Materials Research and Advanced Engineering Ford Motor Company

Explication and information by MATTHEW J. ZALUZEC

The 2005 Ford GT is a high performance vehicle based on a hybrid aluminum space frame and aluminum body in white architecture.

In order to preserve the original styling of the Lemans winning 1966 Ford GT40 vehicle, a host of new and innovative technologies were employed in the design, development and manufacture of the production Ford GT vehicle.

The hybrid aluminum space frame consists of 35 detailed aluminum extrusions, 5 complex castings, 4 semi solid formed nodes and conventionally stamped aluminum panels.

Automated MIG welding was the primary joining technology used to assemble the hybrid space frame extrusions to castings.

The application of friction stir welding was used on an extruded aluminum tunnel, providing enhanced mechanical properties and improved stiffness.

The aluminum body in white (BIW) made extensive use of super plastic formed aluminum body panels including fenders, rear deck and doors.

High strength 2 part structural epoxy adhesives were used to supplement mechanical fasteners providing additional torsional and bending stiffness and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) benefits to both the space frame and body system.

Mechanically fastening the BIW to the space frame was accomplished using machinable self-locating aluminum rivnuts, a unique and cost effective method for attaching body panels to a space frame.

Finally, the development of lightweight closures, including a 2 piece super plastic formed door and a lightweight aluminum carbon fiber rear deck were used to reduce overall vehicle weight.

This presentation will focus on the materials, manufacturing, joining and assembly of the Ford GT Super Car.

This seminar is co-sponsored by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.

MATTHEW J. ZALUZEC (BS MET ‘84, PHD MATSE ‘90) is Manager of the Materials and Nanotechnology Department at Ford Motor Company’s Research and Innovation Center.

He has 17 years of automotive materials and manufacturing experience.

Prior to his appointment to Manager of the Materials Department, he was the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Manager for the 2005 Ford GT Super Car.

His research focuses on advanced materials and manufacturing technology used in lightweight body architectures.

He has been involved in a number niche and specialty vehicles launches, having applied technology in the development of the Ford’s Premier Automotive Vehicles (Aston Martin & Jaguar), Ford Electric Vehicles Programs, and many Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicle programs.

He has received numerous technical achievements awards within Ford Motor Company for developing advanced joining and coating technology, including Henry Ford Technical Achievement awards for his work on advanced aluminum materials for automotive heat exchangers, powetrain and the 2005 Ford GT supercar, and most recently awarded the SAE- Henry Ford II Award for Automotive Excellence.

He has been granted 34 U.S. Patents (104 patents worldwide) in areas encompassing advanced joining, high performance coatings, materials and manufacturing processes for automotive applications.

He has presented and/or published over 75 technical papers covering advanced joining, coating and manufacturing technologies.

He is a member of ASM, ASME and SAE

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