AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTWEIGHTING SPECIAL

AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTWEIGHTING SPECIAL

Can India take the lead to reduce vehicle weight?

With the accent on reducing weight and improving fuel economy, OEMs and component

manufacturers are using new materials and designs to gain a strategic advantage.
Vehicle Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, sees automotive lightweighting as a strategic opportunity for Indias auto sector. We at Autocar Professional decided to speak with key players in the sector and ask them what their companies were doing to make their vehicles lighter. We spoke with OEMs and component makers alike who said new materials including engineering plastics and new technologies were what they are looking at to produce vehicles that are lighter, safer and ecofriendly. Interestingly, the journey towards lightweighting begins even before a car is actually made. New product and design software means that at the conceptual phase itself, weight targets and objectives can be defined and worked on. Professor Fine says automotive lighweighting is an opportunity for India because fuel demand and prices will remain on an upward trend. The worlds largest auto companies have sunk so much into heavy-steelbased vehicles that they cannot lead the way in making light vehicles. Above all, lightweighting requires a redesign of the entire automotive supply chain. With Indias automotive supply chain still relatively young, it can mould itself to being a pioneer in lightweighting.

hen Tata Motors launched the muchawaited Nano at the Auto Expo in 2008, the industry and observers alike were impressed with the way that the carmaker had kept to its promise of an aestheticlooking car that didnt cost the earth. But while the hype focused on price, the fact is that the companys vendors worked round the clock to think innovatively to develop components that were light in terms of costs and weight as well. This fact was crucial to the success of the company. That among other reasons is why Professor Charles Fine, co-director of the International Motor

Tata Motors uses alternate materials such as high strength steels, aluminium alloys and plastic composites for lightweighting.

TATA MOTOrs

The worlds largest auto companies have sunk so much into heavy-steelbased vehicles that they cannot lead the way to making light vehicles. India therefore has an advantage here.

Tata Motors has used computer aided engineering (CAE), early vendor involvement, and leveraged the findings of its materials technology research programmes in order to achieve its lightweighting objectives. At the product concept and strategic intent stage itself, weight objectives and targets are set to complement fuel efficiency, performance and durability. CAE tools are used to optimise weight to maximise performance of the systems and components for NVH, fatigue durability, customer touch points, and ride and handling. As far as early supplier involvement is concerned,

Tata Motors says it does help the company to identify the latest advances in weight reduction technologies that can benefit Tata products. The companys materials engineers and scientists constantly look for and explore new materials and processing technologies on lightweighting concepts, on the basis of which designers innovate during the new product development process. In the recent past, Tata Motors has used alternate materials such as high strength steels, aluminium alloys and plastic composites for light weighting. Going forward, it is exploring several new measures including

30 SECONDS ON . . .
Maruti Suzukis mantra has been to make small cars that are lighter and fuel efficient. It all began with its debutante model the Maruti 800 launched in 1983, which was then the smallest car in terms of size and engine capacity. The legacy continues and the recently launched new WagonR has several weight-reduction initiatives. Speaking to Autocar Professional, executive officer (production engineering) of Maruti Suzuki, R Dayal says tailored welded blanks (TWB) have been used in the new WagonR in the doors and tailgate. We began introducing TWB in the Estilo and later introduced it in the SX4. TWB is a manufacturing method in which steel parts of different thickness and tensile strength are laser welded in sheet condition and pressed

