Alcoa unveils next-generation aluminum materials through new manufacturing technology

Alcoa, based in Pittsburgh, has unveiled Micromill™ continuous casting technology for producing aluminum sheet. The patented process changes the microstructure of the metal, allowing the production of an aluminum alloy for automotive applications that has 40 percent greater formability and 30 percent greater strength than the incumbent aluminum used today while meeting stringent automotive surface-quality requirements, the company reports.

Additionally, automotive parts made with the material will be twice as formable and at least 30 percent lighter than parts made from high-strength steel, according to the manufacturer. The alloy has formability characteristics comparable to mild steels.

The dent-resistant material can be shaped into intricate forms, such as the inside panels of automobile doors and external fenders. The mill can turn molten metal into coil in 20 minutes, as compared to the 20 days required by a traditional rolling mill, and its footprint is one-quarter the size. The technology and the differentiated metal it produces are covered by more than 130 patents worldwide.

The mill can shift product mix and transition to different alloys without stopping a cast.