Browse Topic: Lightweight materials

Items (403)
A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Magnesium Front End Autoparts: A Revision to 2010-01-0275SAE-PP-001851/29/2021
The Magnesium Front End Research and Development (MFERD) project under the sponsorship of Canada, China, and USA aims to develop key technologies and a knowledge base for increased use of magnesium in automobiles. The primary goal of this life cycle assessment (LCA) study is to compare the energy and potential environmental impacts of advanced magnesium based front end parts of a North American-built 2007 GM-Cadillac CTS using the current steel structure as a baseline. An aluminium front end is also considered as an alternate light structure scenario. A “cradle-to-grave” LCA is conducted by including primary material production, semi-fabrication production, autoparts manufacturing and assembly, transportation, use phase, and end-of-life processing of autoparts. This LCA study was done in compliance with international standards ISO 14040:2006 [1] and ISO 14044:2006 [2]. While weight savings result in reductions of energy use and climate change emissions during the use phase of the car, the impacts of autoparts manufacturing and end of life recycling phases of lightweight autoparts designs are substantial as well. Pathways for improving sustainability of magnesium use in automobiles through material management and technology improvements including recycling are also discussed. Mg lightweight designs contribute to the largest use phase total primary and climate change savings over the vehicle's life time. Sustainably manufactured and recycled large magnesium structural parts can provide environmental benefits in terms of climate change emissions and consequently energy use vis-à-vis steel within the expected life of the vehicle. Overall, the aluminum lightweight design showed the best breakeven vehicle distance travelled from primary energy use and climate change perspectives within the vehicle's life time.
Mutagaana, Festo
Optimal Design of Carbon Fiber B-Pillar Structure Based on Equal Stiffness Replacement09-08-01-00033/23/2020
Based on the characteristics of high strength and modulus of carbon fiber-reinforced composite (CFRP), in this article, the CFRP material was used to replace the steel material of the automobile’s B-pillar inner and outer plates, and the three-stage optimization design of the lamination structure was carried out. Firstly, this article used the principle of equal stiffness replacement to determine the thickness of the carbon fiber B-pillar inner and outer plates, and the structural design of the replaced B-pillar was also carried out. Secondly, on the basis of the vehicle collision model, the B-pillar subsystem model was extracted, and the material replacement and collision simulation were carried out. Thirdly, the free-size optimization, size optimization, and lamination sequence optimization of the CFRP B-pillar were performed to get the best ply structure; the objective of optimization was to minimize the carbon fiber B-pillar inner and outer plates mass, and the constraint conditions of optimization were the intrusion amount and intrusion speed of the B-pillar loading points. Finally, the optimization results of carbon fiber B-pillar were verified by simulation. The research showed that, under the requirements of rigid strength and technology, the mass of the B-pillar after the replacement of equal stiffness somewhat decreased, the lightweight rate reached 55%, and it had better energy absorption and impact resistance. After optimization, the mass of the B-pillar was further reduced, the lightweight rate reached 63.5%, and the energy absorption and impact resistance were further improved.
Ma, QihuaWang, KaiCai, MingGan, Xuehui
Mechanical and Corrosion Behaviour of Al 7075 Composite Reinforced with TiC and Al 2 O 3 Particles2019-28-009410/11/2019
Various research regarding new types of fabrication and modifications of Aluminium alloy to improve the existing properties are going on. The wide range application of aluminium alloy is in aerospace and Automobile Industries. The demand for this material improved by mechanical properties with little to zero increment in weight. The current work is based on the fabrication of hybrid aluminium metal matrix composites with the addition of TiC (Titanium Carbide) and Al2O3 (Aluminium Oxide) reinforcement particle using stir casting technique. Three types of hybrid composite samples were prepared based on the weight percentage 5% Al2O3+0% TiC (sample-1), 8% Al2O3 + 12% TiC (sample-2), 20% Al2O3+15% TiC (sample-3). The objective of the study is to analyze the mechanical and corrosion properties of the hybrid composite with the influence of the reinforcement and varying the weight fraction of the particles. Overall, It is observed that a gradual increase in the hardness value in sample-1(83 BHN), Sample-2 (88 BHN) and sample-3 (96 BHN). This trend can be explained by the particulate strengthening of TiC over the soft ductile Al7075 during stir casting. The microstructure also provides a convincing explanation of the increased hardness. The tensile test shows that an increasing trend of yield strength in sample-1 to 3, and a decreasing trend of UTS and YS in sample-2 to 3. This is due to the high content of Al2O3. The corrosion behavior is tested by weight loss method using salt spray test. The sample-3 with the highest content of Al2O3 have the least weight loss and highest corrosion resistance than the other samples.
