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A number of factors are considered important when considering the choice of material for light vehicle bumpers. These include economics, styling, appearance, fabricability, and durability. Additional factors are introduced due to safety, fuel efficiency and environmental issues. As these issues become more stringent, the choice of material becomes more difficult because traditional materials are not able to provide all of the required properties. This paper describes clad materials systems which provide the required properties while introducing weight reduction in bumpers. Specific combinations of stainless steel and aluminum in a clad configuration have been used on automobiles and trucks for many years in a wide range of applications. These clad metal systems have all of the desirable properties of the individual components and provide a light weight alternative to the limitations of traditional materials.

A new clad metal system has been developed as a material for hydraulic brake line tubing. The material consists of a 1008 LCS/304 SS/1008 LCS composite in the ratio 45%/10%/45%. Laboratory experimental tests, accelerated life tests, and field tests were performed on brake tubing formed from this material. The results show that the brazed and ternecoat low-carbon steel/stainless steel/low-carbon steel tubing has excellent corrosion resistance and high mechanical strength. The results are compared with those obtained with conventional brazed and ternecoat LCS brake tubing.