Body & Chassis Structures
Roof header materials must be high in tensile strength, low in weight to lower the vehicle center of gravity, high in toughness, and integration-friendly. A commonly utilized alloy utilized is 6082 aluminum, a which delivers strength, toughness, extrudability – and that converts multiple steel stampings to an efficient, one-piece extrusion on Ford’s flagship vehicle, the F-150.
The weight savings is real, and significant: The Front (Roof) Header on the Ford F-150 delivers 2.9 kg weight savings! Extruded roof headers, bows, and rails play a key role in the protection of the passenger compartment on the F-150, which is one of the world's top-selling vehicles.
Body Chassis Performance Characteristics
- Piece cost: Multi-void sections with no welding; piece count reduction
- Tooling cost: Tooling is significantly lower cost than multiple stampings or one piece castings.
- Development time: Tooling in weeks, not months
- Corrosion resistance: Aluminum is naturally corrosion resistant. No coatings required
- Weight: Economical lightweighting
- Maintenance: Threaded hole options, flow drill screws
- Structural integrity: Strong, torsional stiffness, protect battery & powertrain
- Crash management: Efficient crush structures around perimeter and in load path
- Ease of assembly: Easy to shape & machine; weld & adhesive friendly
- Supply Chain: Robust, global supply chain for materials & extrusions
- Raw materials: Large variety of non-proprietary alloys
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