Chevrolet Debuts Lightweight ‘Smart Material’ on Corvette

[Andonis]

DETROIT – From its fiberglass body in 1953 to its aluminum chassis for 2014, Chevrolet Corvette has a six-decade track record for introducing lightweight materials that improve vehicle performance. With the 2014 Corvette weighing in 99 pounds lighter than its predecessor, that trend continues.
The redesigned seventh-generation sports car is the first vehicle to use a General Motors’-developed lightweight shape memory alloy wire in place of a heavier motorized actuator to open and close the hatch vent that releases air from the trunk. This allows the trunk lid to close more easily than on the previous models where trapped air could make the lid harder to close.
Considering there are about 200 motorized movable parts on the typical vehicle that could be replaced with lightweight smart materials, GM is looking at significant mass reduction going forward.
Shape memory alloys – typically made of copper-aluminum-nickel or nickel-titanium – are smart materials that can change their shape, strength, and/or stiffness when activated by heat, stress, a magnetic field or electrical voltage. Shape memory alloys “remember” their original shape and return to it when de-activated.
In the new Corvette, a shape memory alloy wire opens the hatch vent whenever the deck lid is opened, using heat from an electrical current in a similar manner to the trunk lights. When activated, the wire contracts and moves a lever arm to open the vent, allowing the trunk lid to close. Once the trunk lid is closed, the electrical current switches off, allowing the wire to cool and return to its normal shape, which closes the vent to maintain cabin temperature.

read more and see the video

[XQIZT]

Well thats kinda cool!

[Texdentist]

Some of these materials are used in dentistry - especially orthodontics. Nickel-Titanium wire is commonly used with braces because it is very flexible, but has great memory. There is also a heat-activated Nickel-Titanium that is very, very flexible when cool - thus easy to get into the ortho brackets when the teeth are way out of alignment. But at body temperature, the wire stiffens, so it works harder to pull the brackets (and teeth) into the straight alignment it seeks. Thus, your kid with braces is almost as high-tech as your Stingray.

[elegant]

Nice find! In an earlier release GM mentioned the potential to use shape memory metal to potentially be used in up to 200 applications per a car, using it instead of electric motors. Given that shape memory metal pioneered in the C7 two years ahead of GM's original projections, in its future and full implementstion, it could save significant weight and cost in future models (replacing tens of small electric motors).

[Punk Boy]

hi tech stuff hope that its reliable...

[alexandro777]

With the 2014 Corvette weighing in 99 pounds lighter than its predecessor, that trend continues.

With this sentence we could put to and end the dilemma of how much the corvette is going to weight.

[Roadkillz]

Originally Posted by alexandro777

With the 2014 Corvette weighing in 99 pounds lighter than its predecessor, that trend continues.

With this sentence we could put to and end the dilemma of how much the corvette is going to weight.

Or can we, I think that this is just going to cloud things up even more as some will say that this was a typo.

[XQIZT]

Originally Posted by Roadkillz

Or can we, I think that this is just going to cloud things up even more as some will say that this was a typo.

I thought at the reveal they said the FRAME was 99lbs lighter. No real mention of curb weight of the whole car. Some here have said it will weigh MORE.

[blucpe]

what was this thread about i forgot, my memory is shot. lol.
actually all kidding aside that is pretty neat. thanks for sharing.

[Roadkillz]

Originally Posted by XQIZT

I thought at the reveal they said the FRAME was 99lbs lighter. No real mention of curb weight of the whole car. Some here have said it will weigh MORE.

With all of the weight that they have stated to have removed from the car they have only accounted for about 60 pounds added back to the vehicle.

Though yes we all know that the chassis is 99 pounds lighter which makes one wonder that this was a type.

[Andonis]

Originally Posted by blucpe

what was this thread about i forgot, my memory is shot. lol.
actually all kidding aside that is pretty neat. thanks for sharing.

you're welcome. I'm glad you all find it interesting.

[bkuper]

Originally Posted by Texdentist

Thus, your kid with braces is almost as high-tech as your Stingray.

So...I could purchase braces for my kid...OR...purchase a C7.

hmmmm....

[ArKay99]

Originally Posted by bkuper

So...I could purchase braces for my kid...OR...purchase a C7.

hmmmm....

[DarthAWM]

Originally Posted by Punk Boy

hi tech stuff hope that its reliable...

Fewer moving parts, sounds brilliant to me.