May 22, 2013—Aluminum rolling and recycling supplier Novelis and ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks, a steel manufacturer for the automotive industry, have launched a cooperation agreement for the development of tailored aluminum blanks, which will help automakers produce more lightweight vehicles.
With the development of this technology, individual aluminum sheets of different grades, thickness and coatings can be joined to produce customized stamping blanks used by car makers for the production of lightweight body parts and structural components.
The target use of materials in tailored aluminum blanks eliminates previously required reinforcements and overlapping joints, thus reducing total weight.
"Tailored aluminum blanks extend the growing possibilities for advanced and economical lightweight solutions in vehicles,” said Roland Harings, vice president of global automotive for Novelis. “Material expertise with aluminum and know-how in tailoring of lightweight solutions are coming together in a unique way to provide this cost-effective technology on a global scale.”
