Stainless steel car body: why not, reasons
Content
But the advantages of the material are crossed out by the very high price and limited reserves of chromium and nickel.
The main material in the construction of the machine is a carbon alloy of iron, which rusts over time. A stainless steel car body could solve this problem. But factories will suffer losses if they produce parts from this alloy.
Why aren't car bodies made of stainless steel?
Metal corrosion is one of the reasons for the failure of the car. The skin of the body rusts, the structure of the car becomes less durable.
Advantages why stainless steel is used in production:
- wear;
- plastic;
- the possibility of welding;
- no need for staining;
- sustainability;
- well protected against corrosion.
Stainless steel car body
But the advantages of the material are crossed out by the very high price and limited reserves of chromium and nickel. Also, stainless steel has poor adhesion to paintwork. These are the reasons why cheap steel is commonly used in car manufacturing.
Five facts against the use of stainless steel
Ensuring the corrosion resistance of the body is an important task, which is usually solved by partial replacement of parts with plastic and non-ferrous alloys.
Reasons why machine manufacturers are moving away from stainless steel:
- labor-intensive technology for processing metal sheets;
- high price due to rare additives;
- limited deposits of chromium and nickel;
- poor weldability and painting;
- an increase in the cost of the car manufacturer.
The use of anti-corrosion alloys in the automotive industry is becoming limited. A large number of stainless machine parts leads to higher costs and lower profits compared to competitors.
Labor intensity in production
Corrosion-resistant alloys contain chromium, which increases hardness. Therefore, metal sheets are difficult to cold stamping, energy costs increase. Body parts of new car models are often curved. Therefore, making stainless steel car upholstery is a time-consuming task.
Car body manufacturing
The car body is made of more ductile carbon steel with a protective coating against corrosion.
High price
Stainless steel contains chromium, nickel, titanium, vanadium and other metals. These scarce materials are needed for the production of washing machine tanks, in other industries. The price of the alloy components makes the final cost of stainless steel high. In one machine, the weight of metal parts is about a ton or more. Therefore, the massive use of stainless steel in production can dramatically increase the cost of cars.
Lack of raw materials
The operating deposits hardly provide demand for the scarce metals which are a part of an anticorrosive alloy. The automotive industry produces tens of millions of cars a year. The existing stainless steel production will not be able to provide such a large volume. It will not be possible to increase capacity, since there will not be enough raw materials for new plants. And the lack of supply of rare metals is the reason why the price of stainless steel is constantly growing.
Problematic welding and painting
The paintwork of the car body protects against corrosion and improves the appearance. But stainless steel has poor adhesion, so special surface preparation is needed for applying paintwork.
Preparing the stainless steel body for painting
Also, due to the high melting point, stainless steel welding is done with an electric arc in neutral gases. These factors add up to increase costs and increase the price of the machine.
Producer losses
An all-stainless steel car body increases costs significantly. Which is unprofitable in a competitive market. Losses can make the manufacturer bankrupt. Anti-corrosion alloy vehicles are usually sold in small quantities and at a high price. Therefore, in Russia, stainless steel machines can be found in Moscow and large cities.