Jaiswal, SubhamRajamurugan, GovindasamyKrishnasamy, PrabuShaswat, YashwardhanKaushik, Mishra
Design for Adaptive Rear Floor Carpet for Changing Shapes and Complex Architecture2019-28-000410/11/2019
With increasing road traffic and pollution, it becomes responsibility for all OEM to increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon footprint. Most effective way to do so is to reduce weight of the vehicle and more use of ecofriendly recyclable material. With this objective we have come up with Light weight, cost effective sustainable design solution for Injection moulded RQT (Rear quarter trim). It is an interior plastic component mounted in the III row of the vehicle. This is required to ensure inside enhanced aesthetic look of the vehicle and comfort for 3rd row passengers. Conventionally RQT of vehicle with 3rd row seating is made using plastic material (PP TD 20). With the use of plastic moulded RQT there is a significant weight addition of around 6 kg per vehicle along with reduced cabin space, huge investment and development time impact. In PROJECT X model which is a 4.4 meter vehicle with 3rd row seating capacity, we have challenged the conventional way of design and have come up with “Light weight, cost effective sustainable design solution” of rear RQT, C pillar lower and D pillar lower with an objective to increase cabin space, reduce weight & investment by at least 50% without compromising the aesthetic appeal and HVAC performance of the vehicle. To achieve a unique solution towards conventional moulded RQT it was necessary to understand the various contributing factors towards design constraints, such as aesthetic requirement, part geometry, material options, industry standard, manufacturing constraints, interface requirement, cost, investment and most importantly the weight saving with a challenge to conventional way of design. In order to overcome all the above mentioned constraints rigorous detail study, data mining, benchmarking, engineering feasibility & brainstorming was performed. It was observed that most of the internal and external competitors with 3rd row passenger seat have conventional injection moulded RQT in passenger compartment. Appropriate design with correct reinforced configuration of fabric was considered leading to weight & per piece cost reduction by approx. 65% and investment cost reduction by approx. 50%. There were several other challenges in term of harmony with surrounding parts, fit & finish, CMF, ergonomic requirement and stringent timeline, which was resolved systematically. We have also followed First time right and every time right methodology to ensure defect free product and have demonstrated the same at initial stage through prototype validation at buck level as well as software level.
Kumar, PraveenNimmagadda, RamakrishnaBornare, HarshadKinthala, Nareen
Benefit of a Lightweight Frunk2019-01-14566/5/2019
Due to the increasing number of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), the engineering fields regarding driving comfort and NVH issues are becoming more and more challenging: many new factors affect the development of BEVs NVH package. The noise sources related to the powertrain are different from the traditional ones of internal combustion engines, for instance due to the presence of tonal components, strong harmonics and potential whining noise. To satisfy NVH specifications and the need for lightweight solutions to increase driving range, it is important to mask as much as possible the noise coming from the engine bay with materials both lightweight and acoustically performing. Moreover, for electric vehicles new interesting solutions are possible with the introduction of new components that do not find room under the hood of ICE or hybrid vehicles. These components, if properly designed, could lead to significant NVH benefits. The present paper reports the NVH effects of one of these new components, the frunk, a small compartment inside the engine bay, functionally similar to the trunk. In this paper, the design-by-simulation of a frunk is described. By means of simulation both acoustic and mechanical requirements are analyzed. First, FE mechanical simulations are used to ensure that the right design to satisfy static and dynamic load conditions with a lightweight material is found. After this, the potential NVH benefits of adopting -for the frunk- a porous textile material in comparison to a glass-fiber reinforced plastic are assessed. Focus is also put on the possibility to reduce traditional engine bay treatments when an acoustic frunk is adopted. The model used in NVH simulations is a simplified engine bay mock-up, in which a simplified frunk was inserted. An acoustic point source excitation was placed where an e-motor is normally mounted. The effects of the frunk were judged simulating acoustic transfer functions (ATFs) in several positions, corresponding to microphones placed inside and outside the engine bay cavity.
