Ongoing Activities

Automotive Aluminum R&D

• Active Flexible Binder Control System for Robust Stamping
• Warm Forming of Aluminum—Phase 2
• Electromagnetic Forming of Aluminum Sheet
• Aluminum Automotive Closure Panel Corrosion Test Program

Advanced Materials Development

• Lost Cost Powder Metallurgy for Particle-Reinforced Aluminum Composites
• Low-Cost Cast Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites
• Exploratory Study into Improved Formability and Strength of Automotive Aluminum
• Sheet Alloys with an Electric Field
• Magnesium Powertrain Cast Components
• Solid Oxygen-ion-conducting Membrane Technology for Direct Reduction
  of Magnesium from Its Oxide at High Temperatures
• Understanding the Economics of Emerging Titanium Production Processes
• Preparation of Closed Metal Cell Composites
• Structural Reliability of Lightweight Glazing Alternatives
• Structural Cast Magnesium Development

Polymer Composites R&D

• Development of Manufacturing Methods for Fiber Preforms
• Composites-Intensive Body Structure Development for Focal Project 3
• Thermoplastic Composite Sheet Manufacturing
• High-Volume Processing of Composites

Low-Cost Carbon Fiber

• Low-Cost Carbon Fibers from Renewable Resources
• Low-Cost Carbon Fiber Development Program
• Low-Cost Carbon Fiber for Automotive Composite Materials
• Microwave-Assisted Manufacturing of Carbon Fiber

Recycling

• Recycling of Polymer Matrix Composites
• Recycling Assessments and Planning

Enabling Technologies

• Durability of Lightweight Composite Structures
• Creep, Creep Rupture, and Environment-Induced Degradation of Carbon-Reinforced and Glass-Reinforced Automotive Composites
• Modeling of Composite Materials for Energy Absorption
• Intermediate-Rate Crush Response of Crash Energy Management Structures
• Composite Crash Energy Management
• Energy Absorption in Adhesively-Bonded Composites
• Long-Life Electrodes for Resistance Spot Welding of Aluminum Sheet Alloys
  and Coated High-Strength Steel Sheet
• Plasma Arc Welding of Lightweight Materials
• Performance Evaluation and Durability Prediction of Dissimilar Material Hybrid Joints
• Joining of Dissimilar Metals for Automotive Applications: From Process
  to Performance
• Nondestructive Evaluation Tools for Evaluation of Laser-Welded Metals
• Nondestructive Evaluation Techniques for On-Line Inspection of Automotive Structures
• Technical Cost Modeling

High-Strength Steels

• Modeling of High-Strain-Rate Deformation of Steel Structures
• Enhanced Forming Limit Diagrams
• High-Strength Steel Stamping Project
• Hydroforming Materials and Lubricants Project
• High-Strength Steel Joining Technologies Project
• Sheet Steel Fatigue Characterization
• Strain Rate Characterization
• High-Strength Steel Tailor-Welded Blanks
• Tribology