The 2016 Ford F-150 will have aluminum parts from supplier Alcoa manufactured in a revolutionary way that makes them stronger, lighter, easier to work with and in greater abundance, which should improve supply and cost.
The secret: Alcoa's new micromill that manufactures a coil of an improved aluminum alloy in 20 minutes compared with 20 days using conventional processes. And it can be done in a plant that is a quarter of the size.
"That's how disruptive and revolutionary it is," said Alcoa CEO Klaus Kleinfeld who was in Dearborn on Monday.
The ability to supply aluminum exponentially faster eases fears of a shortage as the auto industry increasingly turns to the material to reduce the weight of vehicles, which in turn makes them more fuel efficient as automakers work to meet new efficiency standards in 2025.
To bring this to fruition, Ford and Alcoa formed a partnership. Alcoa built an experimental micromill in San Antonio to produce the aluminum, and Ford gave it a rigorous test subject: the high-volume 2016 F-150 pickup.
The two companies have worked on this for almost three years and Ford has exclusive North American rights for an undisclosed number of years. The technology, which is exclusive and has 130 patents, will be licensed outside the U.S.
For the 2016 F-150, three tailgate reinforcement parts will be made with aluminum from the new process, said Raj Nair, Ford's head of global product development. They will go into production this fall.
Source
Detroit Free Press