Uses for Beryllium in Transportation

Beryllium alloys are used in automobile components and airplane equipment to ensure the reliable operation of vital equipment and to enhance fuel efficiency.

Beryllium helps get us from here to there.

Benefiting drivers everywhere. Today’s cars and trucks include technologies and innovations that make driving safer, as well as more comfortable and fuel efficient.

Lightweight beryllium alloy connectors are used throughout the electrical systems of cars and trucks for their reliability and to improve vehicle fuel efficiency. Copper beryllium components are found in traction controls, transmissions, electric motors, anti-lock braking and fuel injection systems. Further, copper beryllium electrical connectors are used in electrically assisted steering systems that are replacing older, heavier hydraulic and electromechanical systems.

In commercial aircraft, landing gear bushings and bearings made from copper beryllium handle great compressive and wear forces despite corrosive atmospheres and exposure to wide ranges of temperature. The higher strength of copper beryllium compared to alternative bronze landing gear materials allows the bearings to be made smaller and lighter. These weight savings, in turn, make planes more fuel efficient which results in reduced exhaust emissions.

Beryllium is a crucial component of the electronic safety and navigation technology, including Global Positioning Systems (GPS) used for air-traffic control and air route surveillance.