Accelerating the Development of Aluminium Lightweighting Solutions for Body-In-White and Crash Management Systems

Martin Jarrett GALM Conference April 26, 2016

Agenda

¾ Company Introduction ¾ Need for innovative aluminium lightweight solutions

¾ Market growth of aluminium sheet & extrusion

¾ Driving innovation in the Constellium University Technology Center ¾ Conclusion

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Constellium: a leader in innovative aluminium solutions for the automotive, aerospace & packaging industries

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Over 10,000 full-time employees

€5.2 billion in sales

22 manufacturing sites

C-TEC, our world-class Technology Center

Headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Corporate offices in Paris, France, Zurich, Switzerland and

New York, USA

2015 key figures

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World-class Research and Technology capabilities

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¾ Alloy development ¾ Component design ¾ Process development, including joining technologies ¾ Simulation ¾ Prototyping at scale ¾ Testing ¾ Technology transfer for production

C-TEC Research & Technology Center

Constellium UTC Brunel University London

Production/support Global manufacturing network

The lightweighting agenda, driven by regulation

Source: EAA Aluminium penetration in cars, Final Report, March 13, 2012, Public version

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Source: 2025 CO2 Regulation. The next step to tackling transport emissions. Transport & Environment. June 2015.

The challenge is even greater

The lightweighting agenda, driven by regulation

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We believe aluminium has an unrivaled “benefit/cost” position

5-fold Increase in global Body-in-White market expected

Sheet based aluminium solutions are growing strongly

400230

490

200

2020

2,100

700*

1,200

2015

920 30

2012

315 70 15

~5×

Europe +15%

US +43%

Asia +38%

CAGR ’12 – ’20

Global FRP Al-BiW market forecast act. 2012 – 2020 (kt)

* Outlook excluding any major shift for a new high volume model Source: Constellium internal analysis

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2012 2015 2020

Confidential

Constellium Auto Body Sheet R&D by product families

Product Family

Out

er

Skin

C

losu

re

inne

r M

ain

Bod

y St

ruct

ure

& C

rash

Sa

fety

C

ell

Formability Strength Surface & Corrosion

Main development

need to allow demanding designs

Main development

need to allow part integration and rationalization

Continued need for perfect surface aspect after forming

Corrosion resistance of current alloys is excellent.

Current alloy formability good Further options with strength/

formability compromise possible

Hot stamping technology can be used for high strength parts

High strength 6xxx offers excellent combination with

HSA6 extrusions  

 Ultra high strength required for

anti-intrusion protection

Multi-material joining options

Key Product Property Development Needs

   Corrosion resistance of current

alloys is excellent

Strength level of current alloys is sufficient. Most parts are

stiffness dominated

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New alloys must remain resistant to structural corrosion (IGC & SCC)

Need for conversion coating

for durable structural bonding  

Confidential

Constellium C-TEC: New product prototyping at industrial scale

Alloy prototyping at full industrial scale with pilot casting units

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Alloy prototyping with hot and cold semi-industrial rolling mills

Confidential

Constellium C-TEC: Key customer joint developments of new technologies

¾  Full scale evaluation equipment to better understand interactions between our products and new OEM processes

¾  Improving forming simulation �  Working to make forming

simulation more reliable (feasibility, springback))

¾  Support in welding technologies �  Feasibility &

optimization trials �  New technology

investigation.

Friction stir welding of components

Al/Steel joining (CMT)

Stamping simulation and experiments

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Estimated growth in extruded & forged aluminium products

¾  Wrought aluminium content increasing from 140 kg in 2012, 180 kg in 2020*

¾  14% of the wrought aluminium content used as extruded & forged product*

¾  2025 assumes 200 kg of wrought aluminium content, 16% as extruded/forged and a vehicle forecast of 20.5 million**

How does this translate to structural components?

*Ducker 2012 – EAA aluminium penetration in cars – **IHS Automotive 2015 – Trends in European light vehicle production

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Average Kg’s per vehicle

Development & implementation strategy

¾ Lightweighting using extrusions and forged products made from a range of novel high performance 6xxx alloys and production processes

¾ Constellium University Technology Center (UTC) in partnership with

Brunel University London will provide: �  Reduced development times by at least 50%

�  Closed loop recycling & alloy compatibility with the main sheet products

�  A “copy & paste” approach to industrialization, to de-risk technology transfer

�  A dedicated team of 15 researchers, engineers and technicians

�  Sponsorship of research fellows/PhD’s & training of our own engineers/technicians

�  The full innovation value chain

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Constellium University Technology Center Brunel University London DC casting – alloy development & casting technology

¾  6” and 7’ hot top billet DC caster ¾  2m long log capability ¾  Double drop capacity with one furnace charge ¾  Compatible with Brunel University melt conditioning technology

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Extrusion – thermo-mechanical processing & extrusion design

¾  16MN extrusion press with puller ¾  6” and 7” container diameter ¾  Air, spray and standing wave quench box ¾  14m cooling table with stretcher cold saw

Constellium University Technology Center Brunel University London

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Linking the strategic automotive alloy portfolio to component manufacture

High Performance Crush

C26 to C28, C3….

