Innovative AI to Revolutionize Aston Martin with Recycled Aluminum Technology
AI Pioneers Sustainable Automotive Design
A groundbreaking AI research project is happening right now in the Midlands, UK, aiming to make automotive and aerospace cast components from 100% recycled aluminum. This initiative is led by Coventry-based casting firm Sarginsons Industries, with luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin as one of its research partners.
Performance Integrated Vehicle Optimization Technology (PIVOT)
The project, dubbed Performance Integrated Vehicle Optimization Technology (PIVOT), has snagged a $6.72 million matched grant from the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK. Altair, a significant player in computational intelligence, has teamed up with Sarginsons to develop software that uses AI to produce organic designs for some chassis parts for an existing Aston Martin model.
- This software will bring in a super automated simulation-driven design process for the new components.
- It significantly speeds up production while cutting down development costs.
The AI software is crucial for creating parts that are stronger yet lighter. By simulating how the part behaves under mechanical conditions, it determines the best way to position the material.
Greener Future with Recycled Aluminum
The PIVOT project aspires to prove that a vehicle's chassis can be up to 30% lighter without sacrificing mechanical strength. This advancement means new cars not only become lighter but also enjoy a longer driving range. Furthermore, the research dives into making aluminum sourcing eco-friendlier by utilizing fully recycled aluminum for enhanced strength.
- Currently, all structural parts in vehicles are made from primary, high-carbon, un-recycled materials.
- The PIVOT project aims to change this by reinforcing recycled aluminum with trace concentrations of key alloying elements.
This could lower the carbon content in a typical car's aluminum-cast components by up to 95% while improving ductility for crash safety. This initiative supports the Advanced Propulsion Centre's ambition towards a net-zero automotive industry.
Sarginsons has allied with Brunel University and metal recycling experts, GESCRAP, to establish grain structure refinement techniques to address impurities in recycled aluminum. Moreover, the research intends to create a UK-based recycling network for secondary aluminum, significantly reducing reliance on limited primary aluminum sources, thus offering a smaller carbon footprint for future vehicles.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.