Di Marco, FedericoPezzani, FlavioDaving, AndreasMazzarella, Luca
Destructive Mechanism Solution of Aluminum Secondary Ingot2019-01-11014/2/2019
Secondary ingot aluminum is used as a material for many automobile parts because it enables to simultaneously reduce weight and lower costs. However, it is unclear whether secondary ingot aluminum is used with an accurate understanding of the material characteristics. This research identified the actual factors in how parts that use secondary ingot aluminum fracture, and examined methods for enhancing the mechanical properties. The relationship between mechanical properties and part strength when secondary ingot aluminum is used in automobile parts was clarified. The fracturing factors of metal material parts were formerly evaluated by two-dimensional microstructure observation and facture surface observation. This research used high-resolution CT to evaluate the microstructure in three dimensions. In-situ observations of fracturing behavior were also made in order to clarify how the shapes of intermetallic compounds in secondary ingot aluminum influence mechanical properties, and methods for enhancing mechanical properties were examined. A study of parts shape using high pressure die-cast parts, which often use secondary ingot aluminum materials, was also carried out to accurately understand the mechanical properties. The results showed that the mechanical properties of the surface layer of the part are crucial for part strength. This shows that design and manufacturing that take the surface layer characteristics of the part into account will enable application of secondary ingot aluminum materials to an even greater range of parts.
Iwata, YoshiroToda, Hiroyuki
Fiber Reinforced Plastic Durability: Nonlinear Multi-Scale Modeling for Structural Part Life Predictions2019-26-02781/9/2019
OEMs are seeking to develop vehicle light weighting strategies that will allow them to meet weight and fuel economy targets hence increasingly shifting their focus towards incorporating lighter material solutions at mass produced scales. Composites are seen by automotive manufacturers as the solution to lightweight vehicles without affecting their performance. More and more parts are made of short fiber reinforced plastics (SFRP) as well as continuous fiber composites. However, replacing metals by composites requires a new design approach and a clear understanding of the composite behavior. This paradigm however requires a dedicated tool for composite design in order to take into account the specific composite behavior. Traditional design tools are not able to state accurately the composite material behavior and sometime leading to use high safety of factors and lack of confidence in the design. The basic challenge is to understand the influence of the various parameters on properties of composite materials, the material response is sensitive to local fiber orientations, nonlinearity, temperature as well as strain rate dependencies. Traditionally fiber reinforced components are analyzed by considering the homogeneous plastic material and considering equivalent properties obtained from standard tensile strength test on a fiber reinforced specimen, But the anisotropic properties due to random fiber orientation developed due to plastic injection molding does not get captured in traditional approach. Present study aims at capturing the realistic anisotropic properties due to complex fiber orientation developed in injection molding process. The fiber orientation output of mold flow simulation is mapped in the structural analysis solver using DIGIMAT mapping tool. This process involves generating a discrete material data card by combining basic nonlinear material data for unidirectional fiber reinforced plastic and fiber orientation data from each element. This integrated simulation approach involving modeling of anisotropic properties of fiber reinforced pedal helps in accurate stress and deformation prediction and enabling weight reduction by optimizing the performance.
