Outlandishly designed concept vehicles can’t go into production like that because of safety reasons, regulations and also manufacturing challenges. At least the last problem will slowly be diminished by lightweight materials production and manufacturing company Alcoa, which just unveiled a breakthrough manufacturing technology - the Micromill.
The Alcoa-patented Micromill tech changes the microstructure of the metal, which allows the factory to make a 40 percent greater formable and 30 percent stronger aluminum than the current one used in the automotive industry.
“Alcoa Micromill represents a major breakthrough in aluminum materials,” said Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld. “This technology will unlock the next generation of automotive products with strength, formability and surface quality combinations never before possible. It will allow our customers to redefine the boundaries of vehicle design, supporting the creation of lighter, more fuel efficient, safer and more stylish vehicles for the future.”
For example, the Micromill aluminum sheet will be easier to shape into intricate forms, like the inside panels of the doors and external fenders, which are currently made of steel. Not only will they look cool, but they’ll also be stronger, reducing the need of additional structural reinforcements or functional forming.
And as these weren’t enough, the Micromill technology will also be the fastest casting and rolling one in the world, dropping times from 20 days to 20 minutes to transform molten metal into an aluminum coil.
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