Automotive

Alufoil for Automotive

Its unique combination of properties makes alufoil an indispensable material in vehicle components - for ducting, energy absorption, noise attenuation, heat exchange, insulation and decorative trims. An outstanding success recently is the total replacement of copper by aluminium foil in heat exchange components, such as engine coolers (orradiators) and vehicle air conditioning units*.

Used in hoses and tubes, alufoil helps to protect cables and electrical circuits from heat and contamination, to deliver warm or cool ventilation and reduce noise levels. In ‘honeycomb’ and composite tube forms, aluminiumfoil plays an important role in vehicle safety.
As part of internal linings and vehicle ‘fire walls’ alufoil is used in insulation composites, adding only minimally to weight. It is also present in ‘sandwich construction’ under body heat shields on most cars and trucks as well as the engine bay environment, especially adjacent to exhausts, catalysts and DPF systems. The metallic sheen of alufoil is commonly used in decorative trim for cars, buses and caravans. Changing designs and regulations have meant that this use has fluctuated over the years, but new embossing and laminating techniques are now prompting renewed interest.

Heat exchangers

Vital to the efficient operation of a vehicle’s power plant and to the comfort of the driver and passengers, aluminium-finned heat exchangers provide both cooling and heating as required. Because of its light weight and due to technical developments in alloys and joining techniques, aluminium has become the primary choice.

Impact protection

Laminated and corrugated foil/fibre tubes and sections offer lightweight energy absorption solutions, used to line interior surfaces and to protect passengers in the event of accidents. Energy absorbing alufoil honeycomb can also be used as part of structural protection against certain crash scenarios, such as interior head impact.

Heat protection tubes

Made of several layers of different materials, including aluminium foil wound with corrugations, heat protection tubes are flexible. Using alufoil’s reflection characteristics onthe outer layer, these tubes ensure protection against radiant heat. An insulation layer on the inside provides additional protection to the component against the transfer of heat. The tubes are very flexible and dimensionally stable. They can be used to protect any kind of hose, tube, conduit and ducting, as well as cable and wiring systems.

Ducting

Flexible corrugated tubes created from aluminium foil - often laminated with fibre and other substrates depending on their function - provide the essential ducts for heating and cooling ventilation and for the protection of cables and articulated components. The ducts are light, durable and fire resistant.

Linings and firewalls

The durability and fire insulating properties of aluminium foil qualify it for use in several components. It adds dimensional stability and permanence to soft linings in passenger compartments. It lends security against the spread of flame thanks to its incombustibility and heat conductivity. Passenger comfort is also enhanced through the reduction of noise levels using sound absorbent foil laminated tubes and padding components.

Decorative trim

An economical and long lasting solution where a metallic trim is required, laminated or encapsulated aluminium foil is often specified. New alloys, brush finishes, anodising, embossing and coating techniques have extended the use of alufoil and thin strip into some demanding applications such as door sills and fingerplates.

Alufoil and thin strip specifications

A range of alloys and dimensional specifications is available to suit the technical demands of the design and the production method involved. In addition to plain alloys, compatible with many joining techniques, special ‘clad’ materials are available combining the formability and thermal properties of a base alloy with the surface durability and joining characteristics of another alloy.