Biradar, LaxmanPatil, SanjayKarale, Kiran Baban
Spatial Patterning of the Viscoelastic Core Layer of a Hybrid Sandwich Composite Material to Trigger Its Vibro-Acoustic Performances2018-01-15006/13/2018
With the aim of decreasing CO2 emissions, car producers’ efforts are focused, among others, on reducing the weight of vehicles yet preserving the overall vibrational comfort. To do so, new lightweight materials combining high stiffness and high (passive) damping are sought. For panels essentially loaded in bending, sandwich composites made of two external metallic stiff layers (skins) and an inner polymeric (i.e. absorbing) core are broadly used. Now aiming at creating materials by design with a better control of the final performance of the part, the tuning of the local material properties is pursued. To this end, the present work focuses on controlling the spatial in-plane viscoelastic properties of the polymeric core of such sandwich structures. The spatial patterning is achieved using a recently developed UV irradiation selective technique of Room Temperature Vulcanization (RTV) silicone elastomeric membrane, in which the ultraviolet (UV) irradiation dose, curing time and temperature are the process parameters controlling the viscoelastic properties of the polymeric membrane. Finally, a protocol for the realization of architected aluminum - silicone - aluminum composite sandwich panels is proposed. The influence of UV irradiation selective technique is demonstrated by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) measurements on the silicone core itself and by the Corrected Force Analysis Technique (CFAT) to measure the equivalent Young’s modulus and damping of the sandwich structure over a large frequency band. As a first demonstration application, sandwich beams with different core patterns (homogeneous and heterogeneous) are designed and tested. Furthermore, the analytical formalism developed by Guyader et al. is used to model the vibro-acoustic performances of the homogenous sandwich beams and fair model-experiments comparisons are obtained. The spatial patterning of the polymer layer is found to successfully affect the local properties of the composite heterogeneous beam as evidenced by the CFAT method. Finally, this work permits the enunciation of guidelines for designing complex architectured systems with further control of the vibro-acoustics performances.
Gallo, MartaGallo, MartaChesnais, CorentinEge, KeremLeclère, QuentinTotaro, NicolasRinaldi, Renaud G.Rinaldi, Renaud G.
Simulation and Application of Lightweight Damping Sandwich Material for I.C. Engines2018-01-15656/13/2018
Making lighter engines is in the agenda of all OEMs in order to make their cars lighter and to reduce CO2 emission based on regulations. On the other hand, the noise regulations are getting more stringent and the customer impression of interior sounds is still an important aspect in vehicle development. Vehicle noise legislation has been revised numerous times since it was first established in February 1970. The latest revision in EU legislation introduces a revised test method which is used to enforce diminishing noise limits in three phases (EU Regulation No. 540/2014). Since 2016 the noise limit for passenger cars has been 72 dB(A). It will be reduced to 70 dB(A) in 2020 and to 68 dB(A) in 2024. These vehicle pass by noise limits cascade down to limitations on engine noise. New engine designs face a trade-off between a lightweight design and fulfilling the NVH targets. The conventional design updates are done by adding ribs and usually mass to the engine. On the other hand, the advanced lightweight materials with high damping characteristics have been developed which help lightweight good NVH design. Nonetheless the correct use of these materials requires proper material data measurement and proper material, thickness selection. The temperature effect should not be ignored as well specially in engine application. In this paper, the method of measuring the material properties is explained. Then a simulation model is introduced and validated for the application of such a material to the case of a rectangular beam. Finally, the application of such a material is presented for an engine front cover. The high damping effect is shown, and the correlation of models to measurement for two different temperatures is shown. This method can be used to select the damping and materials and improve the engine NVH.
Mehrgou, MehdiJonasson, RickardDuret, AlexisMaier, Stefan
Take-Home Messages from the Applications of Life Cycle Assessment on Lightweight Automotive Components2018-37-00295/30/2018
During the last few decades, the European regulations concerning CO2 emissions and vehicle recyclability/recoverability rates are leading OEMs to develop and apply several technological strategies to increase environmental performances of vehicles. In this context, the lightweighting is a key concern because it effectively contributes to reduce vehicle mass, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions during the operation stage of vehicle. The research advancements are enhancing the applicability of a diverse set of innovative materials (e.g. polymers, bio-composites) to different vehicle assemblies and so the mass reduction with the same mechanical performances. This paper deals with the implementation of LCA methodological approach in the design phase of components of Magneti Marelli® allowing a wider environmental conscious related to the usage of innovative materials and related manufacturing processes. The most significant lightweight cases, and related LCA evaluations, developed until now are here reviewed and analyzed to: i) identify rooms for improvement reached by the application of light innovative materials to a diverse set of vehicle components; ii) detect the most sensitive parameters influencing the LCA results. The results from the presented case studies demonstrated that particularly when lightweight strategy involves a complete substitution of heavy metals with polymer-based materials, it is not possible to predict benefits from lightweighting in a certain way due to the trade-off between use and production stages. Moreover, assumptions on the final treatment of EoL waste and the inclusion of secondary effects from component mass saving demonstrated to be the parameters most affecting the comparison between reference and lightweight design solutions.
