U of Wisconsin Team Captures First Innovations in Aluminum Award
10 June 1998
University of Wisconsin Team Captures First Innovations in Aluminum Award at FutureCar Challenge Winning Design Reflects Aluminum's Automotive Design Benefits
And Potential to Improve Fuel Efficiency
DEARBORN, Mich., June 10 -- Competing against 13
universities, a team of top engineering students from University of Wisconsin
today won the first ever Innovations in Aluminum award as part of the
FutureCar Challenge. Working from a production model vehicle they created the
lightest car in the competition, achieving a fuel efficiency rating of 75
miles per gallon.
"Our panel of judges reviewed a number of impressive designs, but the
University of Wisconsin's stood out by far as having the greatest appreciation
of the importance that weight savings has for achieving the PNGV fuel
efficiency goals," said J. Stephen Larkin, President of The Aluminum
Association, which sponsored the award. "Although the aluminum parts within
the car had to made by hand, the team did not lose sight of producing
equivalent parts in high production volume."
Starting from an all aluminum Mercury Sable, the Wisconsin team converted
over 20 additional components and systems to aluminum, including parts of the
suspension system, chassis, powertrain, and electric controls. The "Wisconsin
Cow" as it is named, also won the Best Application of Advanced Materials
award.
The FutureCar Challenge sponsored by the Department of Energy and the
United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) representing Chrysler,
Ford and GM, calls for teams to mirror the goals of the Partnership for a New
Generation of Vehicles (PNGV), a collaboration between the federal government
and American automakers intended to develop technologies for a new generation
of vehicles that will triple fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance,
affordability or safety. Innovations in Aluminum was introduced to encourage
a broader understanding of how aluminum features can help vehicles meet and
exceed the PNGV goals.
A recent report by the National Research Council stated "aluminum is the
lightweight material of choice for intensive use" in reaching the PNGV and
FutureCar goal of tripling fuel efficiency. The Innovations in Aluminum award
salutes students for their innovative use of aluminum to meet this higher fuel
efficiency standard, reflecting its increasing value as an automotive
engineering material.
Award entries are scored by a panel of industry experts based on a series
of criteria that includes innovativeness, feasibility, lightweighting,
recyclability and execution/craftsmanship. This year's panel included Albert
Houchens, General Motors; George Joy, PNGV Task Force, U.S. Department of
Commerce; Steven D. Pasteiner, Advanced Automotive Technologies; David Moore,
Tony Warren both with Alcan; and Walt Reichelt, John Shabino from Alcoa.
For more information about the Innovations in Aluminum award contact Jane
Lichter with The Aluminum Association at 202-862-5163, or by e-mail at
jlichter@aluminum.org.
The Aluminum Association, based in Washington, DC, represents U.S.
producers of primary and secondary aluminum, as well as semi-fabricated
products, and is a proud sponsor of the 1998 FutureCar Challenge. Member
companies operate approximately 200 plants in 35 states.
