“"Smart" Surrogates” (#1121)

Synopsis

It isn't very often that you can point to a true breakthrough in how cars are made. But we could be on the verge of witnessing a revolution in automotive design and manufacturing. This week on Autoline Detroit one of the leaders in this field, Dr. Alan Taub of General Motors gives us a preview of this manufacturing revolution in the making. His team has been integrating what it calls "smart materials" into design elements of future vehicles. Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) and Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs) are plastics and metals that morph into different forms with a slight electrical charge. When you design them into a car or a truck, the weight savings are enormous, and that, of course, leads to lower costs. To hear about this high-tech wizardry that's just a few years away, catch John McElroy's interview with Dr. Alan Taub and see for yourself the kind of "shape shifting materials" in store for perhaps your next vehicle.