The Most Common Materials Used To Build Our Cars
Have you ever wondered just what materials make up your car? What materials were actually utilized to create it, not how fast and hard it can be driven on a race track or what its true off-road limits are. The components of modern cars, such as the engines, transmissions, seats, HVAC systems, and so forth, are frequently discussed. But we seldom really stop to consider the various pieces of raw materials that are used in the production of these products in the motor industry. Iron, aluminum, plastic steel, glass, rubber, petroleum products, copper, steel, and many other materials are used by the automotive industry to construct automobiles.
These components are needed to build anything from the minute, unnoticed details like wiring and dashboard needles to the large components like the engine block or gearbox gears. Over the years, these materials have undergone significant development, becoming more advanced, better constructed, and safer. They have evolved as more cutting-edge methods of using them have been developed throughout time in the automotive manufacturing industry. We'll talk about five of the materials most frequently utilized in the production of automobiles in this post. We'll start by examining the factor that contributes to the weight of autos.
Glass
If you can't see out of a car, what good is it? Glass is one of the unsung heroes of the automotive industry, along with rubber. It is also closely related to the auto sector; when automakers' sales decline significantly, jobs at glass factories also disappear. Your car uses glass in a lot of places. It goes without saying that its major purpose is to make windshields so you can see well while staying protected from any flying items. In order to improve your ability to see what is around you while driving, it is also utilized to make rear-view and side-view mirrors. Additionally, its cousin fiberglass is frequently employed in the production of automobiles as an insulating material. However, as technology develops, glass is also being employed to build more cutting-edge components for automobiles. In order to give drivers a clearer perspective of what is behind them, it can be used to make back-up camera lenses and navigation screens.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a relative newcomer to the auto production industry. Due to its toughness and lightweight, it is being used more and more in the automotive industry. In most contemporary automobiles, aluminum components took up roughly 9% of the weight in 2009 as opposed to 5% in 1990 and 2% in 1970. Aluminum can be used to make body panels for a lighter, more performance-oriented vehicles in the automotive industry. Many supercars, notably the hot Audi R8, have been built out of aluminum since the Acura NSX in the early 1990s. A lot of the time, wheels are manufactured of aluminum.
Steel
Steel makes up the majority of the weight in modern automobiles. For instance, in 2007, the typical automobile consumed 2,400 pounds of steel, and the typical pickup or SUV used almost 3,000 pounds. Think about how much steel is used when most vehicles nowadays weigh around 3,000 pounds and most SUVs weigh around 4,000 pounds. The chassis or cage that comprises the vehicle's skeleton and safeguards you in the case of a collision is built into cars using steel. The majority of modern cars are constructed of steel, including door frames, roofs, and even body panels. In order to accommodate the engine or other parts, steel is also employed in a number of other places throughout the body. The ability to produce different types of steel that are stiff or may crumple to absorb different blows is now possible because to the advancements in steel fabrication. You may drive more safely thanks to these advancements in car production.
Rubber
What feature does every car share in common? If anyone of them is going to move around, they all need tires. People frequently take tires for granted, despite the fact that they are one of the most important components of any vehicle. This is where rubber's significance in the production of automobiles is relevant. The rubber sector is driven by the automotive industry because tires account for around 75% of the natural rubber produced worldwide. A rubber tire can improve fuel efficiency and road safety by preventing the remainder of the wheel and its internal components from breaking down.
Plastic
The next time you're in your automobile, think of one word—plastics—like Dustin Hoffman's character in "The Graduate." Plastics are being used in the manufacture of cars in enormous quantities. Currently, they account for around 50% of the materials used to build new cars. It's not surprising considering how versatile, affordable, and long-lasting plastics are. Different types of plastic are used to create your dashboard, gauges, dials, switches, air conditioner vents, door handles, floor mats, seat belts, and airbags, among many other components. Numerous minor components inside the engine, such the grip on the oil dipstick, are made of plastic in addition to the sections of the dashboard. Plastics are being employed more and more in vehicle manufacturing body structures and engines due to their reduced weight.
