Grant: Alliance Grants

The proposed research project will focus on creating a multiscale modelling framework that can be used for end-to-end process modelling of aluminum automotive sheets. This work will be done in partnership with Novelis, which is the largest supplier of sheet aluminum to the automotive industry. The automotive manufacturers are looking for cost-effective ways to lightweight the vehicles whilst still meeting the required performance standards. Aluminum sheets are the most attractive product for the industry to meet government regulations. The traditional approach of trial-and error development cycles can increase the cost of production. Numerical modeling provides a critical technological tool that can be used to fill this decision-making gap. This project will develop separate models that can model the microstructure evolution during various stages of the Thermo-Mechanical (TM) process that leads to the final component production. The goal is to develop a set of tools that can be used to model each "part" of the TM process. In addition, the framework will identify the linkages between these processes so that these developed tools can be applied sequentially to get "true" end-to-end modelling framework. Novelis is planning to implement the models developed in this project as an integrated computational framework. The project will also train highly qualified personnel that can who will help build the talent pool in Canada.