LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES OF SELECTED GROUPS OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS USED IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

The purpose of the article is to present the results of comparative quantitative analysis of selected materials (steel, magnesium and aluminium alloys) and manufacturing technologies, to indicate their development outlooks and to present its application opportunities particularly in the automotive industry. Moreover in this article describes the application of the computer-integrated prediction of development for objectivised selection of a material and surface treatment technology, so that product properties can be achieved as are expected by a client. In a broad array of applications of the computer-integrated prediction of development in the field of material engineering, including materials surface engineering, experiment planning can be distinguished, usually including the selection of: a research material, surface treatment technology, construction solution and/or methods to review the final outcome achieved against the anticipated outcome. A material for the planned materials science experiments and its surface treatment technology, the application of which contributes most to meeting the high requirements set by a prospect product used, was selected in this work using a dendrological matrix of technology value. The dendrological matrix falls into to a group of contextual matrices allowing presenting graphically a quantitative assessment of the factor, phenomenon or process investigated while taking into account two analysis factors placed on the X and Y axis of the matrix. An evaluation classifying the three groups of materials analysed, i. e. casting magnesium alloys, casting aluminium alloys, constructional steels and their surface treatment technologies, to the individual quarters of the matrix was made based on the results of own materials science and heuristic experiments supported with a review of the literature. Considering the three groups of materials subjected to an expert assessment using a dendrological matrix being inherent part of materials surface engineering development prediction methods. Aluminium cast alloys has achieved here the best position. It was further demonstrated that laser treatment is a technology with the highest potential and attractiveness in the context of applying aluminium casting alloys for surface treatment. The metallographic examinations carried out give grounds to state that the ceramic powder alloying or feeding process will be carried out successfully in case of the aluminium alloy substrate, the powder particles will be distributed uniformly in the investigated surface layer, and that the particular layers is without cracks and failures and tightly adhere to the cast aluminium material matrix. With regard to the above, dynamic development achieved by exploitation of numerous application and development opportunities, especially strong prospects in the automotive industry, aviation industry, military sector, sport sector and in civil engineering is a recommended by appliance of long-term action strategy.