Fords Revolutionary 2014 F150 Pickup

First the first time ever a motor vehicle manufacturer is using a nearly all Aluminum metal body in one of its pickup trucks, why you ask?

In 2010 President Obama introduced new tough fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles, which meant that they needed to start reducing gasoline consumption per mile traveled. This is exactly what ford managed to do, by switching from Aluminum to steel Ford shaved 700pounds off the weight of the vehicle which is roughly 15%. So what effect did this have on petrol consumption? Reducing the weight so dramatically has reduced combined urban and highway consumption to 17 miles per gallon which is more than 25%.

This lighter body also opens up the doors to more potential fuel savings. As the vehicle is lighter it no longer requires the same heavy hitting 3.5L V6 engine so by replacing this with a more economical motor will further increase this vehicles potential to save fuel which is important as efficiency regulations are incrementally ramped up past 2020. Further more if other technologies such as auto stop/start and hybrid engines are installed this can be further maximized.

With the F150 being fords most profitable vehicle worldwide this is also somewhat of a gamble for Ford to be making, given that aluminum has somewhat of a reputation for being weak- after all it is the basis of kitchen foil, right? Wrong! When aluminum is combined with small amounts of other metals to form and alloy it is actually just as strong as steel. So in an industry already struggling this could put Ford in a strategically beneficial position or isolate ignorant consumers.

As a world leader, Shanghai Metal Corporation (SMC) offers Aluminum in various type and size with offices and subsidiaries located throughout  Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. More information on aluminum can be found on our website here. Be sure to join the conversation in our LinkedIn group, Facebook, Twitter & Tumblr. You can also scan the QR code below with your smart device to connect with us on these platforms.

 

Dominick F.//SMC Editor

Adapted from: The Wall Street Journal, M. Ramsey July 26 2013

Sources: The Wall Street Journal; ExtremeTech; Lesgrenoules

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Steel for automotive industry

Steel is a very important material in the automobile industry. On average, each car is made 65% from steel. Why? because steel is the strongest, most affordable material which is possible to engineer in different ways. Its characteristics help engineers to construct the car in a way that it meets the needs of crash safety and required performance of the vehicle.

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers own product line especially designed for the automotive.

Body and Closures Parts:

SMC offers automotive steels in a wide range of specifications and steel materials to help you make high-performance and lightweight vehicles. We deliver the optimum steels yet eco-efficiency in structural and safety performance. To meet our customers’ requirements, we place special emphasis on Class A surface finish.

Steels for Body and Closure Parts:

Cold Rolled Steel,  Hot Rolled Steel,  Galvanized Steel & Glavalume – Vehicle body panel, quarter panel and control panel.

Components 

Our metals can be used in a multitude of automotive parts, such as guide rail, fuse, wheel hub and cylinder head gasket. We ensure high standards of safety and environmental performance as always.

Steels for Components:

Aluminum Profile – Guide Rail & wheel hub
Zinc Strip – fuse
Stainless Steel Strip – cylinder head gasket

Seating and Interior

We guarantee passengers safety and comfort without compromising vehicle performance. We offer a wide range of metal products for seating and interior structural components.

Steels for Seating and Interior:

Spring Steel Strip – Belt
Zinc Strip – fuse

 

Powertrain 

Powertrain system plays an important role in the whole automobile. Our fine craftsmanship helps enhanced environmental performance and reduce the total cost of ownership.

Steels for Powertrain:

Silicon Steel – Powertrain

Written by:

Jovelle W. // SMC Editor

International Trade and Marketing Specialist

Steel: A Key Driver of The World’s Economy

As the world economy is constantly evolving, our demand for material goods increases along the way.  Steel, the recycled material is one of the top products in the manufacturing sector of the world.  It is a leading supplier in industries such as automotive, construction, transport, power and machine goods.

The steel industry is a booming industry due to the increasing demand of development projects around the world.  The increasing need of steel in developing countries for its infrastructural projects and real estate projects has pushed the companies in this industry near their operative capacity, thus creating strong financial condition in the last decade.

The main demand of steel industries comes from the construction industry.  With developmental works on the rise in both developed and developing countries, the rise of housing and construction sector is the largest consumer of steel today, using around 50% of world steel production.  

The automotive industry is quickly rising as a potential demand for steel industries because the use of steel in vehicles cause the weight of the same to lesson by almost twenty five percent of the material.  On the technological front, steel is making a rapid improvement with the implementation of cutting-edge technologies.  As we see economies grow around the world, we also see that steel is a key driver of the world’s economy.  Click here to visit Shanghai Metal Corporation’s website.

Steel industry in the global market:

• Asian countries have dominated the production of steel in the last twenty years.
• India is also among the one of the fastest growing economies in the world and has been considered to be a potential global steel hub.
• India, Brazil, South Korea, and Turkey are poised for future production growth and all have entered the top ten producers list in the past 40 years.