inc., Pittsburgh, say they are collaborating to produce new automotive aluminum alloys that are “more formable and design-friendly.”

Ford says it will use what Alcoa calls its new Micromill^® material in multiple components on the 2016 F-150 truck, becoming the first automaker to use the new type of aluminum commercially. The companies say they have entered into a joint development agreement to “collaborate on next-generation aluminum alloys for automotive parts using Micromill technology.”

Target applications for the material include structural parts and exterior panels that must meet Ford’s surface quality requirements.

‘‘Lightweighting enables us to design vehicles with great customer attributes—ike the F-150, which can tow more, haul more, accelerate quicker and stop faster than the previous F-150, and is more fuel-efficient than ever,” says Raj Nair, Ford group vice president and chief technical officer of global product development.

Alcoa’s Micromill technology, announced in December 2014, has been designed to produce an aluminum alloy that is 40 percent more formable than current automotive aluminums.

The increased formability of Micromill aluminum makes it easier to shape into intricate forms, such as the inside panels of automobile doors and external fenders, say the two companies. The increased material strength allows for the use of thinner aluminum sheet without compromising dent resistance.

Alcoa describes Micromill as “the fastest, most productive aluminum casting and rolling system in the world, combining multiple technologies into a streamlined production system. A traditional rolling mill takes around 20 days to turn molten metal into coil; Micromill does it in just 20 minutes,” the company satys.

Alcoa’s pilot Micromill facility is in San Antonio. An article on the Automotive News website says components made with the new material will be easy to recycle, as they “will be all the same grade” and can be remelted together at the Alcoa Micromill.

Although aluminum has a higher value than steel, the weight of vehicles and components handled by recyclers will drop if the process catches on. “Automotive parts made with Micromill material will be twice as formable and at least 30 percent lighter than parts made from high strength steel,” according to a news release posted on the Ford website.