Metal Information Center

Magnesium, aluminium gains seen in Ford drive to save gas

October 29, 2007 – 5:35 am

DETROIT — Lightweight materials will play a significant role in Ford Motor Co.’s plans to improve the fuel economy of its sport utility vehicles (SUVs) by 25 percent over the next five years.

According to Ford sources here, the second-largest domestic automaker should be able to increase its use of magnesium in production parts by more than 50 percent and aluminum parts by 6 to 8 percent on average in its SUVs. Ford also plans to put more production components made of plastics and lightweight steels–including high-strength grades, tubing and tailored blanks–into its SUVs to help make them more fuel-efficient.

The biggest gains in fuel economy will be achieved by adding more small SUVs, like the forthcoming Escape models to Ford’s product line introducing advanced new 4-, 5- and 6-cylinder gasoline engines and making more alternate-fuel engines available for use in the vehicles, these sources said. The typical vehicle rated at 17 to 18 miles per gallon currently is expected to get 22 to 23 mpg in about five years.

Ford, which still intends to cut anywhere from 300 to 1,000 pounds from the weight of its vehicles in coming years (AMM, March 29 and July 3), will use more magnesium parts in place of steel, aluminum and plastics; aluminum will replace iron, primarily in a number of large and medium-size components, such as engine blocks, heads and suspension system parts; plastics will be used in some new sheet applications in place of steel and lightweight steels will replace other, more conventional grades and forms of steel.

Ford sources did not have an estimate on the probable growth rate for plastics in SUVs. A few Ford executives and engineers said they thought that the growth rate for plastics in the company’s light-duty trucks as a whole would average 2.5 to 3 percent annually, but added that it was likely to be greater in pickup trucks than in SUVs. Applications for lightweight steels in SUVs should expand by about the same rate as aluminum–6 percent or more annually.

In comparison, the use of magnesium components in North American-built family vehicles of all brands has been expanding by 10 to 14 percent annually in recent years; aluminum by 4 to 6 percent; plastics by 1 to 1.8 percent; and light steels by 3.5 to 4 percent.

Ford’s intentions to boost the fuel economy of its popular SUVs by 25 percent over the next five years were announced July 28 by the company’s chairman, Jacques Nasser.

The following are some of Ford’s specific plans for new materials applications affecting SUVs, as cited by Ford sources last week.

* Magnesium instrument panel support beams, four-wheel-drive transfer eases, engine cam and valve covers and other parts starting with the 2001 and 2002 models. The new Explorers, and Mountaineers will be equipped with magnesium instrument panel beams. and transfer cases. Ford converted the transfer cases to aluminum from magneslum a couple of years ago but now is shifting back to magnesium again. The cam and valve cover conversions will involve the company’s V-8 engines used in standard-size SUVs and V-10 engines used in the full-size Ford Excursion.

* Overall, the company’s magnesium applications will increase to nearly 78,000 tonnes per year from 21,000 tonnes by 2004, with most of the new applications occurring in light-duty trucks, including the SUVs.

* Ford will use numerous aluminum components, including blocks and heads, in the new inline four and five cylinder engines for small trucks and cars it will start producing in Chihuahua, Mexico, and Dearborn, Mich., in 2001. The engines replaced by these light-alloy I-4s and. I-5s have iron blocks.

* In 2003, Ford will enter into the production of new family of V-6 engines that also will have aluminum blocks and heads, along with lightweight powder metal main bearing caps and connecting rods. Over a period of two or three years, production of those engines at two or more Ford plants will increase to volume levels that will allow the company to replace virtually all of its domestically built and imported iron block V-6s for trucks.

* Ford’s forthcoming new Explorers and Mountaineers will make use of aluminum hoods and front fenders.

* During the next few years the company will begin converting its V-8 truck engines–many of which are used in SUVs–to aluminum blocks from iron.

* Ford’s Lincoln operations will put a small SUV–their first–on the market in 2002. This model is based on the Ford Explorer. Ford executives also are seriously considering giving Lincoln an even smaller vehicle built off the Escape platform for introduction in 2004-05.

* Another new steel-body small SUV with a high content of bake-hardenable steel, higher strength steel grades and hydroformed tubular steel components will be put into production by Ford in 2003. It will be built off the next-generation Ranger pickup truck platform, and–because of its compact size–will help Ford increase the average fuel economy of its SUV product line.

* A special version of the Escape with a high-mpg hybrid electric propulsion system due out in 2003 also will be a steel-body vehicle with numerous light steel and aluminum components in structural, suspension system and driveline applications.