designs of its future 2013 release. Other weight-reduction studies have been conducted on cars that are one or two generations old because the OEM is uncomfortable releasing the current or advanced vehicle engineering details. In this case, Magna and Ford started with an advanced design associated with a 2013 model year vehicle, comprised of the most current materials and manu- facturing processing available. T e partners established a goal
of reducing the vehicle mass to that of the Ford Fiesta, while maintain- ing occupant safety and performance characteristics of the baseline Fusion vehicle. T is would enable the use of the smaller three cylinder 1.0 liter EcoBoost engine used in the Fiesta. Reducing the engine size would further reduce weight and also equate to a reduction in fuel consumption. In total, the MMLV weighed 800 lbs. (364kg) less than the baseline 2013 Ford Fusion. “T e message was, if you go for a
weight reduction, you have to go for suffi cient quantity to enable use of a downsized engine,” Skszek said. “Forty percent of the fuel reduction and environmental benefi ts of the program are due to primary mass reduction, but 60% is associated with the ability to downsize the engine while maintaining the vehicle performance.” To meet the weight reduction goal, Magna and Ford designed a bimetal- lic body-in-white (BIW) that was 65% aluminum and 35% steel. T e MMLV BIW, Closure panels and Chassis subsys- tems are comprised of aluminum extru- sions, die castings and stampings along with stamped steel fabrications. T e baseline Fusion BIW was 100% steel. In the MMLV, steel was placed in areas where requirements for energy
While Magna International concentrated on weight savings in the vehicle structure, Ford engineers focused on the powertrain, wheels, brakes and interior features such as seating, the instrument panel and windows. For instance, Ford used a different type of glass that weighed less than the traditional material used.
absorption for side impact, roof crush- ing and frontal impact protection were high. Aluminum was placed around the steel—such as in the major panels, which were not structural. For areas that were structural, Magna utilized aluminum high pressure vacuum die castings “Aluminum castings were integral to the design, and they were strategically placed for both stiff ness and strength requirements,” said Jeff Conklin, engi- neering department manager, Cosma International, the metalforming division
of Magna. “If we had used other pro- cesses, we wouldn’t have the stiff ness and the weight reduction wouldn’t have been as signifi cant.”
One of the objectives of the
MMLV was that it would meet the same fi ve-star occupant safety ratings as the consumer version of the Ford Fusion. T e actual MMLV concept car was physically put through a limited number of front impact safety tests from the U.S. New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and passed them without trouble .
Castings’ Role T e MMLV lightweight body
All parts were subjected to 100% X-ray and inspected to ASTM E505 and E155 standard radiographic reference. Shown is the X-ray example for the Shock Tower casting.
features eight aluminum castings that were produced via high pressure vacuum diecasting. T e use of high pressure vacuum diecasting is unique for high volume automotive produc- tion, but the process allowed engineers to design castings for structural areas of the vehicle.
September 2015 MODERN CASTING | 29
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