I-Aluminium ikuyo yonke indawo lapho kudingeka khona isakhiwo esingasindi noma i-thermal ephezulu kanye ne-electrical conductivity. I-sportbike evamile inebhulokhi yesilinda se-aluminium, ikhanda, nama-crankcases, kanye ne-chassis ye-aluminium eshiselwe kanye ne-swingarm. Ngaphakathi enjinini, isicelo se-aluminium esibalulekile amaphistoni ayo, okuthi ngokuphatha ukushisa kahle akwazi ukuphila ekuchayekeni emazingeni okushisa omlilo angaphezu kwephuzu lawo lokuncibilika. Amasondo, okokupholisa kanye namaradiyetha kawoyela, izinsimbi zesandla kanye nabakaki bazo, imiqhele yemfoloko engaphezulu kanye (imvamisa) ephansi, amashubhu emfoloko yangaphezulu (ngama-USD amafoloko), amabhuleki ama-brake caliper, namasilinda ayinhloko ngokufanayo ayi-aluminium.

Sonke siye sagqolozela ngokubabaza i-chassis ye-aluminium okushisela kwayo kufana nenqwaba ewile yama-poker chips. Amanye alawa ma-chassis nama-swingarms, afana nalawo a-Aprila's two-stroke 250 racers, yimisebenzi yobuciko emihle.

I-Aluminium ingaxutshwa futhi iphathwe ngokushisa ibe namandla amakhulu kunensimbi ethambile (60,000 psi tensile), nokho ama-alloys amaningi emshinini ngokushesha futhi kalula. I-Aluminium nayo ingaphonswa, yenziwe ngomgunyathi, noma ikhishwe (okuyindlela eminye imishayo eseceleni ye-chassis eyenziwa ngayo). Ukushisa okuphezulu kwe-Aluminium kwenza ukushisela kwayo kudinga i-amperage eningi, futhi insimbi eshisayo kufanele ivikelwe emoyeni womoya womoya ngokuvikela igesi ye-inert (TIG noma i-heli-arc).

Nakuba i-aluminium idinga amanani amakhulu kagesi ukuze iwine insimbi yayo ye-bauxite, uma isikhona isesimweni sensimbi, kubiza kancane ukuyigaya kabusha futhi ayilahlekelwa ukugqwala, njengoba kungaba njalo insimbi.

Abenzi bokuqala bezinjini zezithuthuthu basheshe bamukela insimbi entsha ngaleso sikhathi yama-crankcase, okwakuyodingeka kube eyensimbi ewugqinsi enesisindo esicishe siphindwe kathathu. I-aluminiyamu ehlanzekile ithambile kakhulu—ngikhumbula intukuthelo kamama ngokusebenzisa kukababa i-double-boiler yakhe engu-1,100-alloy njengesicupho se-BB esithuthukisiwe: Iphansi layo libe yinqwaba yama-dimples.

Amandla andayo engxubevange elula enethusi asheshe atholakala, futhi kwakuyingxubevange leyo iphayona lezimoto uWO Bentley alisebenzisa kumapiston akhe okulinga e-aluminiyamu angaphambi kweMpi Yezwe I. Ekuhloleni i-back-to-back ngokumelene nama-cast-iron pistons ngaleso sikhathi, i-Bentley yokuqala yama-aluminium pistons akhulisa amandla ngokushesha. Basebenza ngokupholile, bashisisa ingxube ye-fuel-air engenayo kancane, futhi bagcina ukuminyana kwakho okwengeziwe. Namuhla, ama-piston e-aluminium asetshenziswa emhlabeni wonke ezinjini zezimoto nezithuthuthu.

Kuze kube yilapho kufika indiza yendiza ye-Boeing's carbon-fiber reinforced-plastic 787, kwakuyiqiniso eliyisisekelo lendiza ukuthi cishe yonke isisindo esingenalutho sendiza yayingamaphesenti angu-60 e-aluminium. Uma ubheka izisindo ezilinganiselwe namandla e-aluminium nensimbi, lokhu ekuqaleni kubonakala kuyinqaba. Yebo, i-aluminium inesisindo esingamaphesenti angu-35 kuphela njengensimbi, ivolumu yevolumu, kodwa izinsimbi ezinamandla okungenani ziqine ngokuphindwe kathathu kune-aluminum yamandla aphezulu. Kungani ungakhi izindiza ngensimbi encane?

Yehlela ekumelaneni nokuboshelwa kwezakhiwo ezilinganayo ze-aluminium nensimbi. Uma siqala ngamashubhu e-aluminium nensimbi enesisindo esifanayo ngonyawo ngalunye, futhi sinciphisa ukujiya kodonga, ishubhu lensimbi liyabophela kuqala ngenxa yokuthi impahla yalo, ewugqinsi oluyingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu kuphela njenge-aluminium, inekhono elincane kakhulu lokuziqinisa.

