NRC's focus is on increasing vehicle fuel efficiency through the use of light weight metals, composites and bio-composites and through improvements in vehicle aerodynamics. NRC's expertise in these fields spans several institutes and is concentrated in the following technologies:  

Aluminum casting

• NRC is currently working on the development of semi-solid aluminum casting. This process produces high integrity aluminum castings for structural components. Target automotive applications include engine mounts, suspension arm and actuator shafts. 

Aluminum tube and sheet hydroforming

• Hydroformed tube and sheets can be used by automotive designers to create complex shapes in a single operation. NRC has been working on aluminum hydroforming since 2003 and has developed finite element modeling expertise to support this technology. 

Aerodynamic testing

• Taking advantage of its experience in aerospace research, NRC's with its numerous wind tunnels can help automotive OEMs test and improve the aerodynamic performance of their vehicles. NRC can test vehicles ranging from Class 8 trucks to 1/10 scaled models and have rolling road capabilities on some of its wind tunnels. 

Bio-polymer composites

• In collaboration with Agriculture and Agrifood Canada (AAFC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), NRC has made significant progress in the development of industrial processes used to create polymers and polymer composites derived from cellulose, lignin, fatty acids and hemp and flax fibres. 

Adhesive joining of polymer composite and hybrid parts

• The increasing use of aluminum, titanium, magnesium and polymer composites in automotive structural applications requires novel approaches for joining these varied materials. Adhesive joining is one such technology and NRC is using its knowledge in materials and surface technologies to improve this area of research.

Friction stir welding of aluminum-steel assemblies

• Along with adhesive technologies, friction stir welding appears particularly well-suited for joining aluminum and steel parts. NRC's expertise in aluminum manufacturing adds synergy to NRC's research in friction stir welding.

Metallic foams

• Metal foams have been garnering increasing interest as a method of creating lightweight cores for structural components or for their use in high temperature surface area intensive applications such as exhaust components. Metal foam technologies developed by NRC have gained international recognition and have been licensed industrially for multiple applications.

Functional polymers

• NRC's functional polymers group conducts a wide range of research aimed at finding novel and technically challenging applications for polymeric materials. Focussing on extrusion processes, NRC has adapted polymers to successfully meet exacting performance characteristics.

Magnesium coating processes

• Magnesium is known for its low cost, abundance and high specific strength, but is prone to various types of corrosion. NRC is working on improving and creating novel surface coating treatments to protect magnesium parts from corrosion.

Thermal and cold spray deposition processes

• Using thermal and cold spray deposition technologies, NRC has helped several industrial customers generate cost savings and extend the life of critical components by applying high performance coatings on lower grade substrates.

Laser-based die surface modification techniques

• Lasers can now be used to affectively treat the surface properties of dies, remove precise amounts of material or incrementally add costly materials on die surfaces. NRC's laser based additive, removal and surface treatment technologies can help automotive die manufacturers cut costs and improve die life on a significant scale.

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