Delogu, MassimoZanchi, LauraDattilo, Caterina AntoniaMaltese, SilviaRiccomagno, RubinaPierini, Marco
Modeling the Effect of Foam Density and Strain Rate on the Compressive Response of Polyurethane Foams05-11-02-00145/8/2018
Due to the high deformability and energy dissipation capacity of polymer foams in compression, they are used in automotive applications to mitigate mechanical impacts. The mechanical response of the foams is strongly affected by their density. Phenomenological relations have been proposed to describe the effect of foam density on their stress-strain response in compression at a fixed loading rate and the effect of loading rate at a fixed foam density. In the present work, these empirical approaches are combined allowing for the dependence of loading rate effect in compression on foam density. The minimum experimental data set for calibration of the proposed model consists of compression test results at two different loading rates of foams with two different densities. Rigid closed-cell polyurethane foams with apparent density in the range of ca. 100 to 300 kg/m3 have been produced and tested in compression up to a ca. 80% engineering strain at low (0.00167 to 0.5 s−1) and intermediate (~102 s−1) strain rates. The model parameters were evaluated from test results of the largest and smallest-density foams at low loading rates, differing by two orders of magnitude. The relative root mean square error of stress prediction for intermediate foam densities was found to range from ca. 6 to 12% at low strain rates and reach up to 34% at the higher strain rate. The proposed approach for modeling of foam behavior is expected to be useful in preliminary design of structural parts with impact mitigation functionality.
Japins, GuntisKalnins, KasparsKirpluks, MikelisCabulis, Ugis
Friction Coefficient Evaluation on Aluminum Alloy Sheet Metal Using Digital Image Correlation2018-01-12234/3/2018
The coefficient of friction between surfaces is an important criterion for predicting metal behavior during sheet metal stamping processes. This research introduces an innovative technique to find the coefficient of friction on a lubricated aluminum sheet metal surface by simulating the industrial manufacturing stamping process while using 3D digital image correlation (3D-DIC) to track the deformation. During testing, a 5000 series aluminum specimen is placed inside a Stretch-Bend-Draw Simulator (SBDS), which operates with a tensile machine to create a stretch and bend effect. The friction coefficient at the contact point between an alloy sheet metal and a punch tool is calculated using an empirical equation previously developed. In order to solve for the unknown friction coefficient, the load force and the drawback force are both required. The tensile machine software only provides the load force applied on the specimen by the load cell. Thus, the drawback force requires an indirect method of measurement. In this presentation, a method is proposed that uses DIC to measure tensile strain on a specimen’s surface to acquire the drawback force. This requires first collecting preliminary data to determine a tensile strain and drawback force relationship. Once this force-strain relation is established, the tests to determine the friction coefficient can be performed and the friction coefficient is determined from the results of the final test data. The concept, set-up, procedure, and results of this research will be presented in detail.
