Ford Preps for the Next Gen Aluminum Alloys

Alcoa?s Micromill Aluminum Alloy technology to debut on the 2016 Ford F-150 in small quantities. The Alcoa-patented Micromill process dramatically 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. Additionally, automotive parts made with Micromill material will be at least 30 percent lighter than parts made from high strength steel. The Micromill alloy has [b]formability characteristics comparable to mild steels[/b].