ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Dr. Gerald Cole is a Senior Staff Technical Specialist with Ford Motor Company’s Scientific Research Laboratory in Dearborn Michigan. He has performed materials science, foundry engineering and solidification R&D for almost 40 years, has published over 120 papers, holds 9 patents and has made hundreds of presentations around the world. Jerry’s cast metal expertise encompasses irons, aluminum, aluminum matrix composites, and recently magnesium, where he is recognized as a world automotive expert. Jerry has been instrumental in developing Ford’s lightweighting strategy with magnesium. Jerry is a director of the International Magnesium Association, and past director of AFS’s Detroit Chapter and the IMS. He is a fellow of ASM International, is cited in 3 Whos Who and in American Men & Women in Science.

LIGHT METALS DIVISION LUNCHEON

Date: Wednesday, February 20, 2002, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Location: Washington State Convention & Trade Center
Room: South Level 6, Hall 6C

““Magnesium, the Uncomfortable Metal with a Comfortable Future””

Presented by:
Dr. Gerald S. Cole, Ford Motor Company

About the topic:
This is the second year in a row that the Light Metals Division Luncheon has had a magnesium focus. Last year, we heard what one producer company, Hydro Magnesium thinks about this wundermetal. This year you will hear a consumer’s side. Why should anyone care about magnesium? Whereas the average vehicle has over 120 kgs of aluminum, it has only 4.5 kg of mag; at 0.03% of a vehicle’s mass, that’s not particularly noticeable. Why is that? Automotive engineers “know” that magnesium burns, corrodes and fractures, is unreliable, cannot be worked or joined, has poorly understood properties and is expensive. But those are old husband’s tails. The object of this presentation is to change your paradigms. Even where lightweight is not a valuable attribute, and this has been magnesium’s most visible attribute, magnesium is growing in use for automotive construction. New alloys and technologies have been developed through R&D nurtured by North American and European automotive industries. New exciting lightweight components, are being developed that could exploit this intellectual database and complement aluminum and plastic/composite products. This talk will outline the direction for the automotive uses of magnesium and will indicate how all materials must cooperate if we materials scientists/engineers are to support the growing demand for functional, safe, low cost, lightweight vehicles.

Luncheon tickets are $30 and may be purchased at the TMS Conference Registration desk.