Duan, EmilyLi, JunruiSchaeffler, DannyWang, HaoYang, Lianxiang
Acoustic Modeling for Three-Dimensional Lightweight Windshields2018-01-01414/3/2018
In the auto industry, lightweight window designs are drawing more attention for improved gas mileage and reduced exhaust emission. Corning’s Gorilla® Glass used in laminate design enables more than 30% weight reduction compared to conventional soda-lime glass laminates. In addition, Gorilla® Glass hybrid laminates (which are a laminate construction of a thick soda-lime glass outer play, a middle polyvinyl butyral interlayer, and a thin Gorilla Glass inner ply) also show significantly improved toughness due to advanced ion-exchange technology that provides high-surface compression. However, the reduced mass also allows increased transmission of sound waves through the windshield into the vehicle cabin. A system-level measurement approach has always been employed to assess overall vehicle acoustic performance by measuring sound pressure levels (SPL) at the driver’s ears. The measured sound signals are usually a superimposition of a variety of noise sources and transmission paths. It is challenging to quantitatively isolate the impact of replacing a thick windshield with a thin windshield. A reverberation room measurement is another standard component-level testing approach but it is usually limited to flat glass evaluation. To enhance understanding of sound wave transmission through windshields, a 3D windshield acoustic model was developed using ANSYS Acoustics ACT. The model was validated for a 24″ x 24″ flat laminated panel with reverberation data. It was then extended for simulating a 3D production windshield with curved surface and tri-layer polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer. The model has been employed to characterize windshield acoustic performance under either plane wave incidence or diffuse field. Through modeling simulation, an optimal inner layer glass thickness was identified at 1 mm which is able to maximally shift critical frequency further away from human being’s sensitive hearing range while maintaining reasonable sound transmission loss (STL) at damping control region. Windshield geometry was also evaluated and impact observed especially on transmission loss at spectra regions below the critical frequency.
Yu, ChaoBhatia, Vikram
Increased Thread Load Capability of Bolted Joints in Light Weight Design05-11-01-00026/29/2017
Within the scope of today’s product development in automotive engineering, the aim is to produce lighter and solid parts with higher capabilities. On the one hand lightweight materials such as aluminum or magnesium are used, but on the other hand, increased stresses on these components cause higher bolt forces in joining technology. Therefore screws with very high strength rise in importance. At the same time, users need reliable and effective design methods to develop new products at reasonable cost in short time. The bolted joints require a special structural design of the thread engagement in low-strength components. Hence an extension of existing dimensioning of the thread engagement for modern requirements is necessary. In the context of this contribution, this will be addressed in two ways: on one hand extreme situations (low strength nut components and high-strength fasteners) are considered. On the other hand the thread reinforcement by use of wired thread inserts is investigated, which can improve the pull-out-force of the thread. A verified and manageable dimensioning method for thread engagement in lightweight design with extreme situations and in combination with wired thread inserts is presented in this paper. The quantitative proof of a performance increase by screw connections with threaded inserts is shown. The analytical dimensioning method is ensured by experimental investigations on the one hand and on the other hand by numerical calculations.
Hoernig, Tobias
IIoT-Enabled Production System for Composite Intensive Vehicle Manufacturing2017-01-02903/28/2017
The advancements in automation, big data computing and high bandwidth networking has expedited the realization of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). IIoT has made inroads into many sectors including automotive, semiconductors, electronics, etc. Particularly, it has created numerous opportunities in the automotive manufacturing sector to realize the new aura of platform concepts such as smart material flow control. This paper provides a thought provoking application of IIoT in automotive composites body shop. By creating a digital twin for every physical part, we no longer need to adhere to the conventional manufacturing processes and layouts, thus opening up new opportunities in terms of equipment and space utilization. The century-old philosophy of the assembly line might not be the best layout for vehicle manufacturing, thus proposing a novel assembly grid layout inspired from a colony of ants working to accomplish a common goal. Value added time per part are compared between the traditional and proposed manufacturing process layout using virtual plant simulation tools. This value added time is directly proportional to operating and capital cost. Moreover, the study proposes real-time multilayer communication that has the potential to vastly improves tasks such as inventory management, proactive/preventive maintenance, inline quality control, flexibility to part variabilities and design development.
