Journal of Materials Processing Technology 117 (2001) 276281

Research for a ``new age of magnesium'' in the automotive industry

H. Friedrich*, S. Schumann
Volkswagen AG, K-EFF, Letter Box 1777, D-38436 Wolfsburg, Germany

Abstract Motivation for (more) magnesium in the automotive industry research strategies for bringing about a ``new age of magnesium'' by means of the vehicle modules drive train, interior, body and chassis use of realised and potential future magnesium components, differentiated according to the time frame and conceivable likelihood of realisation R&D activities for the implementation of the predicted use of magnesium illustrated by example components and projects. # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Mg alloys; Mg components; Mg sheet; Mg extrusions; Material properties

1. Introduction The automobile industry made a voluntary commitment to reduce fuel consumption by 25% in comparison with 1990 levels by the year 2005 [1]. At the same time, this will substantially reduce CO2 emissions and conserve nite oil reserves. The seriousness of that voluntary commitment is underlined by the development and launch of mass-produced vehicles capable of fuel consumption of only 3 l/ 100 km, such as Volkswagen's 3l-Lupo and the Audi A2 [2]. The technologies that have been used to achieve the 3 l/ 100 km gure will in the future also bring about a reduction in fuel consumption for all new vehicles. The motivation for lightweight construction, we will remember, was based in simple terms on its relation to resistance to movement. Apart from air resistance, a vehicle's performance and fuel consumption is also affected by rolling resistance and acceleration, both of which are dependent on mass, and where uphill gradients are involved, there is also the force of gravity to overcome, which, again, is relative to vehicle mass. In terms of the MVEG driving cycle, the mass-dependent component of fuel consumption is around 60%. If engine and gearbox performance are appropriately adapted, a 10% reduction in weight can be assumed to bring about a drop in the consumption of roughly 5%. The rst ``magnesium age'' at Volkswagen started after the Second World War with the Beetle and reached a peak in 1971 with an annual production volume of 42,000 t. In those days, air-cooled engines and gearboxes were the main components that were produced using the Mg alloys
*

AS41 and AZ81 and made up of roughly 20 kg of the vehicle weight. Again Volkswagen recognised the strategic signicance of Mg in motor vehicle construction some years ago. As a result, a joint venture with an Israeli company1 for the production of Mg and Mg alloys was established. The specic demands of the automotive industry with regard to the development of alloys and process technology as well as acquisition of engineering and design data were not best served by the magnesium industry. This situation encouraged the establishment of a research institute2 as part of the joint venture which now has various scientists looking into magnesium technologies. The research strategy at Volkswagen is aimed at the technical design of the entire material production/properties process chain, design and methods of construction and application in automotive component production. There are potential uses, initially in niche-market vehicles (e.g. super-economy, 3 l/100 km vehicles) and at a later stage in other classes of vehicle, some of which are already in place and are generating demand for research on an enormous variety of semi-nished products. The ``second magnesium age'' will be characterised by much more than just cast housings (Fig. 1). 2. Actual and potential uses of magnesium in motor vehicles The present and future use of Mg in motor vehicles depends on numerous technical and economic factors
1 2

Corresponding author.

DSM: Dead Sea Magnesium, Sdom, Israel. MRI: Magnesium Research Institute, Beer Sheva, Israel.

0924-0136/01/$ see front matter # 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 9 2 4 - 0 1 3 6 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 7 8 0 - 4

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Fig. 1. Research strategy magnesium.

