Mechanical Testing of Automotive Materials and Components
Testing the performance of components is critical to many automotive suppliers in a quality control aspect—and hugely important for research and development of new products.
In the production of automobiles, there are many different materials that require mechanical testing. When industry changes occur, this ultimately affects the types of testing being conducted. Automotive is an extremely competitive industry where material performance will directly affect every part of a consumer’s experience with the vehicle. The key driver recently has been the need to reduce vehicle emissions to meet more stringent regulations. This can be achieved in many ways: some of the top priorities include increasing aerodynamic performance, increasing engine efficiency, and reducing the weight of the vehicle. Globally, the drive to reduce the weight of automobiles has led to a huge increase in research and development across material industries, requiring more mechanical testing of materials.
With the majority of the structure of a car still being produced in various metals, there is a huge opportunity to lightweight the vehicles by optimizing the metals used. New generation high-strength steels are being developed and produced to maintain the automotive industry’s demand for steel.