MARUTI SUZUKI'S EFFORTS IN LIGHTWEIGHTING

together. This enables partial part reinforcement, avoiding the need for additional parts, thus, keeping the weight under control." Chief general manager (engineering, research, design & development) C V Raman says the new WagonR is heavier by 35kg (VXi model) than the earlier model as the car is built on a new platform. Its overall length has been increased by 75mm to 3595mm against the old version. The wheelbase has been increased to 2400mm besides becoming wider (1495mm) and taller (1700mm). Given the increased dimensions, the weight of the car should have increased significantly but for the use high-tensile steel and TWB. By using high tensile steel, Maruti was able to achieve the same performance at New WagonR uses high-tensile steel, TWB and lightweight K-series engine. offering customers the latest technology. The new WagonR is the third model (after the Astar and Estilo) in Maruti's lineup to use the K-series engine. Maruti engineers have put together a host of innovative technologies such as the use of plastic parts, reduction in piston skirt area to reduce weight, and resin-coated piston to minimise friction, enhance performance and provide high acceleration. Besides reducing emissions, the engine offers improved fuel efficiency and help achieve better Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) characteristics. Employee involvement Maruti has also initiated several projects on minimisation and utilisation. Every year, the company celebrates Value Analysis created for vendor systems upgradation organises training programmers for suppliers on several topics including 3R, component weight reduction, yield improvement and productivity improvements. In 2008-09, Maruti Suzuki consumed 279,085 metric tonnes (MT) of steel coils, 24,389 MT of ferrous casting, 11,619 MT of non-ferrous casting and 3,998 MT of paints. It has undertaken various activities to reduce material consumption. Yield improvement is one such activity it has promoted since its inception, as part of the 3R programme. During the initial phase, it focused on steel coil blank size reduction by changing the radius of the blank, and modifying the bead design, die face and punch profile. MURRALI THALOR
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All the load bearing and structure members of the A-star body are made of 440 or 590 high tensile steel grade. Value Engineering (VA-VE) month aimed at involving employees and suppliers in design improvements that reduce weight and cost without compromising on quality. In 2008-09, it launched the 'One Gram One Component' weight reduction scheme to reinforce the need to use resources prudently. As a Suzuki subsidiary, it follows its parent companys basic philosophy of 'Smaller, Fewer, Lighter, Shorter and Neater' in its manufacturing facilities. This philosophy has helped it in optimal utilisation of resources and cost saving. Through various kaizen activities, efforts are made to reduce not only the weight of car components but also equipment used in manufacturing. The Maruti Center of Excellence (MACE),

lower thickness and thus, reduce overall body weight. In the A-star and the new WagonR, the company has used high tensile steel to reduce weight. All the load bearing and structure members of the A-star body

are made of 440 or 590 high tensile steel grade. The impact of adopting TWB technology and use of high tensile steel is reflected in improved fuel efficiency. Raman says about 20kg of high tensile steel has been used in

the new WagonR. Maruti has focused on weight reduction through its three-pronged strategy of 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle' (3R) in all its manufacturing facilities, supply chain and logistics operations.
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Lightweight engine The companys K-series lightweight aluminium engine has been designed to be environment friendly and fuel-efficient. This engine, introduced in the A-star, is a significant initiative towards
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AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTWEIGHTING SPECIAL

hollow construction using high-strength tubes and hot stamped parts, greater harnessing of lightweighting potential of aluminium and its MMC as well as plastic composites and nanoclay plastic composites. Tata says that going forward, the cost of materials like magnesium, titanium and carbon fibre composites will reach levels where their lightweighting potential can be put to use economically. Vehicles of the future will be of multimaterial construction, where each material performs several roles in addition to offering light weighting advantage.

AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTWEIGHTING SPECIAL

Therefore, Mutual says it prefers to participate in new product development rather than secluded part development or re-engineering for lightweighting. The company says it has the capability to handle new product development with a knowledge base that covers the complete span from prototype to series part production. While a range of polypropylenes and ASA have been used in manufacturing automotive exteriors and interiors as painted or textured fascias and trim to substitute pressed sheet-metals, polyamides and acetals have been substituted for cast metals for weight and noise reduction. The material properties in each family of plastics can be tuned into the composition to cater to the specific requirement of the part and its structure. The use of plastics and reinforcement additives and its alloys with appropriate engineering and design are limited in lightweighting only by the creativity of the development team. One product that Mutual has progressively reduced weight over a period of time is the oil sump which was traditionally built out of metal diecast, and is now made of polyamide. This is a basic design in this plastics application and is an estimated 4kg as against 10kg in metal diecast. materials have yet to be explored to contribute on a larger scale to automotive lightweighting. As automotive plastics specialists, the company believes that there are many more potential applications than the established ones that could contribute towards lightweighting. Such applications call for development activity which involves design and engineering resources.

Honda Siel uses high-tensile steel in its cars as also magnesium, aluminium and high quality plastic.

VOLVO-EICHEr CV

GENErAL MOTOrs

GM India is evaluating alternate lightweight materials for various applications in its vehicles. Many of its new products in the US, for example, use aluminium for the bonnets and rear tailgate. Its R&D facilities are developing parts that are expected to be much lighter than existing products. GM also uses state-of-the-art simulation tools early in the design phase to reduce and optimise weight. With increasing application of plastics, SMC, magnesium and aluminium, GM hopes to develop lighter vehicles in the future as technologies evolve.

The commercial vehicle manufacturer has used materials like composites, aluminium and highstrength low alloy steels coupled with extensive weight optimisation techniques that have helped it to continue making lighter vehicles, thereby enabling customers to carry more payload for the same gross vehicle weight.

Mutual Industries' oil sump made using polyamide is 6kg lighter than a metal diecast one.

