Karmann, Daimler-Chrysler and Alcoa
A new model of the Chrysler Crossfire spun onto car dealership floors across North America this spring sporting a stylish top. The name-brand designer? Alcoa, of course.
Chrysler took the Crossfire’s sleek, sculpted body and wanted to drop jaws with a new Roadster edition for 2005. Although most convertible roofs are fully lined these days, Chrysler sought an exposed roof design to be consistent with the classic convertible image of a Roadster. But fully visible castings for a roof structure had never been produced before.
So Chrysler’s partner on the project, German-based Karmann, came to Alcoa in October 2002 seeking a convertible roof structure made of fully visible cast aluminum components that maintained the highest safety standards. The design had to be compact enough to stow into the trunk of the tapered-rear car.
Built on the body design of a Mercedes-Benz SLK platform, the Crossfire Roadster’s soft-top roof structure was developed with the collaboration of engineers at Alcoa Engineering in Frickenhausen, Germany; Alcoa Automotive in Soest, Germany; and Karmann. Their solution included using processes such as Alcoa Vacuum Die Casting (AVDC) and Alcoa Green Sand Casting (AGSC), and casting and extrusions on the project in order to meet the customer’s specifications.
By joining these different manufacturing processes, Alcoa designed a compact, visually appealing convertible roof structure for Karmann in record time, delivering a flawless standard operating procedure (SOP) in December 2003 - just 14 months after the design request was made.
The project included the collaboration of other plants as well, as Alcoa Automotive in Preston, England supplies the sand castings, and Alcoa Netherlands in Drunen, Netherlands supplies the extrusions. All die castings, milling and pre-assembly operations for the 13 components of the roof structure are performed at the Soest plant.
Alcoa’s design was featured in a 16-page, full-color advertisement that the European Aluminum Association ran in the Automotive News Europe and newspapers across France. The ad focused on stories featuring the innovative ways that aluminum is being used in the automotive industry.
|
 |
Alcoa Automotive GmbH - Soest, Germany
Alcoa's European casting center produces more than 80 different parts for automotive customers.
 go
Alcoa Nederland B.V. - Drunen, Netherlands
One of four Alcoa locations in the Netherlands, the Drunen plant produces fabricated aluminum products including extrusions, auto components and building products.
go
Alcoa Automotive GmbH - Frickenhausen, Germany
Alcoa Engineering in Frickenhausen, Germany works closely on products with the Soest, Germany casting center to provide design, engineering, prototyping, launch, and manufacturing services.
go
Alcoa Automotive - England in Preston, Lancashire, UK
Alcoa Automotive helps develop product solutions that will sell more cars, with the Preston plant providing castings, forgings and components for the automotive industry.
go
AVDC and AGSC are procedures also used in the Jaguar XJ.
learn more
|
