Cadillac has announced that the company will use an advanced mixed-material for the development of lightweight body structure in CT6 sedan.
According to Cadillac, the structure is aluminum intensive but use 13 different materials in the vehicle which will be customized for each area of the car, in order to provide advance driving dynamics, cabin quietness, and fuel economy.
Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen "This is the rocket science of automobile construction and manufacturing today.
"With the CT6, we used high-strength aluminum and high-strength steels; lightweight chassis components; we integrate aluminum and steel where it makes sense; we eliminate every gram of mass possible, while achieving world-class performance."
The automaker highlighted that 64% of the CT6 body structure will consist of aluminum, and the mixed material has helped the company shed 90 kg of weight from the vehicle when compared to a predominately steel construction.
The lower structure of the CT6 body consists of thirteen complex high-pressure die cast components, and it includes aluminum sheets and extrusions.
In order to create a bank vault-quiet cabin, Cadillac used steel close-out panels on the lower structure, without adding any additional weight.
For the assembly of the CT6 sedan, Cadillac is using a combination of aluminium spot welds, flow drill screws, steel spot welds, self-piercing rivets, laser welding, and aluminium arc welding along with hundreds of feet of structural adhesive.
Cadillac CT6 executive chief engineer Travis Hester added: "This new construction approach has enabled us to produce a world-class vehicle that is larger in size and includes more standard equipment while achieving lower overall mass."
The CT6 will go into production later this year, after it makes it debut at the New York International Auto Show this March.
