I-Aluminium ikhona yonke indawo lapho kudingeka khona isakhiwo esilula noma ukushisa okuphezulu kanye nogesi. Ibhayisikili lezemidlalo elijwayelekile line-aluminium cylinder block, i-head, kanye ne-crankcases, kanye ne-aluminium chassis kanye ne-swingarm ehlanganisiwe. Ngaphakathi kwenjini, ukusetshenziswa kwe-aluminium okubalulekile ama-piston ayo, aqhuba ukushisa kahle kangaka akwazi ukusinda ekuvezweni amazinga okushisa aphezulu kakhulu kunezinga lawo lokuncibilika. Amasondo, ama-coolant kanye nama-radiator kawoyela, ama-hand lever kanye nama-bracket awo, ama-fork crown aphezulu kanye (ngokuvamile) aphansi, amashubhu aphezulu (ngama-USD forks), ama-brake caliper, kanye nama-master cylinder nawo ayi-aluminium.

Sonke sibheke ngokumangala i-chassis ye-aluminium enama-weld afana nenqwaba yama-poker chips awile. Ezinye zalezi chassis kanye ne-swingarms, njengalezo zabagibeli be-Aprilia abagijima ngama-stroke amabili angu-250, ziyimisebenzi yobuciko emihle.

I-Aluminium ingaxutshwa futhi iphathwe ngokushisa ngamandla amakhulu kunensimbi ethambile (60,000 psi tensile), kodwa iningi lama-alloy lisebenza ngokushesha nangokulula. I-Aluminium ingaphinde iphonswe, ihlanganiswe, noma ikhishwe (okuyindlela eminye imisebe ye-chassis eseceleni eyenziwa ngayo). Ukushisa okuphezulu kwe-Aluminium kwenza ukushisela kwayo kudinge i-amperage eningi, futhi insimbi eshisayo kumele ivikelwe emoyeni womoya-mpilo ngokuvikela igesi engangenisi (TIG noma i-heli-arc).

Nakuba i-aluminium idinga ugesi omningi ukuze ithole i-ore yayo ye-bauxite, uma isikhona ngesimo sensimbi, ayibizi kakhulu ukuyiphinda isetshenziswe futhi ayilahlekelwa ukugqwala, njengoba insimbi ingaba njalo.

Abenzi bokuqala bezinjini zezithuthuthu basheshe bathatha insimbi entsha ngaleso sikhathi ukuze bayisebenzisele ama-crankcase, okwakungadingeka ukuthi ibe ngensimbi ephonswe ngesisindo esicishe sibe kathathu. I-aluminium emsulwa ithambile kakhulu—ngikhumbula intukuthelo kamama ngokusebenzisa kukababa i-boiler yakhe engu-1,100-alloy double-boiler njengesicupho se-BB esenziwe ngokungemthetho: Iphansi layo laba yinqwaba yama-dimples.

Amandla akhuphukile engxube elula enethusi atholakala ngokushesha, futhi kwakuyingxubevange enkulu kakhulu eyasetshenziswa yi-WO Bentley, iphayona elihamba ngemoto, kuma-piston akhe e-aluminium angaphambi kweMpi Yezwe I. Ekuhlolweni okulandelanayo ngokumelene nama-piston ensimbi ayebusa ngaleso sikhathi, ama-piston e-aluminium okuqala e-Bentley akhulisa amandla ngokushesha. Asebenza kahle, afudumeza ingxube kaphethiloli nomoya engenayo kancane, futhi alondoloza ubuningi bawo obukhulu. Namuhla, ama-piston e-aluminium asetshenziswa kabanzi ezinjinini zezimoto nezesithuthuthu.

Kuze kube sekufikeni kwendiza ye-Boeing ene-carbon-fiber eqiniswe ngepulasitiki i-787, kwakuyinto eyisisekelo yezindiza ukuthi cishe isisindo esingenalutho sendiza ngayinye sasiyi-aluminium engamaphesenti angama-60. Uma sibheka isisindo namandla e-aluminium nensimbi, lokhu ekuqaleni kubonakala kungavamile. Yebo, i-aluminium inesisindo esingamaphesenti angama-35 kuphela kunensimbi, ivolumu ngevolumu, kodwa izinsimbi ezinamandla aphezulu zinamandla okungenani kathathu kune-aluminium enamandla amakhulu. Kungani ungakhi izindiza ngensimbi encane?

Kwaba ukumelana nokugoba kwezakhiwo ezilinganayo ze-aluminium nensimbi. Uma siqala ngamapayipi e-aluminium nensimbi anesisindo esifanayo ngonyawo, bese sinciphisa ubukhulu bodonga, ipayipi lensimbi liyagoba kuqala ngoba izinto zalo, njengoba zinobukhulu obuyingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu njenge-aluminium, azinamandla okuziqinisa kakhulu.

