Abstract Scope |
Attractive specific strength and fatigue properties, excellent machinability, and good dimensional tolerances in casting and forging of magnesium captured the attention of automotive companies as a potential candidate for weight reduction. Lots of progress was made during past two decades in weight saving from 10% to 70% per part when original steel and/or aluminum parts were replaced with magnesium.
Strong basal texture of wrought magnesium alloys limits active slip systems at room temperature. Activation of prismatic and pyramidal slip systems at temperatures above 225C, however, enables forming. Leveraging the hot temperature forming and fatigue properties, magnesium suspension parts manufactured through forging became the focus of a large-scale research and development project led by the University of Waterloo in collaboration with Multimatic, Canmet, Ford, and Centreline. The successful design, manufacturing, and testing of front lower arm suspension of a car with 37% weight saving is presented in this plenary talk. |