The use of aluminum in modern cars began in the early 1970s, when under the pressure of the oil crisis, car manufacturers around the world began to reduce the weight of cars in order to achieve the lowest possible fuel consumption. The first applications of larger volumes were radiators, engine blocks and wheels. Meanwhile, in Europe, the average amount of consumed aluminum has continued to increase, reaching an average of 180 kg per car. Aluminum castings, forgings, sheets and extruded parts are used for a large number of car parts, including car bodies, chassis, suspensions, wheels and many others. The use of aluminum is also important for hybrid and battery electric cars. Due to the threat of global warming due to the greenhouse effect, it is very important to reduce the weight of the car by using aluminum, and thus fuel consumption.This paper explains why, now more than ever, ve- hicle weight reduction is necessary and how aluminum can be used to further improve the sustainability and safety of future generations of cars. Special attention is given to the use of aluminum for car wheels, which represent almost 15% of the average aluminum content in passenger cars.
The availability of real-time data on the state of railway facilities and the state-of-the art technologies for data collection and analysis allow transition to the fourth generation maintenance. It is based on the prediction of the facility functional safety and dependability and the risk-oriented facility management. The article describes an approach to assessing the risks of hazardous facility failures using the latest digital data processing methods. The implementation of this approach will help set maintenance objectives and contribute to the efficient use of resources and the reduction of railway facility managers’ expenditures.
The use of aluminum in modern cars began in the early 1970s, when under the pressure of the oil crisis, car manufacturers around the world began to reduce the weight of cars in order to achieve the lowest possible fuel consumption. The first applications of larger volumes were radiators, engine blocks and wheels. Meanwhile, in Europe, the average amount of consumed aluminum has continued to increase, reaching an average of 180 kg per car. Aluminum castings, forgings, sheets and extruded parts are used for a large number of car parts, including car bodies, chassis, suspensions, wheels and many others. The use of aluminum is also important for hybrid and battery electric cars. Due to the threat of global warming due to the greenhouse effect, it is very important to reduce the weight of the car by using aluminum, and thus fuel consumption.This paper explains why, now more than ever, ve- hicle weight reduction is necessary and how aluminum can be used to further improve the sustainability and safety of future generations of cars. Special attention is given to the use of aluminum for car wheels, which represent almost 15% of the average aluminum content in passenger cars.