INdIA YAMAHA MOTOr

HONdA sIEL CArs INdIA

The carmaker uses high-tensile steel in the manufacturing of its cars for lightweight yet highstrength and enhanced safety. Also, high-quality materials like magnesium, aluminium and high quality plastic are used to ensure that its vehicles are not heavy. HSCI has also restricted the use of hazardous materials such as asbestos, crome6, lead, cadmium and mercury to ensure its vehicles are safe and ecofriendly.
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Lightweighting is considered to be very important aspect at Yamaha and is directly related to improving fuel efficiency. The steps the bike maker has taken to lightweight its vehicles include re-engineering of parts and careful selection of materials that help it improve the power-to-mass ratio. Going forward, India Yamaha says it is focusing on re-engineering of parts and taking other weight reduction measures such as using superior raw material and increasing the number of plastic parts.

Zoom Automotive supplies plastic fuel tanks to the Ford Fiesta and the newly launched Figo.

ZOOM AUTOMOTIVE

WEIGHT rEdUCTION bY PArTs MAKErs MUTUAL INdUsTrIEs

Mumbai-based Mutual Industries designs and manufactures parts using low-weight plastics. However, it says, these
Yamaha plans to increase the number of plastic parts in its bikes to reduce weight.

This Mumbai-based vendor makes plastic fuel tanks for passenger cars. Zoom Automotive tied up with YAPP Automotive Parts Company of China for technical assistance to make plastic fuel tanks at its plant at Maraimalainagar, near Chennai. To make these plastic tanks, it has been using HDPE sourced from Basel, Korea. The company supplied its first lightweight
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AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTWEIGHTING SPECIAL

AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTWEIGHTING SPECIAL

DSM Engineering Plastics has a wide portfolio of products that can help OEMs replace metal. Alkraft has developed a plastic header for intercoolers in CVs.

plastic fuel tank to Ford India for the Fiesta saloon. The Figo, Fords small car offering for India, also has a Zoom-made plastic fuel tank. According to Zoom, if an OEM wants to reduce the weight of the fuel system, then the entire system comprising tanks, filler pipes, fuel lines and engine would have to be made of plastic for there to be significant weight reduction. It currently supplies the fuel tank and filler pipes depending on the OEM and their requirements. The company uses the co-ex blow moulding process to make its tanks which are either monolayer (used in diesel cars) and multilayer (for petrol cars).

dsM ENGINEErING PLAsTICs

This company, which provides a range of engineering plastics to Tier I and Tier II suppliers, has been working with many OEMs to convert components made with metals to plastics with highperformance engineering thermoplastics. The materials used withstand high temperatures, high wear and tear and friction resistance and have enabled DSM to reduce part weights by upto 70 percent.
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These materials can have mechanical properties that are as comparable if not better than diecast aluminium. The alternatives that DSM provides OEMs include parts integration and design flexibility, apart from weight and cost reduction. DSM also provides CAE services to auto companies to help them evaluate the conversion of parts currently made from steel into plastics with the aim of weight reduction. As far as alternative materials go, the company uses Akulon Ultraflow PA6 from unfilled upto 60 percent glass filling, Stanyl PA46 a high temperature, high wear and frictionresistant material, Arnitel TPE-E for metal tubings to plastic tubings and Arnite PBT / PET. There are several applications and these include Akulon PA6 that has been used to lower the weight of auto applications for products such as air intake manifolds and cylinder head covers. DSM Engineering Plastics has also used Arnite PET to reduce the weight for applications such as pulleys. The company has also used Stanyl PA46 to lower the weight of various gears and Arnitel TPE and Stanyl PA 46 to reduce the weight of air ducts.

Nitin Kothari, MD - DSM Engineering Plastics says its products can help automakers reduce part weights by upto 70 percent.

Vinod Mittal, vice-chairman and managing director, Ispat Industries: "The key benefit of our steel is the strength-to-weight ratio."

This Chennai-based manufacturer has developed a plastic header for intercoolers in commercial vehicles. Samples have been supplied to few OEMs and clearances are awaited. The genesis of the development was driven by value engineering and productivity. While cost savings were an estimated five percent, final assembly productivity improved about five times. While plastic tank technology is already available for intercoolers, this was restricted to passenger cars. However, operating temperatures in CVs are high. For instance, the operating inlet temperature for an intercooler can be as high as 180deg C. The existing plastic material cannot withstand temperatures beyond 130deg C. Therefore, the challenge was to source the right material which could withstand higher temperatures. Alkraft was able to achieve this by using specially developed engineering plastics. The next challenge was to finetune the manufacturing process as this type of special engineering plastic

ALKrAfT THErMOPLAsTICs

is not commonly used. The newly developed plastic header tank weighs about 1kg less than the conventional tanks for intermediate CVs. The weight reduction will be in the range of 2.5-3kg for M&HCVs. In addition, the plastic tanks also give better aesthetics and improved productivity in assembly compared with conventional welding assembly process for normal tanks.

