Functional Lattices for Automotive Components (FLAC)

A car door, a suspension arm, or a brake caliper could soon be printed as a single, hollow metal lattice instead of being stamped or cast from solid metal. The problem is straightforward: cutting vehicle weight is the single most effective way to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions, regardless of whether the car runs on petrol, diesel, or a battery. But lightweight parts must still be strong, and conventional manufacturing limits how much material you can remove. This project tackles that gap by combining three advances: a new design methodology that treats a component’s internal structure as a functional lattice, novel aluminium alloys formulated for selective laser melting (SLM), and the SLM process itself—a form of 3D printing that builds metal parts layer by layer from a powder bed. If successful, the FLAC project could make SLM a viable manufacturing route for automotive components. That would let engineers place material only where it is mechanically needed, producing parts that are lighter, stronger, and more efficient than today’s equivalents. The impact would be felt quietly across supply chains: fewer kilograms of metal shipped, less energy used in production, and lower tailpipe emissions over each vehicle’s lifetime.