T
he liftgate closure inner casting for the 2017 Chr s-
he liftgate closure inner casting for the 2017 Chrys- ler Pacifi ca is a collaboration between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Meridian Lightweight Technologies and T ai Summit America Corp., and represents the fi rst high-volume magnesium application of its kind in the automotive industry. T e casting forms part of a four-piece assembly with aluminum sheet upper and lower outers and aluminum stamping wiper
reinforcement to reduce the weight of the entire assembly by more than 22 lbs. (10 kg)—nearly a 50% reduction over the previous generation design. The Pacifica’s liftgate is one of the most recent examples of the growing use of lightweight material in automotive design to help improve fuel econo- my. The 2017 Pacifica is a new minivan creation from Chrysler, replacing its traditional Town & Country. Rather than a variation of the existing minivan, the Pacifica was reengineered as a new product within the minivan segment and features a new platform and body structure. It weighs 250 lbs. (113 kg) less than the Town & Country; the total liftgate assembly accounts for 22 of those lost pounds. “We started from the ground up to design the most technologically ad-
22 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | May/Jun 2016
vanced minivan, which offers bold styling, class-leading ride and han- dling, and unmatched fuel economy, with the Pacifica Hybrid delivering
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www.metalcastingdesign.com.
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