among which the cost is certainly of fundamental signicance. How might the use of Mg in motor vehicles develop? What are the basic requirements? And what R&D efforts are required? This paper aims to tackle those questions by examining them in more detail with the aid of example components and projects, and provide answers to them. The starting point was an analysis which details for each of the four vehicle modules drive train, interior, body and chassis, magnesium components already in use or theoretically capable of introduction, differentiated according to the time frame and conceivable likelihood of realisation. The main areas of magnesium use at present are the drive train and the vehicle interior. In the short term (<5 years) the number of those applications will increase further, conceivably to double the present gure, and the rst uses of magnesium in body components can be expected. The magnesium components already in use together with those that are capable of introduction in the short term suggest that a total weight of at least 60 kg magnesium in a vehicle is entirely realistic. In these cases, it is not so much the technical but rather the economic aspects that are the limiting factors. Including medium term (>5 years) and long term (>10 years) body and chassis applications even more than 100 kg of magnesium seems conceivable in a vehicle [4]. 2.1. Drive train The B80 gearbox housing made of AZ91 which was introduced by VW/Audi in 1996 marked the renaissance of magnesium as a material for such applications. Fig. 2 shows the future product range. An automatic transmission housing is also due to go into mass production in the near future. The weight saving compared with an aluminium housing is around 2025%.

The greater tendency of AZ91-hp towards creep and contact corrosion and its lower elevated temperature strength compared with AlSi9Cu3 was tackled by design strategies. On the other hand, as a high-purity alloy, AZ91hp can be used without chromating or wax coating. Where high-performance gearboxes and engine crankcases are under consideration, temperatures over 1308C must be capable of being reliably withstood. This was one of the reasons why a comprehensive research project was initiated. The objective was to produce an alloy with the following properties prole compared with conventional alloys:  Room-temperature characteristics at least as good as AZ91.  Elevated temperature strength above 1208C better than AZ91.  Minimum creep rate better than AE42.  Castability similar to AZ91.  Corrosion resistance similar to AZ91.  Cost similar to AZ91. The starting point was an alloy matrix of around 40 alloys (based on the MgAl(Zn) alloy system with the addition of various elements) which appeared on the basis of metallurgical and metal-working considerations to offer the best potential and were processed by direct squeeze casting. The ve most promising alloy variants were selected on the basis of a series of exhaustive tests and then used in die-casting processes under simulated full production conditions (Fig. 3). The specically targeted optimisation of the materials is particularly evident with regard to the creep resistance. Under a load of 85 MPa at 1358C (this stress combination was chosen as representative of the loads to which a gearbox housing is subjected in operating conditions), the new alloys demonstrate a secondary creep rate

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Fig. 2. Magnesium gearbox housings.

that is up to one power of ten lower than the corresponding values for the conventional alloys AZ91 and AE42. Additional material tests also reveal an evenly balanced properties prole for the projected area of application. As the characteristics of test rods in terms of their casting properties and susceptibility to hot cracking do not necessarily transfer directly real components, their potential as replacements for Al and Mg alloys currently used is being further investigated by the manufacture of mass production components and more tests.

2.2. Interior As there are no special corrosion resistance requirements in this area, this is the section of the vehicle where many manufacturers have the most magnesium components in use at present. The alloy AM50/60 which has a elongation to fracture of 810% is particularly popular. Safety-related components such as seats will soon be added to the list of interior components if optimised casting methods and suitably adapted component design and alloys succeed in

Fig. 3. Alloy development: creep behaviour of new die casting alloys.

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guaranteeing high component strength and ductility. A general increase in the number of applications requires minimisation of costs by process optimisation, e.g. through the utilisation of the casting and workability advantages and the application of lightweight design expertise. 2.3. Chassis Because of the demanding safety requirements placed on chassis components, the use of magnesium in this area represents a great challenge. In particular, the question of durability/resistance to fatigue under vibrational stress in corrosive conditions requires a considerable amount of additional research and development. Neither squeeze casting nor the experiments with the thixocasting process have yet produced considerable improvements with regard to fatigue resistance compared with optimised die-casting. For that reason, future applications for magnesium in this area are more likely to be a long term development. New casting methods such as Rheo-casting, optimised wrought alloys and forged components could offer the prospect of improvements in this area. 2.4. Body 2.4.1. Cast components In addition to the familiar instrument panel crosscar beam, complex thin-walled magnesium castings will be seen more frequently in body manufacture in future. Topics that require particular attention in this area are energy absorption, surface quality and costs. An example in this regard is the hybrid boot lid of the 3l-Lupo. Concept comparisons between Al, plastic or Al/Mg versions produced the following solution: integral Mg die-casting on the inside, sheet Al on the outside with Al lock reinforcing.

