A Look at Lightweighting Technologies

The technology stars are aligning with the need to advance lightweigthing initiatives.

Government efforts to drop weight from fuel-consuming products are rooted in the goal of reducing emissions, but that’s only one reason for lightweighting. While lightweighting initiatives are being led by transportation-related industries, many manufacturers can realize huge cost savings by using less materials to create products that are just as strong as heavier versions.

Technologies like simulation, topology optimization and additive manufacturing are making it happen, together with the use of new materials (and using existing materials in new ways). The merger of materials like aluminum, composites, plastics and high-strength steels with the software to apply those materials only where they’re needed and accurately simulate them is already having an impact. As manufacturing methods progress to economically create those lightweight shapes and join them together, products across many industries will evolve into slimmer designs.