Novelis launches new automotive aluminium alloy

Novelis Inc. has unveiled its strongest automotive aluminium alloy to date – Advanz 7UHS-s701.

The ultra-high-strength aluminium alloy is now available commercially to the global automotive industry. The product offers lightweighting potential of up to 40 % over existing ultra-high strength, hot-formed steel solutions. It is designed for safety-critical structural applications in passenger cars that require high in-service strengths such as A and B pillar reinforcements and side impact door beams. Commercial and electric vehicles will also benefit from using this material, as it offers mass reduction to enable increased payload and longer battery range, while still meeting all crash, loading and overall design requirements.

“The s701 technology represents the future of high-strength material in automotive applications and offers a clear alternative to the most advanced high-strength steel products,” said Philippe Meyer, chief technician at Novelis. “Aluminium is already the material of choice for lightweighting, and now we are offering a solution that helps automakers design even safer, lighter and better performing vehicles.”

Novelis will leverage its knowledge and expertise in the aerospace industry to manufacture 7UHS-s701. To enable rapid adoption of this advanced alloy, Novelis Customer Solution Centre (CSC) network has expertise to engage with automotive engineers on how to best incorporate this material on new development projects. The CSC teams have invested considerable time and resources to demonstrate the material’s capabilities, as well as the value it delivers while addressing any potential implementation questions from OEMs.

Advanz 7UHS-s701 allows downgauging in applications which already use aluminium and offers further lightweighting possibilities. The material’s targeted use in age-hardened tempers means it does not age, giving it an indefinite shelf life and providing automakers significant supply chain flexibility.

Critically important to automotive designers and engineers, the alloy is compatible with hot stamping processes. In fact, Novelis is actively working with hot stampers and technology partners, such as Telos Global, to further facilitate rapid aluminium adoption. Telos specializes in conception, design, training and manufacturing associated with high-quality press hardened steel and aluminium stampings, tooling, and related thermal and production equipment.

“We have been co-developing targeted hot formed application solutions using Advanz 7UHS-s701 for some time now, delivering greater economic value through increased levels of mass reduction while meeting critical safety requirements,” said Rick Teague, CEO of Telos Global. “Launching this product into the market will now give automakers even more flexibility to engineer highly efficient, multi-material structures.”

The 7UHS-s701 material allows scrap collected from the manufacturing process to be fed into a closed loop recycling system for reforming into the same products from which it was derived. As a result, Novelis and its customers maximize product value while minimizing environmental impact through reduced CO₂ emissions and transport costs.