Pilla, SrikanthYerra, Veera Aditya
Effect of Strain Rate on Mechanical Responses of Jute-Polyester Composites2017-01-14673/28/2017
There has been a keen interest in recent times on implementation of lightweight materials in vehicles to bring down the unladen weight of a vehicle for enhancing fuel efficiency. Fiber-reinforced composites comprise a class of such materials. As sustainability is also a preoccupation of current product development engineers including vehicle designers, bio-composites based on natural fibers are receiving a special attention. Keeping these motivations of lower effective density, environment friendliness and occupational safety in mind, woven jute fabric based composites have been recently studied as potential alternatives to glass fiber composites for structural applications in automobiles. In the past, mechanical characterization of jute-polyester composites were restricted to obtaining their stress-strain behaviors under quasi-static conditions. In the present study, coupon specimens extracted from jute-polyester laminates have been tested in a computer-controlled servo-hydraulic UTM at cross-head speeds (up to 500 mm/min) higher than quasi-static (not exceeding 1 mm/min). Even though the considered dynamic strain rates would lie in a low range, the effect of strain rate on stress-strain curves is clearly seen in the form of increasing tensile failure strength with respect to increasing strain rate. In order to shed light on the effect of strain rate on compressive behavior of the considered jute composite, cylindrical and square tubes made of the same material are subjected to drop-weight impact tests by varying the impactor drop height i.e. effectively the initial impact velocity. It is observed that the peak compressive load (related to laminate compressive strength) generated in a tube increases with an increase in impact speed. Thus, strain rate appears to have a perceptible effect on both tensile and compressive strengths of jute-polyester composites and should be perhaps taken into account in numerical prediction of the behaviors of such composites under impact loads.
Mache, AshokDeb, AnindyaChou, Clifford
On the Development of Lightweight IP Carrier2017-01-05023/28/2017
Now weight reduction is increasingly needed in automotive industry to improve fuel efficiency and to reduce emission. Various lightweight technologies have been used to vehicles. Because of its heavy weight and complex shape, IP carrier tends to be integration and weight intensive. Therefore lightweight is necessary for IP carrier. This paper lists the fourth lightweight technologies used for IP carrier by now, which are Magnesium alloy part, Aluminum alloy part, Hybrid composite part, Composite material injection part. For magnesium alloy part and aluminum alloy part, they have been mass produced for some years. The hybrid composite part has been researched for some years. Recently, the injection composite part has been researched and some parts have been developed and tested. By outlining the design, manufacturing, weight reduction and cost of these lightweight technologies, this paper fully analyzed these used technologies. Specifically, it will cover the analysis of the advantage and disadvantage of these technologies. By comparing these technologies and together the cost, manufacturing, weight reduction, the aluminum alloy part is the best lightweight solution presently for the relatively low cost and high weight reduction, although it is low parts consolidation vs. the other three technologies. However, for luxury car, the composite material injection part can be used. In the future, as the cost of composite material reduction, the composite material injection part would be the best choice for its advantage of manufacture simplicity and high degree integration.
Ding, MingdeLiu, JiancaiSu, JianboSu, ZhongLiu, BoWang, Ligang
High Strain Rate Mechanical Characterization of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Using Digital Image Correlations2017-01-02303/28/2017
The introduction of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites to structural components in lightweight automotive structures necessitates an assessment to evaluate that their crashworthiness dynamic response provides similar or higher levels of safety compared to conventional metallic structures. In order to develop, integrate and implement predictive computational models for CFRP composites that link the materials design, molding process and final performance requirements to enable optimal design and manufacturing vehicle systems for this study, the dynamic mechanical response of unidirectional (UD) and 2x2 twill weave CRFP composites was characterized at deformation rates applicable to crashworthiness performance. Non-standardized specimen geometries were tested on a standard uniaxial frame and an intermediate-to-high speed dynamic testing frame, equipped with high speed cameras for 3D digital image correlation (DIC). Specimen cross-sections, according to each fiber orientation tested, were consistent across strain rates to ensure results were comparable. Tensile strength and modulus were experimentally investigated over a wide range of strain rates (0.0001 to 200 s-1). DIC was used to estimate strain profiles on composites surfaces, and the modulus was calculated from those strain measurements. Experimental results demonstrated an increase in the tensile strength of UD CFRP composites in the longitudinal (0°) and transverse (90°) direction with increasing strain rates. In contrast, the tensile strength of 2x2 woven composites and the tensile modulus of the UD material were insensitive to increasing strain rates. Comparison of failure modes provided insights on how loading rates influenced failure mechanisms.
