SEP 14, 2015 | DEARBORN, MICH.
FORD, ALCOA COLLABORATE ON MORE FORMABLE AND DESIGN-FRIENDLY NEXT-GENERATION ALUMINUM ALLOYS

• Alcoa’s breakthrough Micromill™ technology to debut on the 2016 Ford F-150; Ford to be the first automaker to use the advanced automotive aluminum commercially
• Micromill® material is 40 percent more formable than today’s automotive aluminum – creating more design-friendly aluminum
• Use of Micromill aluminum alloy for 2016 F-150 starts in the fourth quarter of 2015 on some components, with additional parts transitioning to the new material in 2016

DEARBORN, announced in December 2014, produces an aluminum alloy that is 40 percent more formable than today’s automotive aluminum.

“Alcoa’s breakthrough Micromill technology offers highly differentiated automotive material with strength, weight, formability and surface quality combinations previously impossible,” said Klaus Kleinfeld, Alcoa chairman and chief executive officer. “This high-tech aluminum will give Ford a true material edge enabling greater design flexibility and better vehicle performance – making the concept cars of tomorrow a reality.”

The increased formability of Micromill aluminum makes it easier to shape into intricate forms, such as the inside panels of automobile doors and external fenders. The increased material strength allows for the use of thinner aluminum sheet without compromising dent resistance.

Micromill is the fastest, most productive aluminum casting and rolling system in the world combining multiple technologies into a streamlined production system. A traditional rolling mill takes around 20 days to turn molten metal into coil; Micromill does it in just 20 minutes.

Collaboration covers current and future Micromill alloys Ford will begin using Micromill material in 2016 F-150 production in the fourth quarter of 2015, and plans to increase its use over the next several years on a range of vehicle components and future platforms. It is projected Ford’s use of Micromill material on its vehicles will more than double from 2016 to 2017.

Alcoa’s advanced alloys offer Ford the formability and strength required for greater flexibility in designing vehicles using complex parts. By using the highly formable material, parts constructed of multiple pieces can be manufactured as a single part – reducing complexity and assembly time. Target applications for the material include critical strength structural parts as well as exterior panels that must meet strict surface quality requirements.

Aluminum alloy produced using the Micromill process has already been validated by Ford engineers to ensure it meets the stringent requirements for producing high-quality parts, especially the kinds of complex structures that make up F-150.

“The door inner is one of the most difficult parts in automotive stamping,” said Peter Friedman, Ford global manager of structures and stamping, Research & Advanced Engineering. “The ability to produce an alloy using Alcoa’s Micromill technology to make that part is a real statement for how this process can benefit the automotive industry and Ford in particular.

“This technology will help Ford to produce the type of vehicles our customers want,” added Friedman. “We believe the technology can be used to develop new alloys that will improve our ability to form complex parts, which will help in both design and efficiency.”

The joint development agreement between Alcoa and Ford will further expand the existing suite of automotive alloys produced by Micromill technology for use on Ford vehicles. New alloys will improve design flexibility on lightweight parts and provide better vehicle performance – helping Ford produce the types of quality, lightweight vehicles customers want.

 

Some of the mechanical parts from the 2015+ I'm planning to swap onto my 2006. Its the same basic platform and a lot of parts swap between 2004-2015. I figure I can easily shave a couple hundred pounds off my truck.

 

Since I rarely drive the F150 far from home I've taken out the spare, the jack, 4x4 engine skid plate, front tow hooks, swapped out the metal fan for e-fans.... about 200 lbs shaved off. Using some of the newer suspension parts and under the hood stuff I can probably knock off another 200lbs. 400lbs total is some serious weight off the truck, that'll pick up some time in the 1/4 mile.

Some of the aluminum suspension parts on the 2015+ shave off a lot of weight, I was really surprised when I looked up the numbers. 16lbs each (32lbs total) for the lower arms up front. Going to take off the hitch assembly as well, there's a lot of weight there that'll help me reach that extra 200lbs.

I don't think I'd want aluminum doors though!

I'll have to look up the sound clip for the bat!

 

Yeah, I've done some work on it, plus my friend (now retired) Mike Troyer... only person besides me who I would let work on it.

Went from 6lbs boost the normal Roush setup has, to 10 lbs.
Factory headers came off, stainless long tubes with high flow catalytic converters went in there place.
Factory fan went out, since it puts a small load on the engine at all times (even with the fan clutch it spins the hell out of the fan). In went in a 2010 F150 electric fan (btw, I was the first to do this and document the mods needed).
Added a 2nd intercooler heat exchanger and 2nd intercooler coolant tank.
Replaced the rear end locker with a beefier one.
Had the transmission rebuilt, using Kevlar frictions, an additional friction and metal plate added too in the clutch pack. Stock torque converter (60 sq inches of lockup material) replaced with a 10 inch converter with 110 sq inches of lockup material. The converter can now go full lock, 0% slip, in 2-4 gears, at wide open throttle. Though you never want to go wide open in 4th, I always drop out of overdrive if I'm gonna floor it.
Tweaks to the wiring harness to the fuel pump to reduce due cycle.
I've done a lot of changes to the tune in the PCM.


Roush's setup had it about about 330 HP at the wheels, give or take (verses 220-230 for a stock F150), it's now over 410 HP. Based on Roush's crank HP ratings, I figure the engine is putting out roughly 525HP at the crank.

Running tires wider than stock, with high speed rated (150 mph) tires. I've had it to 140 or so, my courage runs out then - the truck has plenty of confidence with the upgraded suspension... but I don't, lol.

Right now it's parked. I was backing out of my shop building and the intercooler over the manifold sprung a leak and dumped over a gallon of coolant into the engine. Truck has 55,000 miles, engine has been flawless, and a damned coolant leak killed it. I'm planning on (soon) getting it rebuilt to handle about 1000 HP, and will then look at my options so far as adding more boost, probably going to have to upgrade from a regular Roush Eaton supercharger to a Roush TVS supercharger (30% more HP at any given boost level).