While cars used to be largely made of wood, today wooden components are only used in the interior for aesthetic reasons. The research group led by Lothar Kallien from Aalen University wants to revive the natural material with its physical advantages and low carbon footprint. The scientist sees the process as the future of car body construction: "More wood will be used in cars," Kallien is certain.
The aim is to avoid the thermal damage to the wood core using a special technique: very thin-walled moulding. In principle, this is possible with the die-casting process. However, further research is needed for this application. This would leave the wood intact and stabilise the component from the inside. The research approach arose from the results of the S-martPro project in the field of lightweight construction, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Die-casting process combines wood and metal
The team is working on hybrid wooden structures using the die-casting process, combining wooden structures with lightweight die-cast alloys made of aluminium and magnesium. The research group first had to overcome one challenge: During the die-casting process, high temperatures act on the wood, which runs the risk of burning.The aim is to avoid the thermal damage to the wood core using a special technique: very thin-walled moulding. In principle, this is possible with the die-casting process. However, further research is needed for this application. This would leave the wood intact and stabilise the component from the inside. The research approach arose from the results of the S-martPro project in the field of lightweight construction, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
