Constellium NV (NYSE:CSTM) has introduced new high strength alloys under the name HSA6, designed for making automotive components.
The company recently announced the introduction of Constellium HSA6 as the latest generation of its 6,000-series high strength alloys. They are specifically made to help automotive manufacturers to produce lighter vehicles as per the growing demand in the market. The new series of alloys are already in production for various vehicle models in 2017 and 2018, such as the Mini Countryman. The company expects the HSA6 alloys to be attractive to manufacturers due to their lightweight nature.
“With Constellium HSA6, we are able to offer automakers a family of the highest strength 6000-series aluminium alloys available on the market for extruded automotive components,” stated onstellium’s Operational Excellence and Technology Director Martin Jarrett.
Aluminum extrusions to increase
A recent study carried out by Ducker Worldwide suggests that Aluminum extrusions are expected to go up by roughly 100 percent for Body-in-White components and 65 percent for Crash Management Systems between 2015 and 2020. They are expected to continue growing until 2028. HSA6 is ideal for battery enclosures, Body-in-White structural components and extrusion-based Crash Management Systems.
HSA6 gives designers room to reduce wall thickness and optimize extrusion shapes with the aim of shedding 15 to 30 percent of the regular weight. The alloy also reportedly offers an enhanced capacity for recycling as well as corrosion resistance. This makes it ideal for its intended applications.
Constellium recently received an award which recognized its efforts and innovation with HSA6 especially for vehicle light weighting. Paul Warton, the executive in charge of Industry Business Unit and Automotive Structures at Constellium stated that the company is uniquely positioned to provide superior materials. It is also geared towards offering testing, simulation, production expertise and prototyping in a bid to deliver superior solutions to the market. He also pointed out that it was a huge honor for the company to be recognized as a technology leader especially in industrial weight reduction.
Constellium stock closed the latest trading session on Monday at $8.80 after a 7.32 percent gain compared to the value of the stock during the previous close.
