Novelis aluminum lightens Cadillac CT6

Novelis, an Atlanta-based aluminum rolling and recycling company, has announced its aluminum is used in the new 2016 Cadillac CT6 body. The new mixed-material vehicle construction featured in the Cadillac CT6 represents a first of its kind for General Motors (GM) in North America and China, according to Novelis. 

On the North American front, Novelis' plant in Kingston, Ontario, will supply GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant in Detroit. Novelis' plant in Changzhou, China, will supply GM's Shanghai plant, which will produce the CT6 manufactured in China. 

The Cadillac CT6 features a body made of 62 percent aluminum. Through the use of aluminum and advanced joining techniques, Cadillac has achieved significant weight savings, making the full-size Cadillac CT6 luxury sedan comparable in weight to the smaller midsize Cadillac CTS sedan, according to Novelis. When compared with a similar size vehicle using predominantly high-strength steel, the CT6 is approximately 220 pounds lighter, Novelis says. 

"Novelis has been supplying automotive aluminum solutions for premium and performance vehicles for more than 40 years, and the Cadillac CT6 is one of the most advanced body structures we've ever worked on," says Pierre Labat, vice president of Global Automotive for Novelis. "We are proud to be the lead global supplier of aluminum to this new and innovative vehicle program on two continents."

In North America and Asia, Novelis aluminum is featured throughout the vehicle body, including the passenger and rear compartments, roof structure, outer body panels and door and deck lid structures. The CT6 features one of the most advanced mixed-use automotive body structures in the industry, according to Novelis, including all-aluminum exterior body panels and rear-drive architecture. 

GM's advanced joining methods are used to fabricate the CT6 vehicle structure, including GM's proprietary aluminum spot welding technology to reduce weight and increase strength and efficiencies. Laser welding, flow drill fasteners and self-piercing rivets also are used, along with nearly 600 feet of advanced structural adhesives. In bending, the Cadillac CT6 has a 10 percent stiffer body than competitors, according to Novelis. 

Novelis says its automotive aluminum sheet is used in 180 vehicle models currently in production by major original equipment manufacturers (OEM) around the globe. Since 2011, Novelis says it has invested globally to triple its automotive sheet capacity. Novelis says it expects continued growth in the use of lightweight, mixed material solutions for automotive applications, including double-digit growth in the global use of automotive aluminum by the end of the decade.