Ngawo-1970, ngasebenza nomakhi wohlaka uFrank Camillieri. Lapho ngimbuza ukuthi kungani singasebenzisi ishubhu yensimbi enobubanzi obukhudlwana bodonga oluncane ukuze senze amafreyimu alula, aqine, wathi, “Uma wenza lokho, uthola ukuthi kufanele wengeze inqwaba yezinto ezintweni ezifana nezigaxa zenjini. zigcine zingaqhekeki, ukuze ukonga kunyamalale.”

I-Kawasaki yaqala yamukela ama-swingarm e-aluminium kumabhayisikili ayo e-MX yemboni ekuqaleni kwawo-1970; labanye bamlandela. Kwathi ngo-1980, u-Yamaha wafaka u-Kenny Roberts ebhayisikilini le-GP elinezingqimba ezimbili elingu-500 uhlaka lwalo olwakhiwe ngeshubhu ye-aluminium ekhishwe esigcawini esiyisikwele. Ukuhlola okuningi kwedizayini kwakudingeka, kodwa ekugcineni, kusetshenziswa imibono kanjiniyela wase-Spain u-Antonio Cobas, amafreyimu omjaho we-GP we-Yamaha we-GP aguqukele emishayweni emikhulu yamawele e-aluminiyamu ajwayelekile namuhla.

Impela kukhona i-chassis ephumelelayo yezinye izinhlobo—i-Ducati's steel-tube “trellis” eyodwa, kanye ne-carbon-fiber chassis ka-John Britten “yesikhumba namathambo” ekuqaleni kwawo-1990. Kodwa ama-chassis amabili we-aluminium beam asebenamandla namuhla. Ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi i-chassis esebenzayo ingenziwa nge-plywood ebunjiwe, inqobo nje uma inamaphoyinti aqinile okubopha kanye nejometri efakazelwe evamile.

Omunye umehluko obalulekile phakathi kwensimbi ne-aluminium ukuthi insimbi inalokho okubizwa ngokuthi umkhawulo wokukhathala: izinga lokucindezeleka lokusebenza elingaphansi lapho isikhathi sokuphila sengxenye ngokuyisisekelo singapheli. Iningi lama-alloys e-aluminium alinawo umkhawulo wokukhathala, yingakho ama-airframe e-aluminium “ephila” enanini elihleliwe lokusebenzisa amahora. Ngaphansi kwalo mkhawulo, insimbi iyasithethelela iziphambeko zethu, kodwa i-aluminium ikhumbula zonke izinhlamba ngendlela yokulimala okungabonakali kokukhathala kwangaphakathi.

I-GP chassis enhle yama-1990s yayingeke ibe yisisekelo sokukhiqiza ngobuningi. Leyo chassis yayihlanganisa izingcezu ezishiselwe ndawonye zisuka komshini, ocindezelwe, kanye nezakhi ze-aluminium ezicijile. Akukhona lokho kuphela okuyinkimbinkimbi, kodwa kudinga ukuthi wonke ama-alloys amathathu ahlangane. Ukushisela kubiza imali nesikhathi, ngisho noma kwenziwa amarobhothi okukhiqiza.

Ubuchwepheshe obuye benza izinjini zanamuhla ezinesisindo esilula ezine-stroke kanye ne-cast chassis zenzeke izindlela zokugcwalisa isikhunta ezinesiphithiphithi esincane ezingawafaki amafilimu e-aluminium oxide akheka ngokushesha ku-aluminium encibilikisiwe. Amafilimu anjalo akha izindawo zobuthakathaka ensimbi, esikhathini esidlule, ayedinga ukulingisa ukuba kushube kakhulu ukuze kuzuzwe amandla anele. Izingxenye zokusakaza ezivela kulezi zinqubo ezintsha zingaba yinkimbinkimbi, kodwa i-chassis ye-aluminium yanamuhla ingahlanganiswa nama-welds angabalwa esandleni esisodwa. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi izindlela ezintsha zokulingisa zonga amakhilogremu angama-30 noma ngaphezulu esisindo ezithuthuthu zokukhiqiza.

Kanye nezinhlobonhlobo eziningi zezinsimbi, i-aluminium iyihhashi eliyisisekelo lempucuko yabantu, kodwa ingaphezu kwalokho kwezithuthuthu zesimanje. Inyama yebhayisikili, itholakala yonke indawo kangangokuthi asiyiboni noma sivuma ukuthi kungakanani ukusebenza komshini esikukweleta yona.