Valley City, OH - Lightweighting, noise, and vibration solutions supplier Shiloh Industries (NASDAQ: SHLO) revealed the industry's lightest aluminum door blank for mass production without compromising part integrity or formability. This breakthrough allows automakers to further reduce mass compared to existing methods.
"This advancement is the result of combining our expertise in aluminum, our laser welding proficiency, and our commitment to lightweighting by providing innovative solutions to our customers," said Ramzi Hermiz, Shiloh president and CEO. "Our new proprietary laser welding process overcomes the current challenges with weld integrity and offers the perfect solution for OEMs utilizing or considering aluminum in their vehicle portfolio."
This innovation provides automakers a significant weight saving compared to traditional methods—even lightweighting existing aluminum components. As an example, four aluminum, single-piece (monolithic) door-inner blanks of similar geometry weigh 35.5 lb, whereas Shiloh's aluminum laser-welded door-inner blanks weigh 26.8 lb—a reduction of nearly nine pounds or 25 percent per vehicle. Furthermore, carmakers switching from steel monolithic blanks to aluminum laser-welded blanks save nearly 58 pounds per vehicle. The Environmental Protection Agency states that even small weight savings directly equates to improved overall fuel economy.
Shiloh is able to deliver lightweighting solutions in steel, steel alloys, aluminum, and magnesium.
"Aluminum laser welding is the latest example of Shiloh's focus on delivering lightweighting solutions without compromising safety, strength, or noise and vibration," added Hermiz.