soft and then quenched to ‘trap’ the
strengthening capability behaviour
of the material. The part is then heat
treated to gain high strength.
“RACEForm is enabling us to
bring HFQ Technology to highvolume
applications,” explains
Jonathan Watkins, CEO of Impression
Technologies. “It is the world’s
leading high-speed process to form
deep-drawn and complex shapes
from high- and ultra-high-strength
aluminium. HFQ is ideally suited to
meet the lightweighting needs of
manufacturers, enabling them to
replace heavy steel or low strength
cold-formed aluminium components
with a superior alternative.
“To ensure its suitability for
automotive applications, the HFQ
process has been designed to meet
the cycle times required for lowcost,
high-volume manufacturing.
Perhaps most significantly, HFQ
opens the possibility of using highly
recycled aluminium grades that
cannot be formed cold. In turn, this
will have a significant impact on
emissions by reducing the need to
smelt aluminium.”
Whilst the HFQ Technology
has already been successfully
demonstrated in various automotive
platforms, the RACEForm project
is to certify the HFQ part design
and manufacturing process in highvolume
structural applications.
The project has focused on the
production of A-pillar components
and chassis assemblies for SUVs and
electric vehicles to meet specific
OEM requirements.
Collaboration has proved to
be one of the project’s greatest
strengths, with each partner
addressing specific challenges.
Gestamp, a Tier 1 supplier and key
collaborator, is proving out HFQ for
high production trials. Its trial at the
Gestamp Ludwigsfelde hot stamping
line facility in Germany achieved a
cycle time of less than five seconds
for an A-pillar component and
subsequent, larger trials at Palencia
in Spain.
Meanwhile, Imperial College
London is leading RACEForm’s
structural adhesive bonding and
pre-treatment test programme,
where researchers have completed
surface pre-treatment and analysis
evaluations. They have been
supported by Chemetall and
Innoval, who have characterised
the microstructure and surfaces of
samples. The projects self-pierce
riveting test programme is being
run by Brunel University, alongside
structural simulations and the
evaluation and modelling of joining
methods.
To prove the technology’s
recycling capabilities using lower
grade aluminium, RACEForm is
being supplied with highly recycled
aluminium sheet from Jaguar Land
Rover’s REALITY project, another
Innovate UK funded programme. A
testing phase has been planned to
confirm that the HFQ process can
maintain excellent formability, even
with high levels of impurities and
analysis of the resulting parts. Early
forming trials have been successful.
“We have already demonstrated
significant cycle time improvements,
as well as potentially substantial
reductions in CO2 emissions due
to part integration,” concluded
Jonathan Watkins. “We’ve been
successful in lowering embedded
carbon content and reducing
production costs. Through the use
of HFQ Technology, automotive
manufacturers will be able to
affordably enhance the range and
overall performance of their future
vehicles. Our successful volume trial
has demonstrated the feasibility of
the process, replacing a three-part
cold formed aluminium A-pillar
component with a single HFQ part
while simultaneously reducing the
part’s overall weight.” !
RACEFORM –
(RAPID ALUMINIUM
COST EFFECTIVE
FORMING)
The RACEForm 30-month project
started in November 2017 and is
focused on validating HFQ Technology
for the mass production of complex,
deep drawn, high strength aluminium
structures for body-in-white and
chassis applications. It is also helping to
establish the technology as the global
standard for aluminium lightweighting
worldwide.
HFQ Technology, for which
Impression Technologies holds the
exclusive global rights, offers OEMs
significant savings in weight, cost and
system complexity through its ability
to produce deep drawn high strength
aluminium alloys with low cycle times
and no springback.
Impression Technologies, a developer
of advanced lightweighting technology,
has secured funding through the
Advanced Propulsion Centre UK Ltd
(APC) to further develop and validate
its HFQ Technology for use in the global
automotive industry. The total project
value is £9.5 million, with £4.8 million in
funding through the APC, awarded as
part of its seventh round of funding.
Impression Technologies is
leading the RACEForm Project with
a consortium including: Gestamp
Washington UK Limited (a wholly owned
subsidiary of Gestamp Automoción),
Innoval Technology Limited, Imperial
College London and Brunel University
London.
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