Titanium in the Automotive Industry

With Titanium’s high melting point, corrosion resistance, and lightweight, it is becoming a highly desirable metal in the automotive industry. Utilizing titanium will result in lighter automotive parts that retain the same strength and integrity as the original steel parts. This in turn can improve the vehicle’s fuel economy and reduce its carbon footprint.

Luxury auto manufacturers, such as Bugatti, have begun using titanium in parts throughout the vehicle that continuously faces high-heat and corrosive environments. Brake calipers, engine valves, tire rims, and other mechanical parts are some of the many components that have been made from titanium. Titanium has the added benefit of continued strength versus traditional steel parts with also a reduction in the parts’ overall weight. This reduction in weight can help improve fuel and energy efficiency, and also the carbon emissions from the vehicle as a whole. Titanium is also known for being highly corrosion resistant, something that all automobiles face from elements like road salt and extreme cold. Parts made from Titanium will ultimately extend the life of the individual part and the vehicle as a whole.

Currently, the only limiting factor to the widespread use of titanium in the construction of automobiles is its relatively high cost of production, at roughly $4,800 USD per metric ton in 2018. In the future, improvements to the production and procurement of titanium should bring the cost of the metal down to the point where it can be priced competitively with steel.

As the manufacturing process of titanium improves and the costs come down, there will be a lucrative future for this metal in the construction of consumer-grade vehicles. Titanium one day could be as commonplace as aluminum or steel in our cars or motorcycles.

ADDere’s additive manufacturing can streamline the development and production process of large-scale components made from titanium. Contact us today and see if your manufacturing operations can benefit from ADDere’s additive manufacturing with titanium.