IsPAT INdUsTrIEs

The steel manufacturer's hot-rolled steel that is used in the automotive segment utilises the company's steel-making technology - CONARC - Thin Slab - CSP - that provides several benefits to users. These include very low carbon content in steel that enhances weldability and increases ductility for better formability, and low carbon together with microalloying induced strength which provides comparable higher strength. This makes steel that is light and strong. The key benefit of Ispat's steel is the strengthto-weight ratio. Its key clients for auto-grade steel include component makers attached to leading OEs like Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki.
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AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTWEIGHTING SPECIAL

AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTWEIGHTING SPECIAL

Delphis Bussed Electrical Centers (BEC) simplify Electronic/Electrical architecture. The company has reduced weight in this key component.

Varroc works closely with OEMs to cut component weight. Seen here are a camshaft, spindle steering and a front wheel hub.

dELPHI TECHNICAL CENTrE INdIA

Component manufacturer Delphi has undertaken several steps to reduce the weight of its components. It cut the weight of Engine Management Systems by optimising the design of enclosure and reducing the board size by using compact electronics packaging. Delphis safety sensors are moulded in plastic, which help reduce the weight by almost 30 percent as compared to conventional sensors. The company is at present experimenting with potentially high strength plastics which help reduce component and vehicle weight.As regards products that it has worked on, Delphi has reduced weight in powertrain controllers, infotainment products, body control modules, safety sensors and hybrid vehicle electronics. The infotainment product is moulded in plastic thereby replacing the conventional steel packaging. This has reduced the weight of the product by almost 50 percent, which has helped in delivering better performance. Delphi has also used integrated highend technologies like jet impingement cooling in hybrid vehicle electronics,
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which has helped in reducing weight. Delphi says it develops technologies and products in line with its core theme of safety and eco-friendliness. With regard to its plans, they are integration of multiple body control modules into single product; optimising and replacing steel structure in hybrid vehicle electronics module with high strength plastics and developing solutions to expel heat through plastics. As far as the integration of multiple body control module goes, this helps in consolidating different components into one module. For example, window lifters, headlight levelers, wipers and other electronic switches. Apart from reducing the weight of the vehicle, it provides the OEMs a complete and single-box solution instead of having to purchase different electronics boxes from different suppliers. As far as optimising and replacing steel structures, Delphi uses light weight steel 2mm steel (instead of 3mm steel) with additional design features like stiffeners and ribs to provide strength to the plastic. This helps in reducing the weight of the component. For example,

the battery disconnect unit holding structure is made of plastic, which can even survive a mild crash.

VArrOC GrOUP

Delphi has reduced weight in a number of components like powertrain cooling modules.

Tarak Balaji, director, Delphi Technical Centre India: "We will continue to improvise our products to make the vehicles lighter, safer and greener."

The Aurangabad-based component manufacturer's metallic division is equipped with cold, warm and hot forging facilities and supported with dedicated facilities to supply gearbox assemblies starting from 100cc to 750cc for all two-wheeler segments. The basis of all products it manufactures is the forging process. As a result of increasing raw material cost, there has been pressure on the bottomline. To compensate for increasing input costs, weight reduction and process improvements are the key objectives at Varroc. The company says it has used state-of-the-art metal flow simulation for the forging process, so all iterations of process design start with 100 percent yield. Its design engineers optimise the tool design to achieve flash-less forgings. As Varroc has both hot and cold forging manufacturing facilities in-house, the combination of hot and cold forging is used to minimise component weight.

Examples include flashless forging development: for gear blanks up to 2kg weight, Varroc has developed the flashless forging concept, which is being deployed for the new components. This technology has helped save up to 300 grams of weight per part. Also, critical components which can be made by the machining process with increased input weight have been developed. The shapes generated in forging are near-net with a little machining allowance to meet surface finish requirements. The company works closely with OEMs to reduce weight right from the conceptual stage. This results in optimised weight design and low cost to both players. Examples include the kick gear and the internal faces of gear blanks. One example of a product that it has been able to reduce weight significantly is the component forging which was reduced from 2.06kg to 1.6kg. This has been done through prototype samples. The use of flashless design has helped eliminate flash trimming operation and reduce machining cycle. n
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