Engineered With A Lighter Touch.

Safety and comfort have always been key concerns when it comes to car design and manufacturing, yet increased levels of comfort and safety have often meant an increase in vehicle weight. To combat this trend cars are now being engineered with a lighter touch by finding the best possible relationship between materials and function.

This has introduced some innovative new technologies including lightweight aluminium bodies, efficiency programs and even the latest in LED headlight design. Combined, these new innovations aim to decrease vehicle weight and increase the cars efficiency without compromising either comfort or safety.

Lightweight aluminium body

To tap into the potential of lightweight design a combination of steel and aluminium is now a part of the car body manufacturing process. This innovative lightweight construction has previously been seen mainly in the production of sports cars where a need for lower consumption, superior agility and greater efficiency has always been of the highest importance.

Using and individual manufacturing process, experienced engineers with an understanding of the characteristic qualities of aluminium are now able to make front casings for a suspension unit out of die cast aluminium.

Thermoformed steel is the second part of this lightweight recipe and has a hardness and sturdiness that far surpasses that of conventional high-strength steel. Sheets alloyed with boron and manganese are heated and then quickly cooled during the shaping process to create parts so strong that they can only be refined with the use of diamond coated tools or lasers.

These techniques have created vehicle bodies that are comparatively 30 kilograms lighter than previous models without compromising on protection.

Engineered for efficiency

With vehicles now being engineered for a lighter touch, a climate of efficiency has taken over all aspects of car design including the development of a wide range of innovations.

This impact on efficiency standards in the automotive manufacturing industry has lead to the creation of driver information systems as well as start-stop and recuperation technologies.

Efficiency programmes are now incorporated into driver information systems. These programmes assist drivers with status displays of fuel consumption data and tips for economical driving, all of which contribute to reduced fuel consumption.

Start-stop systems improve upon this trend by not only reducing fuel consumption but also in reducing CO2 emissions by switching off the engine when the car is stationary. This means that when the driver brings the car to a halt at traffic lights, moves the gear lever into neutral and takes their foot off the clutch, the system shuts down the engine.

Finally, recuperation systems convert kinetic energy into useful electrical energy by raising the alternator voltage during an overrun or breaking phase. This reduction in the load on the alternator during acceleration is able to save up to 3% in fuel.

LED automotive lighting

Many cars now incorporate the latest generation full LED headlights which are smaller, more vibration resistant, and much more efficient than traditional bulbs.

LED bulbs don't utilize a filament like halogen lamps or gas plasma like HID lamps and instead create light from the movement of current across a semi-conductor chip consuming up to 50 percent less energy compared to conventional bulbs.

Some LEDS are even designed to closely resemble daylight which provides a greater contrast and is easier on the human eye.

This combination of lightweight aluminium body with an efficient design and the latest in automotive technology has resulted in a vehicle that retains its level of comfort and safety while actually being lighter than its predecessors. Its no wonder that roads will soon see more cars that have been engineered with a lighter touch.

About the Author:
Audi South Africa continues to innovate the automotive industry by producing vehicles engineered with a lighter touch. The new Audi A6 incorporates design efficiency including lightweight aluminium bodies and full LED headlights.

Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Tags: audi

, aluminium

, body

, efficient

, motor

, engineering

, LED

, h

Related....

Videos...

Recent Automobiles Articles

Finding Rental Car Deals For Hometown Use By: Brenton Nickols | May 31st 2012 - Many people commonly rent a vehicle when traveling far from home for business or pleasure. While there are other modes of transportation you can put to use, such as taxis, buses and subways in many destinations, driving your own car is far more ...

rental car deals

rental car

Why Am I Visiting A Car Dealer In The City By: Mark Etinger | May 31st 2012 - My reasons for visiting a car dealer in the city.

chevrolet leasing

chevrolet dealers ny

chevrolet long island

used cars long island

new york chevy dealers

Tactrix J2534 Pass Through Programmer Review By: JD Durham | May 31st 2012 - This is probably the most compact J2534 pass thru programmer we have ever seen or used. The unit is so small that it can be hidden in the palm of your hand.

J2534 pass thru programmer

The Way To Select Economical Used Cars On The Internet By: WenWal5 | May 31st 2012 - In the event you tend to be seeking used vehicles you must have a look at this post. Mainly useful suggestions are available.

cars

auto

automotive

What Do You Need To Know While Buying Car Tyres? By: William chambers | May 31st 2012 - Before you buy a car tyre it is always best to do a little bit of research. Many times you may buy a tyre that is not entirely appropriate for your vehicle when you could have purchased something of better quality if you had just known how to check.

tyres in belfast

MOT preparation

Take On The Urban Jungle In A Gwm H5 By: group1gwm | May 31st 2012 - The Great Wall Motors H5 is a class leading SUV that has taken the worlds motor vehicle markets by storm. It competitive price and luxury trimmings have ensured that it fast becoming the SUV of choice in vehicle markets such as South Africa, India and South Americ ...

Indiana Gmc-growing Demand Within Dealership Facilities By: emasis | May 31st 2012 - Dealer service relevance could make just right impact in society. Dealership offers a lot of service factors with standard services.

indianapolis gmc dealer

indianapolis gmc dealers

Adapting To A Sudden Situation By: aaliawells | May 31st 2012 - Can you learn how to adapt to a new, sudden situation or does it come by heart? I was self-studying in Hakkapedia when I saw some articles regarding safety. I started pondering whether one could prepare somehow better for the sudden situation.

hakka

Tips For Selecting The Right Car Tyres By: William chambers | May 31st 2012 - Since the beginning of time, mans most significant invention has been the wheel. Upgrade that and what you have is the tyre that we use so much today.

Tyres in Belfast

Cheap Tyres Belfast

When Knowledge Is Everything By: aaliawells | May 31st 2012 - Oh, many of us can probably say quite much the same thing when it comes to knowledge. Could have more in many situations.

Hakkapeliitta

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Site Navigation: