Speaking of lightweight technology, we must not be unfamiliar, as one of the core technologies of new energy vehicles, it is the only way to achieve energy-saving emission reduction, green development and promote win-win automotive industry has now become a new energy vehicle manufacturing Business 'match point'.
Lightweight is the trend
In fact, in terms of new energy vehicles, of which a single component - the weight of power batteries up to hundreds of kilograms, we can imagine the weight of the vehicle at least over tons of foreign relevant research shows that if the vehicle weight is reduced 10%, energy efficiency can be increased by 6% -8%, we can see that it is significant in reducing energy consumption, reduce emissions, increase power battery life mileage and so on.
In recent years, China has promulgated a number of policies and environmental standards to promote the development of new energy vehicles, and gradually promote the process of lightweight automotive materials .In September 2017, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Finance and other agencies announced the "passenger car Enterprise average fuel consumption and new energy vehicles points parallel management approach ", but also for the development of new energy vehicles in the injection of a boost.It is expected by 2020, the demand for lightweight vehicles will become increasingly prominent.
Icon: Lightweight goal
As we all know, energy consumption, exhaust pollution and short driving range is a "pain point" for new energy vehicles. For manufacturers, in order to better meet the market demand, the popularization of lightweight technology has become imminent.
Want to eventually achieve the car lightweight, the industry concluded that three ways:
First, the application of high-strength and lightweight materials (means), such as high-strength steel, ultra-high strength steel, aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, engineering plastics and fiber reinforced composites, etc. From the technical point of view, carbon fiber composites, Alloy, advanced high-strength steel is the three directions to explore the current car prices, the three kinds of materials to replace the current mainstream material of low carbon steel, respectively, 60%, 40%, 25%.
Icon: Global demand for light-weight materials (million tons)
Second, to optimize the lightweight design of body structure (precondition), structural optimization and CAD / CAE optimization of structural design to reduce useless materials, reduce wall thickness, reduce the number of components, such as: modular integrated design , Structural topology optimization.
Pictured: Automotive exterior parts made of plastic and steel lightweight plastic optimization technology can achieve a cumulative weight loss of more than 60Kg bike results
Third, the use of advanced manufacturing technology (support), such as laser welding, roll forming (advanced molding technology to ensure the safety of the vehicle structure), high-strength steel thermoforming, high pressure forming and other advanced manufacturing technologies, Structural adhesive and dissimilar materials riveting and other advanced connection technology.
Help enterprises 'internal and external'
Car manufacturers in the specific implementation of lightweight technology in the process, we must do to reduce the weight of parts, but can not reduce the strength of parts, and strive to make the new energy vehicles 'internally and externally'.
Volvo announced in 2016 that the lightweight electric vehicle batteries into the practical test phase, the relevant responsible person in an interview with the electric vehicle resource network, said, 'If the current electric car batteries are all replaced by new lightweight materials, can reduce the weight More than 15%, in addition, the material costs are lower and more environmentally friendly.
Icon: Volvo auto parts lightweight
It is true that there is a big gap in the field of power battery lightweighting in China. However, manufacturers led by such leading companies as Changan Automobile and Beiqi New Energy have also made efforts in lightweight materials and lightweight structural design.
In mid-December, Beiqi New Energy selected a joint venture with Beijng New Energy Dresden Lightweight Technology Center through a joint venture with the world's leading lightweight technical team (Fellbach Group of Fellows) to integrate multi-material lightweight vehicles, carbon fiber composite materials Key body, chassis parts and other areas of joint research and development and plans to achieve the first batch of project technical achievements in 2018. The Geely Group in the aluminum alloy, plastic and lightweight structure design has reached or approached the level of automobile companies in Europe and the United States .It has been in the body, chassis, powertrain, transmission systems and other aspects of a lightweight upgrade and exploration.Such as composite outer cover has begun to use SMC materials, honeycomb composite materials and other materials, the internal responsible person said, 'Geely in the future will be further explored in the field of carbon fiber composites'.
Chery Automobile is also mass-optimized for the structural optimization of lightweight materials and lightweighting technology. Three-quarters of its bodywork materials are made from a wide range of high strength steels and are used in connection technology, laser welding, roll forming, thermoforming It is worth mentioning that, Chery's lightweight technology to promote the application of a key step is to establish a weight engineering system, set the product weight target.
Changan Automobile also said, 'We have entered the light-weight technology transformation and application stage, and set a goal: the main models by 2020, the average weight loss of 50kg'. In addition, the domestic auto companies and aluminum-magnesium light metal closer and closer cooperation, car lightweight Through the application of aluminum-magnesium light metal process is further accelerated.According to the electric car resource network, Wei to pure electric SUV-ES8 aluminum rate as high as 96.4%, the body made of 7003 aluminum alloy material, chassis, suspension, wheels, brake system and Battery packs are also made of aluminum alloy material to become the world's mass production of aluminum alloy aluminum alloy body parts in the highest proportion of applications, leading the world aluminum car level rate.
At the same time, Wei to pure electric SUV-ES8 dashboard skeleton and front-end module frame using magnesium alloy die-casting parts. Undoubtedly, Wei to pure electric SUV-ES8 become China's own brand cars lightweight outstanding models in policy and market environment Under the dual support of the new energy vehicle manufacturing enterprises need to seize the opportunity to continuously improve their own core competitiveness and strengthen cooperation with upstream materials companies to promote consumer acceptance of new energy vehicles and reduce vehicle weight for the effort All in all, light-weight technology is still evolving, and companies have a long way to go.