Business Issue: Maximizing Value; Stakeholder Engagement;
Product Stewardship
Innovative automotive bumper system

Designed with the goal of sustainability in mind, the extrusion-based aluminum automotive bumper systems developed by Engineered Products have proven to have positive economic, environmental and social impacts.

Economic: The extrusion-based concept enables the cost-effective production of the bumpers while achieving a 40% weight reduction when compared to a conventional steel design. Since the start of bumper production at our Gottmadingen plant (Germany) in 2000, more than three million bumpers have been produced. The market share for aluminum bumpers is expected to double up to 2006, and Alcan's share of the market is expected to grow significantly.

Our success with the bumper system has reinforced our position as a preferred partner for development and supply of safety systems to the Volkswagen/Audi group, Daimler Chrysler, GM (Opel), Ford (Jaguar), BMW and PSA (Peugeot, Citroen).

Environment Health and Safety: Manufacturing the bumpers using the extrusion process minimizes process scrap (eliminating cutting scrap) and eliminates air and effluent emissions in the production process. In addition, the high volume automated production lines are completely encapsulated for noise protection and worker safety. Due to aluminum's excellent corrosion-resistant properties, the patented extruded bumper system doesn't require any surface treatment. This in turn results in the elimination of related process emissions and waste.

When compared to a conventional steel bumper, the Alcan-designed unit results in a weight saving of a minimum 2 kg in smaller models and up to 4 kg in the larger, luxury vehicles. The bumper is easily disassembled, making it highly compatible with the recycled aluminum material waste stream.

Social: The concept allows for tailor-made solutions for each car model in terms of minimizing weight and material usage while the revolutionary multi-chamber profile offers optimum energy absorption characteristics to protect the car and its occupants. Significant secondary benefits include reduced automobile body damage due to the bumper's energy absorption capabilities, which leads to considerable savings in insurance costs for drivers. Studies in Germany point to insurance savings of up to 100 Euros per year.

Not only is passenger safety maximized, the lightweight bumpers also contribute to improved vehicle handling and braking performance.