Today's News by Jack Nerad for Driving Today

Say Goodbye to Cast Iron

Thursday, February 25, 2010

There was a time when cast iron was the unquestioned choice for durable automotive engines. 

Those days are over. 

Aluminum was the big winner in this year’s ranking of the “10 Best Engines” by Ward's Automotive Group. Eight of these engines are made of aluminum, each with aluminum head. Its light weight, high strength and corrosion-resistant properties make aluminum attractive for a variety of auto applications, including engine manufacturing, as automakers are increasingly looking to improve fuel economy while maintaining safety and performance.

“It’s no surprise that nearly all of the engines on Ward’s list are all aluminum,” said Randall Scheps, chairman of The Aluminum Association’s Aluminum Transportation Group and director of ground transportation for Alcoa. “The auto industry relies more every year on aluminum to improve fuel economy without sacrificing the performance and safety that customers expect.”

Automakers continue to see the benefits of “adding lightness” with aluminum, as evidenced by Ford’s recent announcement to include a 5.4-liter, all-aluminum engine in the 2011 Shelby GT500. The new engine is 102 pounds lighter than its predecessor’s cast-iron engine, and as a result, the car has a better power-to-weight ratio and improved fuel economy, acceleration, handling and steering precision.

In fact, the use of aluminum in vehicle engines has grown over the past three years. A study commissioned by The Aluminum Association Inc. last year and released by Ducker Worldwide showed that on a component basis, aluminum use for engine blocks has had the largest increase, with penetration reaching nearly 70 percent. In the same study, worldwide aluminum content was projected to grow up to 28 to 30 billion pounds per year -- from the current 16 to 17 billion pounds -- through 2020.

Ranking as the world leader in aluminum penetration in vehicles, North America produces more than 50 vehicles that contain more than 10 percent aluminum content.

Driving News Archive>>