Supporting carmakers in reducing vehicle CO2 emmissions.
Alcan Extrusions and Automotive Structures, part of Alcan Engineered Products – a business unit of Rio Tinto – has signed a multiyear contract with Robert Bosch GmbH for the delivery of aluminium high-tech aluminium profiles for the newly developed hybrid engines for the Volkswagen Touareg as well as for the Porsche Cayenne model.
”Alcan’s commitment to providing the automotive industry with leading edge solutions will support carmakers in their efforts to further reduce the weight of their vehicles ultimately resulting in reduced CO2 emissions,” said Paul Warton, President Alcan Extrusions and Automotive Structures.
Bosch as one of the leading suppliers in the automotive industry, is expecting to deliver 1.800 tons of these tolerance demanding Alcan extruded profiles in the coming seven years. The aluminium high-tech tube profiles are produced at Alcan’s Extrusions and Automotive Structures extrusion operation in Singen, Germany.
“This agreement with Bosch demonstrates how joint development with customers can deliver innovative high-performance solutions in a competitive market. It also underlines Alcan’s unrivalled R&D capabilities in Europe,” Paul Warton added.
The new hybrid concepts are based on gasoline or diesel engines which are combined with electric motors. Strong hybrid cars can be operated by using the electric motor only and thereby move locally nearly free of emissions.
The round aluminium profile of Alcan is being produced within extremely tight tolerances in the micro-meter range and integrated into the stator section of the electric engine, transmitting the torque of 300 Newton meter.
This new engineering solution helps to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and it also contributes to increasing customer demand, propelled on a worldwide scale by the development of the next generation of environmentally-friendly, fuel-efficient vehicles.
About Alcan Extrusions and Automotive Structures
Alcan Extrusions is a key player in the European market, focusing on specialty products. It supplies a variety of hard and soft alloy extrusions, including technically advanced products, to the automotive, industrial, energy, electrical and building industries, and to manufacturers of mass transport vehicles and shipbuilders It has production facilities in France, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Automotive Structures serves major automotive and transportation manufacturers with advanced technology, develops and manufactures aluminum crash management systems, front-end components, cockpit carriers and body-in-white structural components. It serves customers in Europe, North America and China with innovative and cost-effective aluminum solutions.
About Alcan Engineered Products
Alcan Engineered Products is a global sector-leader strongly committed to developing innovative, value-added aluminium products for a broad scope of markets and applications, including aerospace, mass transportation, automotive, packaging, energy and building. With around 10,000 employees located in 26 countries and a commercial presence in more than 60 markets across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region, Alcan Engineered Products is organised around businesses dedicated to performance materials in the areas of aluminium rolled products, extrusions and automotive structures, and international trade.
About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Rio Tinto’s business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.