High Performance Structural Body

C20 to C24

Ultra High Strength >400 MPa

6xxx Bumpers

Ultra High Strength >460 MPa

6xxx Forgings

Cost Competitive Solutions Robust Manufacturing Processes

Meets Specification/Quality Standards

High Strength, Corrosion Resistance &

Good Ductility

Excellent Crush & Corrosion ne

Key Enablers Casting & Extrusion Alloy & Microstructural Design

Process Design & Innovation - Casting & Extrusion Practice Die Design – Shape, Section Complexity & Tolerances

Thermo-mechanical Ageing

Key Enablers – Component Manufacture Design Methodologies/Systems - To Provide Efficient Part Design Process Design & Innovation – Fabrication & Joining Technologies

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Design for crush

Alloy strength

Shape complexity

C20

C22

C24 C26 C28

YS 200 MPa YS 220 MPa YS 240 MPa YS 280 MPa YS >300 MPa

Defined crush performance

Increasing shape complexity/tolerances

at higher strength

C30+

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Design for crush ¾ Provide a “design guide” in order to optimize both alloy selection (strength &

ductility) and the geometrical features of the crush component to provide a crash absorbing structure at the desired weight and functional performance

¾ A methodology to link the crush performance to material ductility and profile design has been developed.

¾ Key process & geometrical features to provide class A crush performance are being investigated.

Aramis (Image) Correlation System) for deformation

measurement

Bending angle (perd. ED)

Maj

or s

trai

n on

fol

ds (

Ara

mis

)

11010090807060

56,00%

54,00%

52,00%

50,00%

48,00%

46,00%

44,00%

42,00%

40,00%

> – – – – < 5

5 1010 1515 1717 20

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indexCrush

Crush performance = material ductility + crush box design

Three-point bending test

Key laboratory tests to quantify material ductility

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HSA6 strength development: hollow profiles

400 MPa

Alloy Composition & Processing Technology

Stre

ngth

UTS

- M

Pa

350 MPa

425 MPa

Conventional High Strength 6xxx Alloys

New High Strength 6xxx Alloys – HSA6

Ultimate 6xxx Strength Capability ?

Shape Complexity/Strength Compromise

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Design & Weight RCAR bumper, 10 kph Distance beam to radiator

RCAR structure, 16 kph: Max. Intrusion, Max peak force crashbox

LEAAST – Innovate UK supported research program Optimization of front CMS by introducing Constellium’s HSA6 and C28 alloys

Ben

chm

ark

Cas

e se

ries

desi

gn

HS

A6

& C

28

allo

ys w

elde

d

¾  CAD design and joining optimization

¾  Weight saving of the fully assembled CMS of 30%

¾  Better performance in different crash scenarios (FEA simulations)

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¾  Stretching & roll forming ¾  Free-form bending ¾  Magnetic pulse forming & welding ¾  Fusion welding cell – conventional MIG to

CMT ¾  Riveting & bonding ¾  GOM & ARAMIS systems for dimensional

characterisation & strain measurement ¾  Multi-axial fatigue rig to test full-size

chassis & sub-frame parts ¾  Simple machine shop, turning/milling/

drilling/sawing (incl. mitre cut)

Advanced Metals Processing Center

Constellium University Technology Center Brunel University London

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Advanced processing of HSA6 for higher strength

¾  Develop the strongest 6xxx series automotive alloys on the market & reach highest possible strength

¾  Apply advanced processing (TMA) to HSA6 for further 15% CMS lightweighting vs conventional HSA6 solutions

¾  Design CMS superior to that of conventional 6xxx & 7xxx series alloys

¾  Optimize 6xxx composition and combine with novel forming technics

¾  Develop full-scale prototype components for validation using the Constellium UTC facilities

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Joining of high-strength extrusions by Cold Metal Transfer (CMT)

¾ HSA6 welded in the as-extruded (T4) condition then subsequently peak-aged (T6), shows a significant improvement in HAZ strength properties compared with material aged to T6 then welded. This effect is more pronounced with CMT.

¾ At equivalent weld penetration, the CMT welding process injects significantly less heat than traditional MIG arc welding.

PWHT: Post-Weld Heat Treatment PB: Paint bake

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60  

70  

80  

90  

100  

110  

120  

130  

Micro  Hardn

ess  (Hv

0.1)  

Hardness  Through  Tickness  Of  Final  Assembly  

Interface  Between  Alloys  

AA6082  

AA6008  

Pulse magnetic forming & welding ¾  Technology

�  High rate current discharge in a coil

�  Shaping or joining of aluminium

¾  Forming & welding of 6xxx automotive alloys

�  Locally shape & calibrate profiles (deep drawing)

�  Get rid of HAZ to access full strength of the materials

�  Join dissimilar materials

AA6082

AA6008

¾  Welding of aluminium coupons

�  No visible interface between materials

�  No hardness loss in the alloys (i.e. no HAZ)

AA6082

AA6008

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Conclusion

¾ Stronger, more ductile aluminium alloys are expected to have a crucial role to play in vehicle lightweighting in all products forms

¾ Innovation-led rapid prototyping at “scale” is essential in reducing time to market and de-risking technology transfer �  Constellium University Technology Center provides industry-first capability

¾ Investment in people to support technology delivery within R&D units and production facilities is vital.

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