Lightweight Energy Absorbing Aluminium Structures for Transport (LEAAST)

轻型碰撞管理系统对大多数形式的地面运输越来越重要。像捷豹路虎这样的汽车原始设备制造商拥有先进的铝制车身设计，但在保险杠横梁和铁路应用中，钢铁碰撞系统仍占主导地位。Constellium基于AA6xxx合金系统开发了相当坚固的挤压合金，该合金与用于汽车结构和车身面板的板材完全可回收兼容。布鲁内尔大学开发了合金和铸造技术，使挤压件和铸件能够以新颖的方式结合在一起，生产新一代紧凑轻便的碰撞管理系统。设想的工作方案包括使用覆盖技术将高强度合金与铸造合金相结合，并使用粘合和铆接连接，以展示增加抗碰撞性和减轻重量的潜力。该项目将演示和评估汽车和铁路运输碰撞管理系统的优化设计。该提案旨在实现具有成本效益的材料/制造技术，为汽车和铁路部门使用的碰撞管理系统减轻重量。我们将设计、制造和展示基于使用一种新型高强度铝挤压合金的轻质铝系统，该合金可以取代现有的钢系统，同时使用回收的废铝制成的合金，至少减轻25%的重量。利用一种新的铸造技术，将消除使用铸造合金焊接的需要，铸造合金也是基于回收金属，我们还将首次利用英国可用的流动成形技术，为碰撞管理系统提供低浪费的近净形状精密部件制造。该项目将涉及公路和铁路新架构的开发、模拟和验证，这些架构将从根本上利用高强度铝合金的最新进展所提供的新设计自由，覆盖和河流连接技术以及新型铸造和近净形状制造方法。第二个成果将是通过布鲁内尔大学先进金属铸造中心的主要合作伙伴（JLR和Constellium），朝着更可持续、更以英国为中心的供应基地和资源节约型轻量化解决方案的制造能力迈出切实的一步。该项目财团包括来自英国供应链的代表，涵盖了一系列工业部门。该技术主要专注于汽车和铁路应用的碰撞管理系统，一旦得到验证，可以很容易地转移到底盘和车身的其他结构系统中，在这些系统中可以替换钢结构。通过替换LCV车身结构中的异种合金来关闭回收循环，将增加报废车辆的内在价值，因为车身结构将作为消费后的废料来源返回给锻压板和挤压生产商（高价值），或用于制造具有高回收含量的进一步合金，成功的TSB REALCAR （TP/9/LCV/6/I/S0086E）突出了其优势。随着轻型汽车中铝的使用增加，以及使用成本更低、更可回收的合金，将铝密集型车辆结构的使用从高档车辆扩展到更实惠、更大批量的车辆类别，进一步的非物质化将实现。同样，对轻型车的铁路投资将遵循与汽车类似的策略，这将导致这些目前的钢铁密集型结构的显著非物质化（重量减轻）。在EPSRC支持的TSB-LCIP支持的TARF-LCV项目的发展基础上，通过纳入EPSRC液态金属工程创新制造中心。

Lightweight crash management systems are of increasing importance for most forms of ground transport. Automotive OEMs like JLR have advanced aluminium automotive body designs but still depend on steel for bumper beams and for rail applications steel based crash systems predominate. Constellium has developed considerably stronger extrusion alloys based on the AA6xxx alloy system that are fully recycling compatible with the sheet used for automotive structures and body panels. Brunel University has developed alloys and casting technologies that enable extrusions and castings to be combined in novel ways to produce a new generation of compact lightweight crash management systems. The envisaged work programme with include the high strength alloy being combined with casting alloys using overcasting techniques and the use of bonded and riveted joints to demonstrate the potential for both increased crash resistance and weight saving. The project will demonstrate and evaluate optimised designs for crash management systems for both automotive and rail transport.The proposal aims to achieve a cost-effective material/manufacturing technology delivering a step-change in weight reduction for crash management systems for use in the automotive and rail sectors. We will design, manufacture & demonstrate lightweight aluminium systems based on the use of a novel high strength aluminium extrusion alloy that can replace the incumbent steel systems whilst providing at least a 25% weight reduction using alloys formulated from recycled end of life scrap. Utilising a novel overcasting technology that will eliminate the need for welding using casting alloys that are also based on recycled metal, we will also utilise the flow forming technology available in the UK for the first time to provided low waste near net shape manufacture of precision components for crash management systems. The project will involve the development, simulation & validation of novel architectures for both road & rail which radically exploit the new design freedoms afforded by the recent advances in high strength aluminium alloys, in overcasting & riv-bonding joining techniques & in novel casting & near net shape manufacturing methods. A second outcome will be the tangible steps taken towards a more sustainable, more UK-centric supply base & manufacturing capability in resource-efficient lightweight solutions through the leading partners (JLR & Constellium) in the Advanced Metal Casting Centre at Brunel University. The project consortium includes representatives from across the UK supply chain covering a range of industrial sectors.Predominantly focusing on crash management systems for automotive & rail applications the technology, once proven can be easily transferred to other structural systems in chassis & body where steel structures can be replaced. Closing the recycling loop by the replacement of dissimilar alloys in the LCV body structures will increase the intrinsic value of the end of life vehicle as the body structure will be returned as a post-consumer scrap source either to the wrought sheet & extrusion producers (high value) or for the manufacture of further alloys with high recycled content of which the benefits were highlighted by the successful TSB REALCAR (TP/9/LCV/6/I/S0086E). Further dematerialisation will be achieved with the increased use of aluminium in LCVs & the use of lower cost, more recyclable alloys expanding the use of aluminium intensive vehicle structures from premium vehicle to more affordable & higher volume vehicle classes. Similarly, rail investment in lightweight rolling stock will follow similar strategies to automotive which will result in significant dematerialisation (weight reduction) of these presently steel intensive structures. Building on developments in the EPSRC supported TARF-LCV project supported under the TSB-LCIP through the inclusion of the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Liquid Metal Engineering.