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The specific characteristics of aluminum alloys offer the possibility to design cost-effective lightweight structures with high stiffness and excellent crash energy absorption potential. As a consequence, aluminum is the preferred material to ensure the safety of the vehicle and its occupants fulfilling also related requirements such as pedestrian protection, low repair costs, etc. Applications range from aluminum side impact beams, bumper beams and crash boxes to complete structural modules. Crashworthy aluminum structures are the result of a total systems approach taking into account the benefits achieved by specifically developed alloy qualities, design concepts and appropriate fabrication methods. Cost-efficient aluminum component production processes include in particular the extrusion technology.

The specific characteristics of aluminium alloys offer the possibility to design lightweight structural components and modules with high stiffness and excellent crash energy absorption potential. The wide range of aluminium product forms, e.g. sheets, tubes and profiles as well as net-shaped parts produced by different techniques which are available in different alloys, sizes and geometries of various degrees of complexity allow the cost-efficient production of structural components for small and large series. Key to a successful introduction of aluminium modules into the car body structure is a total systems approach taking into account the benefits offered by the alloy, the specific component production process and the use of suitable forming, joining and finishing processes. The emergence of hybrid (multi-material) body structures adds a new dimension to the competition between homogeneous monocoque and spaceframe designs.

Aluminium is recycled from old cars to more than 95 % and the recycled material provides an important source for new casting alloys for automotive applications. The growing use of aluminium in the production of future models, the changing recycling technologies for old cars and more sophisticated alloy separation techniques currently under development have a strong impact on the recycling for aluminium. New recycling routes, in particular the recycling of wrought aluminium components into new aluminium sheets or extrusions are envisaged and evaluated both from an economical and an ecological point of view. The ease of recycling and the fact that recycling of aluminium from old cars will remain a commercially interesting business also in the future present an additional strong driving force for an increased application of aluminium in future car body designs.