Lightweight Aluminum Technology
OEMs are continuously searching for solutions to lower mass without compromising the application's efficiency. Our powder metallurgy (PM) lightweight technology allows for a reduction in mass and inertia, while improving wear resistance and thermal efficiency.
For us, reduction shouldn’t come at a cost. That means our technology optimizes strength at the lightest weight.
We are the one-stop solution in lightweight technology. We support automotive and industrial manufacturers to produce re-invented technology for optimized use.
Why do our partners choose PM lightweight aluminum technology?
- Our products produce weight savings of up to 60 percent in comparison to steel without compromising strength
- PM lightweight aluminum offers efficiency over steel for rotating and reciprocating mass
- Aluminum high thermal conductivity materials offer valuable cooling options
- Mandatory CO₂ emissions targets will require light-weighting solutions
The future is lightweight
The strategic combination of the market’s need for reductions in CO₂ emissions and our experience in high strength Aluminum Metal Matrix Composite (MCC) positions GKN as a leading solutions partner. Our customers require strong and resilient technology with lightweight materials and design.
The market is driven by regulatory demands for lower CO₂ emissions, leading to a steady increase in hybridization and electrification - positioning manufacturers with the need for lighter and stronger technology.
As the automotive industry moves toward electric and hybrid powertrain systems, our PM aluminum planetary carriers see a 50 percent weight reduction and a lowered rotating mass and inertia. The lightweight design of GKN’s camshaft cap solution has already reached nine global customers. We produce over 30 million pieces annually for the automotive market. The market’s future is moving electric, and the solution is light-weighting. GKN has developed high thermal conductivity aluminum heat sinks, providing existing cost-effective technology made for future cooling needs.
Reinventing lightweight components
We believe solutions shouldn’t result in a compromise. That’s why our PM lightweight technology uses advanced materials to reduce the mass and weight of products without risking the strength and wearability. We don’t force compromises, we deliver solutions.
We were the first PM lightweight aluminum manufacturer to create a cost effective Aluminum MMC material for the automotive market. As mass reductions and CO₂ emissions continue to challenge the market, lightweight aluminum will be a necessity – not an option. We are the solution.
We reinvent technology through advanced materials and designs that continue to provide lightweight, functional products for our customers to improve fuel economy and meet durability requirements.
We don’t just provide solutions for today. We create solutions for the challenges of tomorrow. The market demands efficiently packaged products, and we will continue to reinvent PM lightweight aluminum technology to meet greater-demanded requirements.
A knack for innovative solutions
Vehicle weight must decrease to achieve regulatory CO₂ emissions.Our customers need lighter components to fit decreasingly smaller vehicles. That’s where we step in.
Weight reduction is a necessity for the automotive industry. Our advanced aluminum materials that have high specific strength and replace heavy steel components. This production-proven technology is already in automotive applications, reducing CO₂.
We don’t believe in compromise. We believe in creating better technology by providing light weight products with high strength.
We use PM lightweight aluminum to replace materials like steel. Our aluminum MMCs realize mass savings of 60 percent versus steel, and improve rotational mass while satisfying mechanical properties.
Our use of PM advanced materials reduces mass without compromising the functionality of technology.
Bigger is no longer always better. By using powder metallurgical lightweight materials, our technology saves the weight of a product by 60 percent over steel. Without compromise, lightweight materials maintain strength and function.
We don’t just make products. We create them. Each customer has a different challenge, and we provide design-specific products to meet their demands.
Reducing weight happens in the design. Our in-house design process utilizes advanced computer aided engineering to create products with light-weighting features and that minimize mass.
GKN's planetary carrier assembly improves FORD's F-150's transmission performance
GKN is a leader in powder metal carrier technology, and the steel planetary carrier assembly showcases the advanced design capabilities for increased performance. The assembly is featured in Ford Motor Company’s 10-speed transmission for the F-150.
With its unique twist-lock feature on the flanged hub component, the assembly’s design reduces stress in several locations. This helped enable an improvement in the transmission’s fuel consumption.
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