Material Requirements For Automotive Electric Struts
The materials used for automotive electric struts must possess characteristics such as high strength, lightweight properties, corrosion resistance, and excellent wear and fatigue resistance to ensure stable and reliable operation over the long term. The following outlines the primary material requirements:
Strut Body Materials
High-Strength Aluminum Alloy: Offers advantages such as light weight, high strength, and corrosion resistance. It effectively reduces vehicle curb weight while ensuring the strut's load-bearing capacity and stability. For instance, the electric trunk struts on the Xiaomi SU7 pure electric vehicle utilize high-strength aluminum alloy.
Steel: Characterized by high strength and good toughness, enabling it to withstand significant compressive and tensile forces. However, it is relatively heavy; consequently, steel is typically employed for electric struts requiring exceptionally high structural strength.
Transmission Component Materials
Metal Alloys: Possess high strength and hardness, allowing them to withstand substantial friction and torque while exhibiting excellent wear and fatigue resistance. For example, the gear systems in some electric struts are manufactured using materials such as copper alloys or aluminum alloys.
Engineering Plastics: Offer advantages such as light weight, excellent self-lubricating properties, and low noise levels. They effectively reduce vehicle curb weight while minimizing friction and noise between transmission components. For instance, the lead screw nuts in some electric struts are fabricated using engineering plastics such as nylon or polyoxymethylene (POM).
Sealing Component Materials
Rubber: Exhibits excellent elasticity and sealing capabilities, effectively preventing the ingress of liquids, dust, and other contaminants into the interior of the strut. It also possesses a certain degree of wear and corrosion resistance. For example, the seals in some electric struts are manufactured using materials such as nitrile rubber or fluororubber.
Plastics: Characterized by good wear and corrosion resistance, effectively preventing the ingress of liquids, dust, and other contaminants into the interior of the strut. They also possess a certain degree of elasticity and sealing capability. For example, the seals in some electric struts are manufactured using materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or polyethylene.
Spring Materials
Spring Steel: Possesses a high elastic limit and fatigue limit, enabling it to withstand significant deformation and stress. It also exhibits excellent corrosion and high-temperature resistance. For example, the springs in some electric struts are manufactured using spring steel grades such as 65Mn or 50CrV.
