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The new BMW 7 Series saloon, which made its debut in November 2008, with a host of "world firsts," cruises out of showrooms with lightweight door components made from a unique aluminium product called Novelis Fusion™. This is the first automotive application of this innovative, multi-layered product, which Novelis has dubbed "The new aluminium™."
Novelis is the major supplier of aluminium sheet for the 7 Series, which features extensive use of the material in conventional form for the roof, doors, bonnet, side panels and some structural reinforcements. The use of aluminium helps reduce vehicle weight, providing better handling, performance and fuel economy, the car company says.
Novelis Fusion is a proprietary Novelis technology for producing aluminium sheet with two or three layers of different aluminium alloys. Using this new material, BMW can manufacture one-piece door "inners," with integral window frames, to a design that is not achievable with conventional aluminium sheet. This was made possible thanks to the unique combinations of core properties and surface characteristics that Novelis Fusion can provide. The alloy combination used by BMW delivers both a high degree of formability and superior corrosion resistance - a combination that was not previously available.
"Novelis Fusion literally opens the door to new applications for aluminium," says Roland Harings, vice president, Global Novelis Fusion business. "We are delighted that BMW has included it as part of a package of innovative technologies for the 7 Series that will set new automotive benchmarks. We have worked with BMW from a very early stage on this project, which will be a trend-setter for future models."
BMW is the first automotive company to use Novelis Fusion in volume production. Several other automakers are testing the material or have already committed to its use.
For more information on Novelis Fusion, please visit www.the-new-aluminium.com.
