Any driver has once dreamed of oneself looking cool in a life-time dream car with windows down and a favorite track turned loud. And, every day, we see people plugging their phones as they get in to the car to play their playlists customized for driving. There is no doubt that cars can be a fantastic place to enjoy good music. But in order to achieve that level of enjoyment in some cars, the car owner needs to compensate for the vehicle’s limitations in audio quality. However, that is no longer a concern for automobile speakers with POSCO’s magnesium sheet applied. Let’s learn more about it!
A Breathtaking Sound Experience, ‘Korando C’ Speaker System
For the first time in Korea, Ssangyong Motor offers the state-of-the-art sound quality through speakers with POSCO’s magnesium sheet applied, to 2015 ‘Korando C’, Ssangyong’s new automobile. The sound quality of the speaker is far beyond the quality of 6.5 inch-paper speaker, which is applied to 2000cc SUVs of default features.
As a component that plays sounds, the magnesium diaphragm of ‘Korando C’ receives electronic signals and sends out vibrations into the air. Since a diaphragm is the main component that determines the sound quality, it must be lightweight, high in rigidity and automatically dissipates resonance which is irrelevant with the genuine signal. Previously, speaker’s diaphragms were mostly created with paper materials but they were insufficient in high-tone playback due to paper’s shortage in intensity. In order to improve the audio quality, various materials have been considered for development.
Magnesium Diaphragm: the Secret of Full Spectrum Audio Performance
Magnesium sheets are evaluated as the most idealistic material for speaker diaphragms so far. Lightweight and stern, the magnesium sheet can create high-pitch yet pure sound due to the material’s expansive range of frequency. As an ultra-light material, the magnesium sheet can cover a full spectrum from a low note to a high note even with a feeble driving force. Compared to other materials, the magnesium diaphragm provides softer and richer pitch while also offering refined tone with its excellent transmissibility. Especially, the magnesium sheet is less susceptible to unnecessary vibrations that lead to an unpleasant resonance noise. As a result, the high-quality dynamic speaker device, which realizes the sound that is closest to the original tone, is obtained.
POSCO’s Magnesium Sheet behind Your Dynamic Sound on the Road
The magnesium sheets supplied by POSCO undergo the process of figuration, surface treatment, speaker manufacturing, and finally get installed in automobiles. Currently, the magnesium sheets are produced at POSCO’s magnesium plant, located in Suncheon, Jeonnam Province, where the ultra-thin warm-rolling technology is secured. As Ssangyong Motor successfully implemented the magnesium diaphragm speaker to their new ‘Korando C’, they are considering the application of the magnesium diaphragm for other automobiles in the future.
More Applications of POSCO’s Magnesium Sheet in the Auto Industry
Last September, prior to ‘Korando C’, POSCO has already conducted a joint development with Renault Samsung Motors for magnesium sheet auto parts. In fact, POSCO’s magnesium sheet was applied to ‘New SM7 Nova’, specifically where the back seat and the trunk meet, largely contributing to vehicle weight reduction. Being the world’s first case of automobile application, POSCO’s magnesium sheet reduced up to 2.2 kg by replacing the previous component of 3.6 kg with the magnesium piece that weighs only 1.4 kg. Since the outstanding quality of the magnesium sheet has been confirmed through POSCO’s current step into the automobile market, POSCO is planning to accelerate development of the magnesium sheets for television and audio in the upcoming future.