Advanced Materials: The Crucial Role of Material Technology in...
Home ยป News

Advanced Materials: The Crucial Role of Material Technology in Industrial Transformation

Manufacturing Technology Insights | Monday, April 10, 2023

The performance and cost of steel and metal alloy materials have made them the preferred material for vehicle manufacturing for decades.

FREMONT, CA: Owing to their performance and affordability, steel and metal alloys have been used for automobile construction for decades. Yet, current industry trends call for more innovative materials to improve the fuel economy of modern automobiles without sacrificing safety, performance, or affordability. Innovations in lightweight materials, magnesium and aluminum alloys, high-performance polymers, and 3D printing, among others, will facilitate the industry's embrace of e-mobility and sustainability trends.

Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.

Less energy is required to accelerate a lighter item than a heavier one; hence lightweight materials have considerable promise for enhancing vehicle economy. According to the US Agency of Energy and Renewable Energy (EERE), a 10-percent decrease in vehicle mass can result in a 6-8 percent improvement in fuel economy, superseding traditional steel components and cast iron with lightweight materials such as high-strength steel, magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, carbon fiber, and polymer composites can directly lower the poundage of a car's body and chassis by up to 50 percent, hence reducing fuel consumption.

Automobiles progressively include new technological components, emission control systems, and safety gadgets. With lightweight structural materials, cars can carry additional components without increasing the vehicle's overall mass. According to "Modern Materials for Automobile Industry," written by Havorun et al. and published in the Journal of Engineering Sciences, materials that can replace steel must provide high strength, energy intensity or the ability to absorb impact, manufacturability, minimal weight, corrosion resistance, and maintainability.

Additionally, lightweight materials are crucial for all vehicles but significant for HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs. According to EERE, lightweight materials in these vehicles can offset the weight of power systems like batteries and electric motors, increasing their efficiency and all-electric range.

According to MBN, the average vehicle body in the US fleet today comprises 65 percent steel, 13 percent aluminum, 4 percent magnesium, 6 percent plastic and polymer composites, and a variable percentage of glass, adhesives, sealants, and foam. While automakers continue exploring and developing alternative materials, copper will remain a critical raw resource. Electric vehicles require a great deal of copper. It has been utilized thus far in motors, batteries, inverters, wiring, and fuses.

Short-Term Research on Lightweight Materials

Short-term research and development efforts primarily focus on replacing heavy steel components with high-strength steel, which is stronger and more pliable than standard steel. According to EERE, advanced high-strength steel can reduce component weight by up to 25 percent. The material can also increase the crash performance of a car while still allowing suppliers to make components using standard methods.

Aluminum alloys are a practical option for the automobile sector. Aluminum automobile bodies have reached mass manufacture, albeit only for costly models. MBN reports that premium brands, like Jaguar-Land Rover, Audi, and BMW, frequently experiment with aluminum alloys.

According to EERE, experts thoroughly understand aluminum's properties and processing due to its widespread application in aerospace and building. In addition to joining, corrosion, repairs, and recycling, cost and production are the most persistent issues with aluminum alloys when the metal is blended with additional substances. The US Automobile Technology Office is now collaborating with The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Ford to enhance manufacturers' pre-treatment of aluminum sheets to increase their formability during stamping.

Long-Term Research on Lightweight Materials

According to EERE, using advanced materials such as magnesium and carbon fiber reinforced composites might lower the weight of specific vehicle components by 50 to 75 percent. Although magnesium can reduce the weight of components by more than 60 percent, its use is now restricted to less than 1 percent of the average vehicle's weight.

Immediate obstacles to the scalability of magnesium include the high cost and price volatility of the raw material, the difficulty of forming magnesium sheets at low temperatures, the low ductility of finished components, and the problem of joining, repairing, and recycling multi-material systems.

Magnesium is currently employed in gearboxes, steering columns, airbag housings for the driver, steering wheels, seat frames, and fuel tank covers. According to the International Magnesium Association, there has been an increasing desire to find opportunities and solutions surrounding the usage of magnesium in automobiles in recent years.

In contrast, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites can reduce component weight by nearly 60 percent. According to EERE, however, automakers only employ carbon fiber in high-performance vehicles due to the high costs of the raw material and required processing.

Is 3D Printing a Viable Option?

Once utilized exclusively for prototyping, additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is upsetting the automotive value chain and making its way into other industrial processes. AM is currently applicable to multiple processes. The automobile and aerospace industries have been the largest users of 3D printing; however, the car industry's utilization of this technology is evolving. Original Equipment Manufacturers increasingly utilize this technology. Nearly every OEM in Mexico owns a professional or industrial 3D printer.

