Mechanical and electrical engineering, transport

Thanks to the variety of semi-finished products and shapes available, aluminium is an indispensable constructional material in mechanical and plant engineering. The transport market, especially the car sector, has developed into the largest market for the aluminium industry. We offer technical advice for these specialist areas. Photo credit: Langerock

Mechanical and electrical engineering

Thanks to the variety of semi-finished products and shapes available, aluminium is an indispensable construction material in mechanical and plant engineering. However, the importance of this market segment for sales of aluminium products is, however, often underestimated. In Germany, the mechanical and plant engineering market is the second most important branch of industry after the car industry; it is the third largest market for aluminium rolled products, forgings, castings and extruded or drawn semi-finished products.

Related links on the subject

Whether it be as aluminium lithographic plates for the printing industry or fast-moving industrial robots: in an increasingly fast-paced world, aluminium is the material of choice for mechanical and plant engineering. Lightweight and stable, hard-wearing and long-lasting.
To the mechanical engineering field of application

High conductivity and field density, cool temperatures: aluminium gets energy moving and enables functionally optimal and profitable designs to be used in electrical engineering and electronics.
To the electrical engineering field of application

Transport

The transport market, and in particular the car sector, has developed into the largest market for the aluminium industry.

Aluminium was first used in this field of application around the turn of the twentieth century. Dürkopp presented a small sports car with an aluminium body at the international motorcar exhibition in Berlin in 1899.

At first, it was car bodies that were made of aluminium. As the technology developed, the drive, chassis and structural components were added. The ever-increasing need to reduce weigh means aluminium now accounts for about nine per cent by weight of a car, and the trend is upwards.

Related links on the subject

In the age of mobility, aluminium is the material of choice. More than a third of the total demand for aluminium in Germany is used in the transport and transportation sector.
To the mobility field of application

Aluminium encyclopaedia

Road vehicles

Aluminium is a widely used material in commercial vehicles and cars as well as in bicycles and motor bikes because of weight savings.

Corrosion resistance

Thanks to a thin oxide layer that is always present, aluminium is protected against corrosive attack by oxygen, water and many chemicals. The protection can be improved in a controlled manner by alloying or surface treatment.

Contact

Wolfgang Heidrich

Head of Technology - Research – Standards

T +49 211 4796 - 271
wolfgang.heidrich@alu-d.de

Transport sector

Environmentally responsible mobility is indispensable for quality of life. Whether it be in the car, on the train, on board a ship or a plane: having aluminium in our lives is moving. Photo credit: istock

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Downloads

You can find further information on the processing and machining of semi-finished aluminium products in our technical data sheets.

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