The development aims were as follows: high level of integration, weight minimisation, and satisfaction of requirements with regard to stiffness, crash safety and surface quality. The Al outer panel is welded and, for reasons of strength and insulation, simultaneously lock-jointed with the inner section and the two components bonded along the ange using an epoxy resin adhesive. As this die-cast component is used in a visible area, it requires great efforts in the area of casting production and painting. So far, the requirements have only been satisfactorily met by applying an additional powder-coating layer. A direct weight comparison for the Lupo boot lid reveals the following gures: steel (10.5 kg); aluminium (8.5 kg); magnesiumaluminium boot lid for 3l-Lupo (5.4 kg). Door interior components are attractive candidates for Mg. To illuminate the topic of energy absorption, we will quote some crash test results obtained with a Mg/Al demonstrator for a two-door car (Polo). The Mg/Al door is a hybrid door consisting of a magnesium inner section and an Al outer panel together with inner-cavity reinforcing and side impact bar made of Al extrusions. The inner Mg-part and outer Al-panel were joined together by welding and bonding (weight saving compared to steel approx. 50%). Quasi-static and dynamic tests (side impact, frontal impact) were used, among other things, to verify crash simulation calculations obtained from the PamCrash1 code. Important insights were gained which will be of use in subsequent projects and in identifying the additional R&D work necessary. Fig. 4 shows the results of the quasi-static longitudinal compression test in which a ram applies a quasi-static force in a forward direction via the B pillar. The difference in behaviour as compared with the steel door is very clear, the door offers a higher stiffness, has a slightly lower energy absorption capacity but in the nal analysis the overall

Fig. 4. Research demonstrator: Mg-lightweight door.

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steel and 20% compared with aluminium can be achieved depending on stress proles relevant to practical applications. Customary Mg sheets are not capable at present for meeting the corrosion resistance and surface nish requirements placed on vehicle-body outer skin components. For that reason, current research activities are concentrating initially on the design and testing of sheet metal components for the vehicle interior. In the medium term, production and corrosion resistance strategies for exterior applications need to be developed. 2.4.3. Magnesium extrusion technology A comparison of mass-requirement characteristics (criteria for the choice of material based on load requirements) shows that in comparison with steel and aluminium, magnesium offers the potential for reducing component mass, particularly with regard to requirements for strength (tensile and bending stress). For stiffness requirements, weight advantage is only achievable with regard to bending stress [3]. In the particular case of tubular magnesium extrusions, weight advantages are obtainable, particularly where the manufacturing technology allows very thin walls to be produced and the component cross-section can be correspondingly enlarged. Taking those parameters into account, areas of application such as window frames, seat frames and chassis members are conceivable. The fundamental advantage of the use of magnesium extrusions consists of its better mechanical properties in comparison with cast components. Thus, extrusions made of the alloy AZ31 achieves elongation to fracture of up to 15%. Under dynamic axial stress, the energy absorption capabilities are lower than aluminium due to the hexagonal atomic structure. With dynamic transverse and diagonal loadings, the difference is much less marked. Research initiatives in the area of ``new Mg wrought alloys'' reveal the potential for improved energy absorption capabilities on the part of such Mg alloys. Thus, the folding characteristics of Mg alloys with modied lattice structures was found to be similar to comparable aluminium extrusions with ultimately higher specic energy absorption gures (Fig. 7). 3. Joining techniques Questions relating to joining techniques are under examination on prototype structures. One of the key areas of focus is the development of automatic welding processes. One of the decisive factors with regard to the potential future applications for Mg extrusions will be the transferability of established forming processes for steel and aluminium. Mg extrusions/Mg sheets and pore-free magnesium castings can be joined using the processes commonly applied in the car manufacturing business (automated MIG/TIG welding and Nd:YAG laser welding). Our own investigations have shown that the processes and equipment familiar from aluminium welding will have to be modied (regulation of

Fig. 5. Side crash test.

