Recently, good news came from Luozhuang District, Linyi City, Shandong Province - the project "Development and Industrialization of High-Strength and High-Toughness Aluminum Alloy Profiles for New Energy Vehicles" jointly applied for by Shandong Yuefeng New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and Central South University has been successfully approved for the 2025 Shandong Provincial Key Research and Development Program (Domestic Science and Technology Cooperation) project. This is not only a landmark progress in Luozhuang District's construction of a full-chain innovation system covering "basic research - technology development - industrial application", but also an important practice of exploring an independent and controllable path for high-performance aluminum alloy materials under the domestic science and technology cooperation mechanism in the first batch. It has significant reference value for promoting the transformation and upgrading of the aluminum industry in Shandong.
At present, the global new energy vehicle industry is accelerating its development. It is predicted that global sales will exceed 20 million units by 2025. Lightweighting has become the core path to enhance driving range and safety performance, and the demand for high-strength and high-toughness aluminum alloy materials has soared. However, the industry has long been confronted with a "dilemma" : traditional 7-series aluminum alloys meet performance standards but are costly and have complex processes, making mass production difficult. The cost of common 6-series aluminum alloy is low, but it cannot meet the mechanical requirements of key components such as anti-collision beams in the latest safety standards of C-NCAP. The "performance-cost" contradiction has become an industrial bottleneck.
The Shandong Provincial Key Research and Development Program (Domestic Science and Technology Cooperation) Project is based on national strategies such as the Green, low-carbon and high-quality development Pilot zone, focuses on fields like new energy and new materials, and supports domestic cooperation among industry, academia and research. The project initiated by Yuefeng Company and Central South University this time is a vivid demonstration of the plan's promotion of the integration of "technological innovation and industrial innovation", precisely solving the "bottleneck" problems in the aluminum materials field.
As a leading aluminum profile enterprise in Linyi, Yuefeng Company has joined forces with Central South University (a leading force in aluminum alloy research) and Linyi University (a local engineering advantage) to establish a collaborative model of "cutting-edge research in universities + local pilot production and transformation + mass production and application in enterprises". The team focuses on the research and development of four core technologies: rare earth element modification, ingot homogenization control, multi-stage heat treatment, and precision forming of profiles. Relying on the advantages of the three parties, the goal is to develop high-performance 6-series aluminum alloys with a tensile strength of ≥410MPa and an elongation of ≥10%, with a cost reduction of 30% compared to the traditional 7-series. The implementation of these achievements will significantly reduce the costs of automakers, enhance vehicle safety, and inject impetus into the competitiveness of the new energy vehicle industry chain.
The success of the project is inseparable from the empowerment of scientific and technological innovation in Luozhuang District. Next, the Science and Technology Bureau of Luozhuang District will integrate resources, deepen the integration of "industry, academia, research and application", and ensure the efficient advancement of the project. At the same time, taking this project as a driving force, we will enhance regional innovation capabilities, break through key technologies of high-strength and high-toughness aluminum alloys, and promote the transformation of the aluminum-based new materials industry towards "high-end, intelligent and green". The relevant person in charge of Luozhuang District stated that in the future, they will continue to take scientific and technological innovation as the driving force, cultivate more competitive achievements, and inject a strong "technological engine" into the leapfrog development of the aluminum-based industry in the entire district.
