Advances in aluminium machining are supporting the shift to EVs

According to the International Transport Forum, transport activity is expected to double by 2050 compared to 2015 levels. With climate change concerns, we must produce more efficient vehicles. Eduardo Debone, Senior Manager for Automotive Offer Management at Sandvik Coromant, explores how material innovations are supporting the transition to more environmentally-friendly vehicles. 

While Covid reduced transport activity, vehicle use is still set to rise as population increases and economic development continues. Producing more vehicles is inevitable — the real challenge is making them greener. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that transport already accounts for 24% of direct CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, with road vehicles accounting for nearly 75% of this figure.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognises the importance of lowering emissions, and has released its Climate Action Pathway for transport earlier in 2021. The UNFCCC’s vision is that, by 2050, passenger and freight transport will be decarbonised following a shift to more sustainable technologies.

The EV evolution
Among zero-emission transport is EVs, which executive director at the IEA, Fatih Birol, says “have a role to play in reaching net-zero emissions worldwide”. By using electricity, from sustainable sources, EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions and are thus more environmentally friendly than ICE vehicles.

According to the 2021 report, there were ten million EVs on the world’s roads at the end of 2020, and EV registrations increased by 41% that year. While EVs are clearly on the rise, their adoption can be accelerated further by overcoming range anxiety. The range is not just down to the battery. In addition to better charging infrastructure and improvements to EV battery design, EVs needs to be made lighter. An EV with a lower weight requires less energy and can therefore go further on a single charge.
Aluminium plays a role in light-weighting EVs. Aluminium is now selected for vehicle parts such as the chassis, internal panels, motor housing and battery enclosures. According to the Aluminium Transport Group (ATG), using aluminium to reduce an EV’s weight can result in range gains of proportion. If the vehicle weight is reduced by 20%, it should be able to travel 20% further on the same charge.

Mastering machining
However, aluminium is difficult to machine as it is softer than most metals. What’s more, the melting point of stainless steel is 1510 degrees C, for aluminium it’s 660. The lower melting temperature means that chips can build up at high speeds and adhere to the tool. This accumulation can dull the tool, making it difficult to cut. In addition, issues such as tool setups, inconsistent tool wear, burr formation and inferior surface finishes occur.

These challenges can be overcome by selecting an optimised tool like the Sandvik Coromant M5C90 face milling tool. Part of its M5 cutter series, was designed for aluminium milling, as well as roughing and finishing cylinder heads, blocks and EV parts. The M5C90 can perform the entire process from roughing to finishing with a DoC of up to 4mm, increasing tool life fivefold and reducing cycle time by up to 200%.

In addition, the M5 cutter series features step technology, where its extremely hardwearing PCD inserts are arranged in a spiral and staggered vertically to remove material from the workpiece both axially and radially. Other tools in the M5 series include the M5B90 face milling cutter concept for fine finishing and the M5F90 combination milling cutter for roughing and finishing in smaller dimensions.

The transition to EVs will lower transport emissions, and adoption can be accelerated by increasing their efficiency. EVs that take advantage of aluminium components can travel further per charge, helping to overcome range anxiety. Automotive manufacturers who select machining tools optimised for aluminium will be able to produce high-quality aluminium EV components – helping to support the shift to greener travel.