A group of nine executives from General Motors Corporation, the world’s largest automobile manufacturer, visited Liaoning Zhongwang Group recently and had an in-depth exchange of ideas related to the light-weight development of automobiles. Being pioneers in their respective fields, both parties recognised that there are great opportunities in the light-weight development of automobiles, and that there is a strong foundation and potential for future collaboration.

The delegates of General Motors visited Zhongwang’s key units including the exhibition hall, processing, smelting and casting workshops for industrial aluminium extrusion products and engineering research center to gain an understanding of the company’s history and development of major projects in the past two decades. The delegates of General Motors expressed high regard for Zhongwang Group’s outstanding research and development, solid equipment investment and excellence-oriented concept of production management. Sources from the delegation said that they look forward with full confidence to the further collaboration between the two parties in the light-weight development of automobiles.

According to experts, aluminium products are light in weight, energy saving and recyclable. As China gives weight to energy saving and environmental protection, the market of aluminium extrusion products in transportation, home appliances, electronic power and machinery equipment sectors will be enormous.

At the same time, light-weight development has become a new trend in the automobile industry across the world. For instance, certain models of Audi have aluminium bodies. The development of light-weight automobiles is a new opportunity in the industry. Figures show that the world’s average consumption of aluminium in automobiles has increased to 107 kilograms per unit from 50 kilograms per unit in 1980, representing a growth of 114%. It is estimated that a 10% decrease in automobile’s weight can reduce fuel consumption by 6% to 8%. In 2010, automobile production and sales in the country surpassed 18 million units, while aluminium consumption for domestically made automobiles increased by 60%. This shows that aluminium consumption in China’s automobile industry continues to grow.

Senior executives of Zhongwang Group revealed, “with the light-weight development of downstream applications of industrial aluminium extrusion products and the promotion of low carbon economy, Zhongwang Group focuses on the production of industrial aluminium extrusion products and strives to become a driving force for light-weight development in the transportations sector. Such development requires joined effort and exploration from upstream and downstream companies in the industry.  Zhongwang Group is pleased to strengthen its communications with leading automobile enterprises like General Motors on strategic collaboration, contributing to the development of the low-carbon automobile industry.”