Although adopting AM in the automobile industry is difficult due to cost concerns, it is a valuable tool amid supply chain disruptions. During assembly, additive manufacturing aids in printing all necessary components while the supply chain catches up. While 3D printing increases the cost per unit, it halts supply chains.

The potential of AM is noteworthy. According to the Society of Plastics Engineers, vehicle hulls could be 3D-printed in the future, enabling not only lighter vehicles but also a way to a future of quick customization and personalization of cars, going from unique design to computer modeling and printing in days rather than years. In the future, new companies may enter the automotive industry to produce 3D-printed automobiles that meet government safety criteria and consumer performance expectations.

More in News

For decades, the welding sector has been crucial to Canada's energy, automotive, structural steel, and aerospace industries, and has relied heavily on skilled tradespeople. However, with a declining workforce and increased global competition, Canadian fabricators are quickly adopting automation. This shift is not merely about replacing manual labor with machines; it represents a strategic move towards intelligent manufacturing systems that decouple production capacity from labor limitations. Welding automation has evolved from basic repetition to a key driver of profitability. Modern automated cells improve cost control and increase throughput, enabling Canadian facilities to pursue contracts that were once unfeasible due to cost or time limitations. By integrating robotics, collaborative systems (cobots), and adaptive sensing technologies, manufacturers are transforming the economics of metal fabrication. Strategic Cost Reduction: Mitigating Labor Gaps and Material Waste Welding automation immediately stabilizes and reduces unit costs in the Canadian market. Labor has traditionally represented 70 percent to 80 percent of manual weld costs. With skilled labor shortages now a primary challenge, automation enables manufacturers to shift this cost structure. Automated systems allow skilled welders to focus on high-value tasks such as custom fabrication or critical inspection, while robots manage repetitive, high-volume joints. This approach lowers the cost per part, even as skilled labor wages increase. Automation also reduces costs for consumables and raw materials, which are often overlooked in manual operations. Human welders, regardless of skill, tend to over-weld as a precaution, using more filler metal than required. Manual welds can be up to 20 percent larger than necessary, increasing wire and gas consumption. Automated systems, guided by CAD models, deposit only the specified amount of material, typically reducing wire use by 15 percent to 25 percent. Automation virtually eliminates the hidden costs of rework. Manual welding often results in defects such as porosity, undercuts, or inconsistent bead profiles, which require additional labor and materials to correct. Automated systems, calibrated to optimal parameters, deliver consistent quality and significantly reduce defect rates. In Canadian heavy industry, where significant structural components are standard, reducing post-weld rework saves thousands of operational hours each year and directly improves profitability. Throughput Acceleration: The Mechanics of Continuous Production While cost reduction protects margins, increasing throughput drives market share. The key metric is "arc-on time," which measures the percentage of a shift spent welding. In manual welding, arc-on time rarely exceeds 30 percent, with the rest of the change spent on part fitting, repositioning, cleaning, resting, and setup. Automation overcomes this limitation. A well-integrated robotic welding cell can achieve arc-on times above 80 percent, tripling output per station without expanding the facility. The continuous nature of automated operation facilitates this throughput surge. Robots do not experience fatigue. They maintain the same travel speed and deposition rate at the end of a shift as they do at the start. This consistency is vital for Canadian industries with tight supply chain windows, such as the automotive tier-supply network. The ability to predict production timelines with near-perfect accuracy allows manufacturers to adopt Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery models, reducing inventory holding costs and freeing up working capital. Modern automation uses multi-axis positioners that coordinate with the welding arm. These positioners hold the joint in the optimal "1F" or "2F" (flat or horizontal) position, enabling faster travel speeds and higher deposition rates than out-of-position manual welding. For example, in manufacturing pressure vessels or energy pipelines, automation allows high-deposition processes such as Tandem MIG or submerged arc welding on complex geometries, reducing cycle times by half or more compared to manual methods. Data-Driven Quality and Process Resilience Early generations of welding robots required parts to be cut and fixtured with perfect accuracy; any deviation in joint fit-up resulted in a failed weld. This rigidity was a barrier for many Canadian job shops that deal with high-mix, low-volume production, where part tolerances vary. Today, the industry is leveraging adaptive intelligence to overcome these physical inconsistencies, ensuring that throughput does not come at the expense of quality. Modern welding cells use through-arc seam tracking and laser vision systems to read joint geometry in real time, detecting variations in gap size or seam trajectory. The system dynamically adjusts the robot’s path and weaving parameters just before welding. For example, if a gap is wider than expected, the robot increases the weave amplitude to ensure a strong bond. This adaptability is transforming sectors such as agricultural equipment