The New Range Rover - The world’s first SUV with an all-aluminium body
Novelis is the exclusive supplier of aluminium sheet for the all-new Range Rover, the world’s first SUV to feature an advanced all-aluminium body structure, delivering significantly reduced weight, improved performance and enhanced sustainability. The all-aluminium monocoque body structure is 39% lighter than the steel body in the current Range Rover, representing a weight saving of over 180kg for the body-in-white alone. The body has been engineered to withstand the same punishing off-road impacts as all Land Rovers. The optimised aluminium body structure is designed for maximum occupant protection using an incredibly strong and stable aluminium safety cell, and provides a very stiff platform for superior NVH and vehicle dynamics.
Novelis engineers have worked closely with the designers at Jaguar Land Rover, contributing its material expertise throughout the development of this first aluminum SUV, which is literally engineered from the ground up. The supplied aluminium sheet alloys create a unique material advantage for the all-new Range Rover and help to delivering significantly reduced weight, improved performance and enhanced sustainability.
Critical factors for success were two recent material innovations. The exterior body panels are made from the new alloy Anticorodal®-600 PX (Ac-600 PX). This alloy offers the robustness and quality of finish expected of a Range Rover, but with much greater formability. As an example, the entire vehicle body side is pressed as a single aluminium panel, thus reducing the amount of joints, eliminating complex assemblies and improving structural integrity. An automotive first is the use of Anticorodal®-300 T61 (Ac-300 T61) in a number of crash-sensitive areas in the vehicle, including the longitudinal beam. This high-strength material has been developed for applications in the crash structure to provide an optimised crash pulse and minimum intrusion into the safety cell.
Side panel of new Range Rover exhibited at “Aluminium 2012” (Anticorodal® 170 PX, 1.1 mm gauge, 7.3kg)
The new Range Rover’s lightweight aluminium construction makes a major contribution to its reduced carbon footprint due to the resulting fuel savings in the service phase. All the process scrap from the panel manufacturing process is recycled in a closed-loop system by Novelis into new aluminium car body sheets. Further energy is saved during the assembly of the aluminium body which does not require highly energy intensive processes like welding, but relies on adhesive bonding and self-piercing riveting.
More info: www.novelis.com