A breakthrough in aluminium recycling technology has made it possible to transform scrap aluminium into automobile parts using machines directly. This process is so innovative and sustainable that it eliminates the need for melting and casting, significantly reducing energy consumption and material waste. This latest technology, called ShAPE, was discovered by a group of researchers from the US Department Of Energy (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, in collaboration with an automobile manufacturer Magna International based in Canada.
The ShAPE is presented as a new manufacturing technology for converting aluminium scrap directly into extruded products without using the industrial process. The four-year research project between both collaborators aimed to save the environment. Here is a brief detail about the entire process.
The ShAPE process at a glance
ShAPE, or the "Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE)", is a revolutionary technology involving several steps:
- First, scrap bits of aluminium and leftover aluminium trimmings from automotive manufacturing are collected. They are sorted based on their purity and composition. The aluminium is then shredded into finer pieces. It's subjected to a hydrothermal treatment to extract impurities and purify the aluminium. This is a crucial step as it ensures that the aluminium is of high quality and can be used to make parts that meet industry standards.
- Next, the purified aluminium is subjected to heating and then introduced to high pressure using a die that has a unique shape. The stress and heat caused by the die make the aluminium take the flow and the die's shape. This results in a high-quality, near-net shape product. Then it transforms it directly into suitable material for new car parts.
- Present-day machines used in this process can directly reshape aluminium into different shapes. The shapes can be circular, square and trapezoidal parts, which can be used as door beams and rail sections that support various vehicle engines and batteries.
Reasons for using ShAPE process
- The ShAPE process produces aluminium products that meet the industry's strength and energy absorption standards. It ensures that the aluminium purified is of the highest quality, reliable and durable. A research report by Sottt Walhen(from ScienceDirect) and others claimed that this procedure eliminated the requirement to add freshly mined aluminium to the material before using it for new components. Instead, it splits metal impurities in the scrap without requiring an energy-intensive heat treatment step. This helped the manufacturers save considerable time and reduce the overall cost of recycling aluminium and its parts' price. Furthermore, it allowed them to replace steel more effectively.
- This process uses a lesser amount of energy than other traditional manufacturing procedures. This is because the aluminium is heated at a lower temperature, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Magna International states, "By not needing to mine and refine the same amount of raw aluminium ore, 50% of the embodied energy and more than 90% of the carbon dioxide emissions can be conserved due to this process." It is now being scaled up to produce lightweight aluminium components for electric vehicles.
- As a sustainable technology, the ShAPE process also reduces the amount of waste generated during manufacturing. This is because the process is designed to produce the exact shape and size required for the final product, resulting in less waste. According to the manager of Materials Science at Magna, Massimo DiCiano, "Sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do at Magna." Additionally, he added that the ShAPE process is an excellent example of how everyone seeks to change and develop new, sustainable solutions for their potential clients.
The ShAPE process is a breakthrough technology
By converting waste into valuable resources and reducing the impact on the automotive industry, the ShAPE process has contributed to building a sustainable future for everyone. It's a leading technology that can revolutionise manufacturing automobile parts. This process is highly cost- effective, efficient, sustainable, flexible, time-saving, and, most importantly, environmentally friendly.