and structural steel, where large parts often differ only in minor dimensions. This intelligence also supports process monitoring. Automated systems now log every weld variable, including heat input, wire feed speed, and voltage, into a digital quality passport. For industries with strict regulatory requirements, such as nuclear energy or defense, this automatic traceability is invaluable. It removes the need for manual data logging and provides clients with clear proof of quality. The digital record also enables predictive maintenance by alerting operators to equipment wear or power fluctuations before they cause defects, helping prevent downtime. Welding automation in Canada has evolved from a novelty to a necessity. By addressing key cost drivers such as labor and waste, and enabling significant throughput gains, automation is now central to competitive advantage. It helps Canadian manufacturers manage a complex labor market and deliver high-quality products faster than manual processes allow. As technology advances in intelligence and adaptability, the industry must now focus on how quickly automation can be integrated to secure a strong position in global manufacturing. ...Read more
Lubrication plays a crucial role in machinery maintenance. Although the task itself may seem simple, its importance extends far beyond ensuring that moving parts operate smoothly. Proper lubrication significantly reduces friction and wear, minimizes heat generation, and provides essential protection against rust and corrosion. These benefits not only enhance machinery performance but also help prevent premature equipment failures and extend its lifespan. Reducing Friction and Wear Lubrication plays a big role in reducing friction between parts that move. Theoretically, even the best-smoothed surfaces should have microscopic roughness between them, which could cause significant friction when they come into contact. Friction impedes smooth movement, produces heat, and hastens wear on these parts. Lubrication prevents direct metal-to-metal contact by creating a very thin film between the surface of the parts that significantly reduces friction and wear. Protecting Against Rust and Corrosion Lubricants act as a crucial barrier against rust and corrosion, especially in environments where machinery parts are exposed to moisture or corrosive substances. These lubricants form a protective layer that prevents these harmful substances from coming into direct contact with metal surfaces, safeguarding the integrity of the components and significantly extending their lifespan. Companies like CA Engineering leverage advanced lubrication strategies to ensure machinery operates at peak performance, maintaining both efficiency and durability over time. Enhancing Temperature Control Heat generation is common in machinery, especially in high-speed or heavy-load applications. Lubricants help manage this heat by absorbing it and either dissipating it or transporting it to a cooling device. This temperature control prevents overheating, which can lead to equipment failure and costly repairs. USTARS Group specializes in digital transformation, offering automation solutions that enhance operational efficiency across industries like manufacturing and logistics. Improving Efficiency and Reliability Lubrication significantly enhances machinery efficiency and reliability by reducing friction, wear, and heat. Well-lubricated equipment tends to move more smoothly and consistently with a reduced likelihood of some sudden breakdowns. The reliability of performance can create productivity and avoid costly downtime. Reducing Maintenance Costs Proper lubrication can lead to substantial savings in maintenance costs. Since lubricated machinery experiences less wear and tear, the frequency of maintenance and repairs is reduced. This lowers the direct costs associated with parts and labor and minimizes the indirect costs related to operational interruptions. Selecting the Right Lubricant Choosing the appropriate lubricant for a specific application is crucial. Different machinery and operating conditions require lubricants with specific properties. Factors such as temperature, load, and speed must be considered to ensure optimal performance. Companies provide expertise and tailored solutions to help select the right lubricant for each unique situation. ...Read more
Automated handling systems are often justified by the promise of unattended machining, yet the purchasing decision is more demanding than adding a pallet changer beside a machining centre. European manufacturers must account for fluctuating order volumes, varied workpiece dimensions, limited skilled labour and growing pressure to use installed capacity beyond staffed shifts. A system that performs well only with repetitive parts may deliver little value in a plant where fixtures, cycle times and priorities change daily. The strongest systems allow production teams to prepare a mixed queue rather than automate a single component. Pallet capacity matters, but flexibility matters more. Buyers should examine whether the equipment can accommodate different pallet formats, workholding methods and load classes without frequent mechanical changes. Storage should function as a production buffer, allowing large one-off parts, grouped smaller components and urgent orders to move through the same cell. This adaptability is especially important in toolmaking, mould production and contract manufacturing, where work may range from short cycles to jobs occupying a machine for several days. Machine access deserves equal attention. Automation should extend productive hours without making inspection, adjustment or one-off work unnecessarily difficult during staffed periods. A well-designed cell preserves access to the working area, separates setup activity from automatic movement and allows pallets or fixtures to be prepared while machining continues. Buyers should