T


he liftgate closure inner casting for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifi ca is a


he liftgate closure inner


collaboration between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Meridian Lightweight Technologies and T ai Summit America Corp., and represents the fi rst high-volume magnesium appli- cation 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 reinforce-


ment to reduce the weight of the


ment 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 mate- rial in automotive design to help improve fuel economy. The 2017 Pacifica is a new minivan creation from Chrysler, replacing its tradi- tional Town & Country. Rather than a variation of the existing minivan,


the Pacifica was reengineered as a


the P cifica 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 advanced minivan, which offers bold styling, class-leading ride and han- dling, and unmatched fuel economy, with the Pacifica Hybrid delivering


May 2016 MODERN CASTING | 25


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