Advanced Additive Manufacturing
The Problem of Making Cars Lighter
Increasingly strict emissions and fuel economy standards have automobile manufacturers working to constantly reduce vehicle weight. But some vehicle components are difficult to lighten, including the traditional cast iron brake rotor which is one of the heaviest components in a vehicle. No cost effective, wear resistant coatings or durable composite materials can match the performance of the cast iron rotor.
An Advanced Additive Manufacturing Solution
Somnio Global has developed technology to coat the surface of a lightweight aluminum rotor with wear-resistant material that exceeds the braking performance of cast iron. The rotor would have smoother braking, more efficient heat transfer, and higher wear resistance. It would replace the existing components without requiring the redesign of the vehicle.
This technology can be used in many other applications, providing a cost effective, highly flexible additive manufacture process of considerable potential.
Market Potential
Initially, the target markets for this technology are the passenger and light commercial vehicle segments where global production exceeds 60 million units per year, of which 17 million vehicles are produced in the U.S. Automobile manufacturers calculate the value of weight reduction at a rate of $9 per kilogram per vehicle. The potential value of this technology for each new vehicle is more than $125, representing a total global market potential of U.S. $7.5 billion.
Value Proposition
Because this technology has the potential to reduce the weight of an average passenger car by 30 pounds, it provides several more benefits:
- Lower fuel consumption and emissions levels.
- Facilitating further weight reduction in the vehicle.
- Easy integration with existing brake technology.
- High-performance braking capacity.
This Somnio Global technology has a competitive advantage because no current technology can achieve these benefits.