also assess crane loading, setup-station ergonomics and the handling of heavy fixtures. These details influence whether the system reduces manual coordination or merely shifts it to another point in the process. “HERMLE stands out as a premier choice for manufacturers requiring this level of integration. Its HS flex handles loads up to 450 kilograms, while HS flex heavy extends capacity to 1,200 kilograms.” Control software determines whether stored work becomes a dependable production plan. Executives should look beyond basic order lists and ask how the system manages quantities, priorities, expected running time and tool demand. The software should verify that the correct pallet, zero point, setup status and required tools are available before an unattended sequence begins. It should also permit production teams to insert an urgent order or revise quantities without rebuilding the full schedule. Clear graphical controls, guided workflows and compatibility with established CNC environments reduce dependence on a single automation specialist. Integration is the final test. Mechanical handling, storage, workholding and production control must behave as one system around the machining centre. Buyers should review installation requirements, floor-space use, maintenance access and responsibility for service. A compact cell can be valuable, but only if its layout supports the plant’s actual component range and future capacity plans. Lifecycle fit should be judged against expected changes in part mix and staffing patterns. The best investment is therefore not the largest storage system. It is the configuration that keeps a varied queue moving, protects machine access and gives planners confidence that production will continue after employees leave. HERMLE [FRA:MBH3] stands out as a premier choice for manufacturers requiring this level of integration. Its HS flex handles loads up to 450 kilograms, while HS flex heavy extends capacity to 1,200 kilograms. HS flex hybrid accommodates both pallets and vises, supporting mixed workholding within one cell. HERMLE Automation Control System, HACS, manages order sequencing, quantities, tool planning and readiness checks. Combined with front-mounted storage, parallel setup and compatibility across selected HERMLE machining centres, the range offers a disciplined route to unattended high-mix production. It is particularly well suited to toolmakers, mould producers and contract manufacturers with variable schedules. ...Read more
The steel fabrication industry in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is experiencing a transformative shift driven by the convergence of digital technology, sustainability imperatives, and evolving construction demands. Advancements in automation, smart manufacturing, and eco-conscious practices are rapidly redefining the traditional methods of cutting, bending, and assembling steel. One of the most significant trends reshaping the sector is the widespread integration of digital tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) systems. These technologies enable more precise planning and execution, reducing material waste and ensuring greater structural accuracy. With the adoption of the IIoT, fabrication plants in APAC now leverage sensors and data analytics to monitor equipment health, forecast maintenance needs, and optimize production flows in real time. How Are Automation and Smart Manufacturing Leading the Way? Automation and robotics are further elevating efficiency in steel fabrication. Robotic welding arms, automated cutting machines, and programmable material handlers are becoming increasingly common in modern workshops. These technologies address long-standing labor shortages and improve safety by taking over repetitive or hazardous tasks. In particular, collaborative robots (cobots) are making it easier for smaller fabrication shops to enhance productivity without overhauling their entire operations. These machines work alongside human technicians, augmenting capabilities and improving precision while maintaining flexibility on the shop floor. Amid global pressure to decarbonize industrial processes, steel fabricators in APAC are embracing greener methods. “Green steel,” produced using hydrogen instead of traditional coal in smelting, is gaining traction. Recycling practices are also being emphasized, with many fabricators prioritizing using scrap steel to reduce environmental impact. What are the Benefits of Modular Construction and Material Innovations? With growing urban populations and a need for rapid infrastructure development, prefabrication offers faster project delivery, higher quality control, and reduced on-site labor requirements. Steel’s versatility and strength make it preferred for modular buildings, bridges, and large-scale industrial structures. As a result, fabrication companies are restructuring workflows to support off-site production and just-in-time delivery. New high-performance alloys offer improved strength-to-weight ratios and enhanced corrosion resistance, opening up new applications across the automotive, aerospace, and marine sectors. Coating technologies are evolving, too, with antimicrobial, fire-resistant, and even self-healing finishes offering longer service life and reduced maintenance costs for steel structures. These advancements improve durability and address stricter safety and hygiene requirements in various industries. Companies in the APAC region are investing in digital training platforms that use augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to train workers on complex machinery and safety protocols. These tools offer immersive, interactive learning experiences that reduce training time and improve retention. As the steel fabrication industry modernizes, companies embracing innovation while investing in people and sustainability will be best equipped to succeed in the competitive global market. ...Read more