Recent trends and innovations in metal forming for automotive applications

The metal forming industry in Asia is a large and diverse sector that produces various metal products for different applications. According to a report by Allied Market Research1, the metal forming market in Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2% from 2020 to 2027, reaching US$141.89 billion by 2027. The report cites the rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, and infrastructure development in the region as the major drivers for the market growth. Some of the key countries in the metal forming industry in Asia are China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.

Some of the prominent players in the metal forming industry in Asia are:

• Thai Summit Group, which is the leading automotive parts manufacturer in Asia, specialising in metal work, forming, and welding automotive parts.
• Toyota Boshoku, which is a Japanese company that produces interior components, filters, and powertrain components for automobiles using various metal forming techniques.
• Aisin Seiki, which is another Japanese company that manufactures and sells automotive parts, such as clutches, brakes, transmissions, and engine components, using metal forming processes.
• Straits Research, which is a market research and consulting firm that provides insights and analysis on the Asia-Pacific aluminium die casting market, which is a type of metal forming process that involves injecting molten metal into a mould under high pressure.
• Data Bridge Market Research, which is another market research and consulting firm that offers a comprehensive report on the global metal forming market, covering the trends, statistics, size, industry overview, and forecast by 2029.

Some of the recent trends in metal forming are:

• The development of nonconventional methods of forming difficult-to-form lightweight materials for automotive and aircraft applications, such as aluminium alloys, titanium alloys, and magnesium alloys.
• The improvement of the formability of materials by using warm forming, which involves heating the metal sheet to a temperature below its recrystallisation point.
• The application of numerical modelling and simulation to optimise the design and performance of metal forming processes, such as rolling, forging, extrusion, drawing, and stamping.
• The use of flexible-die forming, which employs a deformable die that can adapt to the shape of the workpiece, reducing the number of operations and tooling costs.
• The innovation of electromagnetic forming, which uses a high-intensity magnetic field to induce an electric current in the metal sheet and generate a repulsive force that shapes the sheet without contact.
• The advancement of incremental sheet forming, which is a computer-controlled process that forms the sheet metal by using a single-point or multi-point tool that moves along a predefined path.

New light-weight materials for automobiles

Metal forming in the automotive industry is a vital process that involves shaping metal parts for various applications, such as body panels, chassis components, engine parts, and transmission parts. Metal forming can improve the performance, efficiency, safety, and aesthetics of automobiles by creating lightweight, strong, and durable metal products.

Large-scale production and increasing preference for lightweight vehicles is one of the factors that is expected to propel the growth of the metal forming market. With increasing awareness about global warming and growing concerns about the environment that are aimed at reducing CO2 emissions, manufacturers are adopting weight reduction technologies along with bio-sourced materials to reduce the CO2 emissions. For instance, NAFILean is a lightweight and durable injectable material that is made of 20% hemp fiber and polypropylene. This weight reduction technology can greatly reduce the weights of massive parts of automobiles such as door panels, dashboard bodies, and others. Such new technologies can potentially drive the growth of the metal forming market in the upcoming years.

Metal forming is a process of shaping metal pieces into desired forms by applying various forces, such as pressure, heat, or electricity. Metal forming can be used to produce different products, such as sheet metal, rods, wires, tubes, and complex shapes.

New light-weight materials for automobiles focused on metal forming are materials that have high strength-to-weight ratios, low density, and good formability. These materials can help reduce the weight of vehicles and improve their fuel efficiency, performance, safety, and environmental impact.

Some examples of new light-weight materials for automobiles focused on metal forming are:

• Advanced high-strength steels (AHSS): These are steels that have higher strength and ductility than conventional steels. AHSS can be formed into complex shapes and structures by using various techniques, such as stamping, forging, extrusion, and drawing. AHSS can reduce the weight of vehicle body and chassis components by up to 50 percent.
• Aluminium and magnesium alloys: These are metals that have low density and high specific strength. Aluminium and magnesium alloys can be formed into sheet metal, tubes, profiles, and castings by using processes such as rolling, extrusion, die casting, and forging. Aluminium and magnesium alloys can reduce the weight of vehicle body and engine components by up to 40 percent.
• Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP): These are composites that consist of carbon fibers embedded in a polymer matrix. CFRP can be formed into sheets, panels, profiles, and moulded parts by using processes such as compression moulding, injection moulding, resin transfer moulding, and pultrusion1. CFRP can reduce the weight of vehicle body and interior components by up to 60 percent.

There are many different techniques and methods of metal forming in the automotive industry, such as:

• Stamping: This is a process of cutting and shaping metal sheets by using a press and a die. Stamping can produce complex shapes and patterns with high accuracy and speed. Stamping is used to make body panels, hoods, doors, fenders, and other exterior parts of automobiles.
• Forging: This is a process of heating and hammering metal pieces into desired shapes by using a forge and a hammer. Forging can increase the strength and toughness of metal by aligning its grain structure. Forging is used to make engine parts, such as crankshafts, connecting rods, pistons, and valves.
• Extrusion: This is a process of forcing metal through a die to create long and uniform products with a constant cross-section. Extrusion can produce hollow or solid products with various shapes and sizes. Extrusion is used to make tubes, pipes, rods, wires, and other structural parts of automobiles.
• Drawing: This is a process of pulling metal through a die to reduce its diameter and increase its length. Drawing can improve the surface finish and mechanical properties of metal by creating a uniform and smooth product. Drawing is used to make wires, cables, springs, fasteners, and other functional parts of automobiles.
• Rolling: This is a process of passing metal between two or more rotating rollers to reduce its thickness and increase its width. Rolling can produce flat or curved products with different thicknesses and widths. Rolling is used to make sheet metal, plates, strips, coils, and other flat products for automobiles.