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| Some materials have long been used to build automobiles, but some new ones are also gaining ground in the industry. |
Top 5 Materials Used in Auto Manufacturing
BY PATRICK E. GEORGE
Have you ever
wondered exactly what your car is made of?
No, not how hard and
fast it can be pushed on a race track, or what its limits off-road really are
-- but what materials are actually used to build it.
We hear a lot about
the parts that make up our cars, such as engines, transmissions, seats, HVAC
systems, and so on.
But we never really give much thought to the bits and pieces of raw materials that are used in auto manufacturing to create these things.
The car industry uses
a tremendous number of materials to build cars, including iron, aluminum,
plastic steel, glass, rubber, petroleum products, copper, steel and others.
These parts are used
to create everything from those small things we don't think about, such as
dashboard needles and wiring, to the big stuff, such as the engine block or the
transmission gears.
These materials have
evolved greatly over the decades, becoming more sophisticated, better built,
and safer.
They've changed as
new automotive manufacturing technologies have emerged over the years, and
they're used in increasingly innovative ways.
In this article,
we'll discuss five of the materials used most in automotive manufacturing. Up
first, we'll take a look at the one that makes automobiles so heavy.
5: Steel
On modern cars, most
of the weight comes from steel.
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| Steel is used to build the car's underlying frame of support. |
In 2007, for example,
the average car contained 2,400 pounds (1,090 kilograms) of steel, and the
average pickup truck or SUV used nearly 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms).
Consider that most
cars now weigh around 3,000 pounds, and most SUVs weigh around 4,000 pounds
(1,810 kilograms) -- that's a lot of steel!
In cars, steel is
used to create the underlying chassis or cage beneath the body that forms the
skeleton of the vehicle and protects you in the event of a crash.
Door beams, roofs and
even body panels created during auto manufacturing are made of steel on most
cars today.
Steel is also used in
a variety of areas throughout the body to accommodate the engine or other
parts.
Exhausts are often
made from stainless steel, for example.
Steel manufacturing
has evolved greatly, so carmakers these days can make different types of steel
for different areas of the vehicle that are rigid or that can crumple to absorb
different impacts.
These innovations in
automotive manufacturing help keep you safe on the road.
4: Plastic
The next time you're
sitting inside your car, do like Dustin Hoffman's character did in "The
Graduate" and think of one word: Plastics.
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| Many parts of the dashboard, including gauges and dials, are created from plastic. |
Today's cars now use
tremendous amounts of plastics in auto manufacturing.
They make up about 50
percent of the construction of new cars.
It's not surprising
because plastics are durable, cheap to make and can be turned into just about
anything.
Your dashboard,
gauges, dials, switches, air conditioner vents, door handles, floor mats, seat
belts, airbags and many other parts are all made from different types of
plastics.
In addition to the
dashboard parts, many of the tiny parts inside the engine, such as the handle
on the oil dipstick, are also made of plastic.
Because of their
lightweight nature, plastics are being increasingly used in body structures and
in engines during automotive manufacturing.
3: Aluminum
In the world of auto
manufacturing, aluminum is kind of the new kid on the block.
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| Aluminum is used to make parts such as wheels and hubcaps. |
It's being used
increasingly in the car world for its lightweight but tough nature.
In 2009, aluminum
components made up about 9 percent of the weight in most modern vehicles,
compared with about 5 percent in 1990 and just 2 percent in 1970.
Aluminum can be used
in automotive manufacturing to create body panels for a lighter, more
performance-oriented vehicle.
Starting with the
Acura NSX in the early 1990s, many supercars have been constructed out of
aluminum, including the white-hot Audi R8.
Wheels are also often
made out of aluminum.
In addition, more
automakers are switching from traditional iron blocks for engines to aluminum
construction.
It tends to be not
quite as durable as iron, but its lighter weight means a big boost in
performance.
2: Rubber
What's the one thing
all automobiles have in common? They all need tires if they're going to get
around.
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| Tires, in addition to several other car parts, are made from rubber. |
Tires are one of
those parts people tend to take for granted, but they're one of the most vital
parts of any vehicle. This is where the importance of rubber comes into play in
auto manufacturing.
Automotive
manufacturing is the driving force of the rubber industry, as about 75 percent
of the world's natural rubber production is used to make tires for vehicles.
The rubber tire
protects the rest of the wheel and its internal parts from wearing down, which
can be good for fuel mileage and road safety.
In addition to the
all-important tires, parts such as wiper blades, engine mounts, seals, hoses
and belts are also made from rubber.
As with plastic, it's
a very durable, cheap and flexible material that has a wide array of uses in
automobiles.
1: Glass
What good is a car if
you can't see out of it? As with rubber, glass is one of the unsung heroes of
automotive manufacturing.
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| Glass is used for windshields to protect passengers from the elements and potential flying objects. |
It's also heavily linked to the auto industry -- when business drops greatly for automakers, glass manufacturers also experience job losses.
Glass is used in many
areas of your car. Obviously, its primary use is to create windshields so you
can see properly while remaining safe from any airborne objects.
It's also used to
create rear and side-view mirrors to boost your view of what's around you while
driving.
In addition, its
cousin fiberglass is also commonly used in auto manufacturing as an insulation
material on cars.
However, as
technology advances, glass is also being used to create more innovative parts
on cars.
For example, it can
be used to create navigation screens and lenses for back-up cameras to allow
drivers to have an even better view of what's behind them.
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