characteristics are positive as only about the rst 60 mm of ram travel are relevant. Side crash (Fig. 5): Although the sill area of the Mg diecast component did not provide satisfactory ductility, the assessment of the door assembly as a whole in the crash test (speed 50 km/h) was satisfactory. The Mg/Al door was not pushed in over the sill and by comparison revealed more evenly distributed deformation than the steel door. The doors remained closed in a crash and the crash test dummy results were also satisfactory. Frontal crash (Fig. 6): For the AMS frontal crash test, the speed of impact was 55 km/h. The rigid barrier offset was 50% of the vehicle width. The doors opened easily after the crash, the door was neither fractured nor kinked and the crash test dummy results were satisfactory. However, in order to fully utilise the potential of Mg for lightweight body applications, magnesium sheet and magnesium extrusions must be made use of in the future. 2.4.2. Magnesium sheet technology The full potential of magnesium for lightweight construction is brought to bear above all in situations involving sheet metal components with a large surface area and thin walls which are subject primarily to bending stresses and thus need to satisfy requirements for exural/buckling stiffness, i.e. the panels of body components (doors, boot, bonnet). In such areas, weight savings of around 50% compared with

Fig. 6. Offset frontal crash test.

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Fig. 7. Mg extrusion technology.

current, protection gases). Due to the low cost of the processes, investigations are primarily concerned with joining methods such as:  welding of light metals;  riveting and/or bonding of various combinations of materials. Although the corrosion resistance of high-purity Mg alloys such as AZ91-hp is better than that of AlSi9Cu3, design and/or coating technology concepts for the prevention of contact corrosion are required. 4. Outlook Lightweight design using magnesium is in competition with lightweight design using aluminium, plastics and steel. It is our aim to establish the use of magnesium in volume production cars, wherever it makes technical sense and is economically viable. Admittedly, limited-series and nichemarket vehicles will initially be used to introduce new technologies. The projected increase in the use of Mg in the medium term and the considerable jump to a gure of 90120 kg (by the introduction of body applications among others) and above can only become reality by a rigorous process of bringing together the entire chain of production from seminished product manufacture (e.g. castings, Mg sheet, Mg extrusions) to nished component in an overall R&D strategy, and if the end users the vehicle manufacturers or their suppliers co-operate closely with the semi-nished product manufacturers. As the overall Mg process chain is not comparable with the structure of the Al industry (in terms of both R&D capacity and number of companies), for instance, there should also be greater co-operation at an international level (R&D) in order to expand the volume of engineering data available. Only by adopting an integrated approach to construction methods (design), materials (properties) and processes

(production), can lightweight construction in magnesium be achieved at competitive prices. While recognising that there is still some way to go before that integrated approach is achieved, we still view it as the key to greater use of Mg in motor vehicles. The essential prerequisites for this type of development in view of the high price of magnesium even in the medium term are the following:  greater use of in-house recycling (cost reduction);  secondary material market;  adaptation of existing casting and forming techniques and development of new ones;  development of new magnesium alloys with improved property profile;  magnesium-compatible design (integrated approach);  incorporation in a multi-material design concept;  expansion of the knowledge base (data base). The strategy regarding the use of Mg in motor vehicles with the aim of bringing about a ``second magnesium age'' is based on the applications for cast components. But Mg components also in the body, Mg sheets and Mg extrusions applications will appear and lead to greater use of Mg as part of a multi-material design concept. References
dl, Die Entwicklung des Audi A2, ein neues [1] D. Engelhart, C. Mo Fahrzeugkonzept in der Kompaktwagenklasse, Conference Paper on Technologien um das 3l-Auto, Brunswick, Germany, November 16 18, 1999. r den minimalen Verbrauch, [2] M. Dick, Die 3l-Lupo-technologien fu Conference Paper on Technologien um das 3l-Auto, Brunswick, Germany, November 1618, 1999. [3] S. Schumann, H. Friedrich, The use of Mg in cars today and in future, Conference Paper on Mg Alloys and their Applications, Wolfsburg, Germany, April 2830, 1998. [4] H. Friedrich, S. Schumann, The second age of magnesium, Conference Paper at Second Israeli International Conference on Mg Science and Technology, Sdom, Israel, February 2000.