Phakathi neminyaka yawo-1970, ngasebenza nomakhi wohlaka uFrank Camillieri. Lapho ngimbuza ukuthi kungani singasebenzisi amapayipi ensimbi amakhulu odonga oluncane ukuze senze ozimele abalula nabaqinile, wathi, “Uma wenza lokho, uthola ukuthi kufanele wengeze izinto eziningi ezintweni ezifana nezinsimbi zokufaka injini ukuze zingaqhekeki, ukuze ukonga isisindo kunyamalale.”

IKawasaki yaqala ukusebenzisa izikhali ze-aluminium swingarms kumabhayisikili ayo e-MX asefektri ekuqaleni kwawo-1970; amanye alandela. Kwabe sekuthi ngo-1980, iYamaha yafaka uKenny Roberts ebhayisikilini le-GP elinama-stroke amabili angu-500 elinefreyimu eyenziwe ngepayipi le-aluminium elikhishwe ngesikwele. Kwadingeka ukuhlolwa okuningi kokuklama, kodwa ekugcineni, kusetshenziswa imibono yonjiniyela waseSpain u-Antonio Cobas, amafreyimu omjaho we-GP weYamaha aguquka aba imisebe emikhulu ye-aluminium emibili ejwayelekile yanamuhla.

Ngokuqinisekile kunezinhlobo ze-chassis eziphumelelayo zezinye izinhlobo—i-“trellis” yensimbi kaDucati eyodwa, kanye ne-chassis ye-carbon-fiber kaJohn Britten “yesikhumba namathambo” yasekuqaleni kwawo-1990. Kodwa i-chassis ye-aluminium beam emibili isibe yinto evelele namuhla. Ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi i-chassis esebenzayo ingenziwa nge-plywood ebunjiwe, uma nje inezindawo zokubhoboza eziqinile kanye ne-geometry evamile eqinisekisiwe.

Omunye umehluko obalulekile phakathi kwensimbi ne-aluminium ukuthi insimbi inalokho okubizwa ngokuthi umkhawulo wokukhathala: izinga lokucindezeleka lokusebenza ngaphansi kwalokho impilo yengxenye ingenamkhawulo. Iningi lama-alloy e-aluminium alinawo umkhawulo wokukhathala, yingakho ama-airframe e-aluminium “ephila” isikhathi esihleliwe sokusetshenziswa kwamahora amaningi. Ngaphansi kwalomkhawulo, insimbi isithethelela iziphambeko zethu, kodwa i-aluminium ikhumbula zonke izithuko ngesimo somonakalo wokukhathala kwangaphakathi ongabonakali.

I-chassis enhle ye-GP yango-1990 yayingeke ibe yisisekelo sokukhiqizwa ngobuningi. Leyo chassis yayinezingcezu ezihlanganiswe ndawonye ngezinto ezifakwe ngomshini, ezicindezelwe, nezibunjiwe nge-aluminium. Akukhona nje ukuthi lokho kuyinkimbinkimbi, kodwa kudinga ukuthi zonke izinhlobo ezintathu ze-alloy zikwazi ukushibilika. Ukushibilika kubiza imali nesikhathi, noma ngabe kwenziwa amarobhothi okukhiqiza.

Ubuchwepheshe obenze izinjini zanamuhla ezilula ezine-stroke kanye ne-chassis yokuthunga zenzeka izindlela zokugcwalisa isikhunta ezi-low-turbulence ezingafaki amafilimu e-aluminium oxide akheka ngokushesha ku-aluminium encibilikisiwe. Amafilimu anjalo akha izindawo zobuthakathaka ensimbini, esikhathini esidlule, ezazidinga ukuthi ama-castings abe makhulu kakhulu ukuze kutholakale amandla anele. Izingxenye ezibunjiwe ezivela kulezi zinqubo ezintsha zingaba yinkimbinkimbi kakhulu, kodwa i-chassis ye-aluminium yanamuhla ingahlanganiswa ngama-welds angabalwa ngakwesinye isandla. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi izindlela ezintsha zokuthunga zisindisa amakhilogremu angu-30 noma ngaphezulu ezithuthuthuni zokukhiqiza.

Kanye nezinhlobonhlobo zezinsimbi, i-aluminium iwumsebenzi oyisisekelo wempucuko yabantu, kodwa ingaphezu kwalokho ngezithuthuthu zanamuhla. Ingumzimba webhayisikili, otholakala yonke indawo kangangokuthi asikuboni noma siqaphele ukuthi singakanani umsebenzi womshini esiwudingayo.