EXTERIOR – n-fab
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Materials Used in Car Exteriors
The choice of types of materials used in car exteriors depends on several factors. The weight, safety, cost, recyclability and life cycle of the material are considered before it is selected. The following are the materials used in car exteriors.
Steel
Steel is the most common material used in car bodies due to its thermal, chemical and mechanical resistance. It is easy to manufacture and also durable. Modern steel is more stiff, light and robust making it a top choice. Currently, high-strength, low-alloy steels are being used because of their effectiveness. The main reason for using steel in car exteriors is its ability to absorb impact energy during crashes.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a very light material and therefore using it car bodies reduces the weight of the car. It also has high impact and low density energy absorption. It is resistant to corrosion and has good strength. The main disadvantage of aluminum is its cost and price instability.
Magnesium
Magnesium is commonly used in automotive engineering because it’s a lighter material. The main advantage of its usability is its fast durability, solidification, and better manufacturability. Despite having the physical/mechanical disadvantage that requires advanced design to be applied in automotive, the lower creep, tensile, and fatigue strength enhances the suitability of this material. Consequently, the hardness and modulus of magnesium alloys are much lower while the thermal expansion has a higher coefficient.
Advance composite material
A composite material is made up of reinforced fiber that is significant in the automotive industry. Perhaps it acts as a weight saver due to low density. The design employed ensures that it optimizes the material usage by providing fiber that withstands the stress.
Glass-fiber composites
The lighter characteristic feature of these materials makes it efficient in shaping and rust-proofing. The production cost of small quantities is arbitrarily low. Thus, glass fiber is mostly used in manufacturing sports cars. The type of materials used in car exteriors should be durable, safe and affordable.