Have you ever thought about what the car you drive is made of? It’s not about how tough and fast it could be conducted on a race track or what its limits off-road actually are, but what are the actual materials utilized to construct it.
We hear a lot about the various components of our vehicles, like engines, transmissions, seats, HVAC systems, and many more. We need to think about the pieces and parts of the raw materials utilized in the auto-manufacturing process to make these items.
The automotive industry makes use of many different components to construct cars, which include aluminum, iron, glass, steel, rubber, copper, petroleum products, steel, and others. These components are used to make everything from the small items we do not think about, like dashboard needles and wiring, to the more substantial, like the engine block or transmission gears.
The materials that they use have changed dramatically throughout the years, evolving to become more sophisticated, stronger, and more secure. They’ve grown as new technology for manufacturing automobiles has emerged in the past, and they’re being employed in ever more innovative ways.
We’ll go over five of the components used for the majority of automotive manufacturing. First, we’ll take an in-depth look at the material that causes cars to be so heavy.
Contents
- Steel
- Plastic
- Aluminum
- Rubber
- Glass
1: Steel
Steel is used to build the car’s underlying frame of support.
On modern cars, the majority of the weight is made up of steel. In 2007, for instance, the typical vehicle had more than 2,400 pounds (1,090 kg) of steel. Likewise, the specific vehicle, whether pickup or SUV, had more than 3000 tons (1,360 kilograms) (source: Sherefkin]. Take into consideration that the majority of cars today weigh about 3,000 pounds, and the majority of SUVs weigh about 4,500 tonnes (1,810 kilograms). That’s quite a bit of steel!
In automobiles, the use of steel helps make the chassis, or cage under the body. This creates the skeleton of the car and provides protection in the case of a collision. Roofs, door beams, and even body panels made in the auto industry are constructed from steel in most automobiles in the present. Steel is also utilized in various places within the body to support the engine or other components. Exhausts are typically made of stainless steel, like.
The manufacturing of steel has advanced dramatically, and car manufacturers today have a variety of steel for various areas of the vehicle. These steels are strong or crumple to absorb impacts of various kinds. The latest innovations in the manufacturing of automotive parts ensure your safety when driving [source: Fountain].
2: Plastic
Many parts of the dashboard, including gauges and dials, are created from plastic.
When you next find yourself in your car, think as Dustin Hoffman’s character during the film “The Graduate” and think of one word: plastics. The cars of today use massive amounts of plastics for manufacturing. They comprise around 50 percent of the manufacturing of new vehicles in the present (source: American Chemistry CouncilThe American Chemistry Council. It’s not a surprise since plastics are tough, affordable to produce and are able to be transformed into nearly everything.
Your dashboard includes gauges, dials, vents for air conditioners, switches, door handles, flooring mats seat belts, airbags, and a myriad of other components that are all made from various kinds of plastics.
Alongside the dashboard components, many of the small components inside the engine, including the handle of the dipstick to check oil, are also constructed from plastic. Because of their lightness, plastics are now being utilized in body parts and engines in the manufacturing process of automotive components.
3: Aluminum
Aluminum is used to make parts such as wheels and hubcaps.
In the realm of auto production, aluminum is a kind of the new youngster to be found. It is increasingly being utilized in the automotive industry due to its strength and light weight. In 2009, aluminum parts comprised about 9 percent weight of the majority of modern cars, compared to 5 percent of the weight in 1990, and only 2 percent in the year the year 1970. Source: Aluminum Association].
Aluminum can be utilized in automotive manufacturing to produce body panels to create an energized, lighter car. Since the introduction of the Acura NX in the early 1990s, several supercars have been built from aluminum, such as the hot white Audi R8. Wheels are also made from aluminum.
Furthermore, more and more automakers are shifting away from traditional iron blocks to engine components to aluminum-based construction. It’s not so durable as iron, however its lighter weight can mean an improvement in performance.
4: Rubber
Tires, in addition to several other car parts, are made from rubber.
What’s the only thing every car has in common? They all require tires in order to travel. Tires are among the components that people overlook, yet they’re among the most essential components of every vehicle. This is the reason why the significance of rubber is a factor in the process of auto manufacturing.
Automotive manufacturing is the primary driving engine for the industry of rubber with around 75% of world’s produced rubber can be used in the manufacture of tires for cars Source: Industrial Rubber Goods[source: Industrial Rubber Goods. The rubber tire guards the remainder of the wheel as well as its internal components from wearing down, which is beneficial for the fuel efficiency and road security.
Alongside the essential tires, other components like engine mounts, belts, hoses, and seals are also made of rubber. Similar to plastic, rubber is an extremely durable, inexpensive, and flexible material with numerous applications in vehicles.
5: Glass
Glass is used for windshields to protect passengers from the elements and potential flying objects.
What’s the purpose of having the car if it isn’t able to see through it? Like rubber glass is one of the unheralded heroes of automobile manufacturing. It’s also closely tied with the automotive industryin times of a decline in business in the auto industry, glass makers also suffer job losses (source: Glass MagazineGlass Magazine.
Glass is used in numerous places in your car. Its primary function is to create windshields that ensure you can clearly see and remain safe from airborne objects. Additionally, it’s used to make side- and rear-view mirrors that improve your vision of what’s surrounding you while driving. Furthermore, its sibling fiberglass is also utilized in automobile manufacturing for insulation on automobiles.
As technology improves, glass is being utilized to make new and innovative components for cars. For instance, it could be used to make navigation screens as well as lenses to backup cameras so that drivers can enjoy a greater vision of what’s in front of them.