Powell, Louise A.Luecke, William E.Merzkirch, MatthiasFoecke, TimAvery, Katherine
Practical Design Considerations for Lightweight Windshield Applications2017-01-13063/28/2017
Automotive manufacturers are requiring lightweight materials, including glazing materials to improve vehicle fuel economy mandates. Since windshields are one of the largest glazing surface areas, reducing the thickness of the glass in its construction can significantly provide weight savings opportunities. Automotive glazing design considerations must include overall glass strength, rigidity, acoustical, and solar performance, which are affected by changes of glass thicknesses. This paper will evaluate those design considerations in the lightweighting of windshield glazings. One important design consideration for the windshield position is the impact of debris from the environment. Lightweighting of glazings in this body position affects the way the construction reacts to an impact. Use of asymmetry in glass plies in a laminated construction can have a marked effect on the part’s impact performance and surface damage creation. Various lightweight glazing constructions will be analyzed, and based upon basic strength and stiffness, the probability of failure from stone impact in parts per million is predicted from a statistical model. Further testing and analysis will be done to demonstrate lifetime effects in windshield glazings with respect to stone impacts will be discussed. As a glazing part becomes thinner, the material choices have an impact on light transmission and solar performance. In order to maintain light transmission compliance (70%, with light illuminant “A” in the United States) and solar performance at comparable levels to standard products, enhanced material choices in glass composition, PVB composition, and coating technologies will be evaluated. Additionally, as a glazing part becomes thinner, more exterior sound is transferred through the construction. This effect can be managed with acoustical interlayers at higher frequencies through constrained layer damping. Design considerations for the relative thickness of glass plies in the construction of the windshield will be evaluated and optimal construction options presented.
Walawender, ChesterUlizio, MichaelLampman, DeWittRustagi, MukeshSkeen, Jason
Modeling of Rivets Using a Cohesive Approach for Crash Simulation of Vehicles in RADIOSS2017-01-14723/28/2017
Rivets, especially self-piercing rivets (SPR), are a primary joining technology used in aluminum bodied vehicles. SPR are mechanical joining elements used to connect sheets to create a body in white (BiW) structure. To ensure the structural performance of a vehicle in crash load cases it is necessary to describe physical occurring failure modes under overloading conditions in simulations. One failure mode which needs to be predicted precisely by a crash simulation is joint separation. Within crash simulations a detailed analysis of a SPR joint would require a very high computational effort. The conflict between a detailed SPR joint and a macroscopic vehicle model needs to be solved by developing an approach that can handle an accurate macroscopic prediction of SPR behavior with a defined strength level with less computational effort. One approach is using a cohesive material model for a SPR connection. The paper describes cohesive element characteristics and calibration effort. Investigated element characteristics are an updated momentum calculation resulting from shear loads. It allows the adjustment of the width-height ratio for a constant meshing approach; handling of lateral distortion of cohesive elements based on sheet deformation or failure of sheet elements and an elemental stabilization if the cohesive element becomes unconnected that comes along with advanced material models and deletion of sheet elements. The updated element characteristics are shown on principle models and the calibration is shown based on coupon level samples. Outlook is given on a vehicle level and application for other joining technologies.
Pasligh, NielsSchilling, RobertBulla, Marian
New Coated Cast-In Liner to Improve Heat Transfer on Aluminum Blocks2016-36-026210/25/2016
Engine development activities are being driven forward primarily by the challenge of continuing to reduce CO2 and exhaust emissions. From the piston/liner system it is well known that Lube Oil Consumption (LOC) is affected by the bore distortion occurrences within Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) that usually demands a redesign on the piston ring pack not in favor to reduce friction losses. This article shows a potential solution to reduce bore distortion and oil evaporation through more efficient heat dissipation from combustion chamber to engine cooling system in a modern aluminum Spark Ignition (SI) block. Electroplated nickel coating applied to the external cast iron surface previous to the casting process enable a metallurgical diffusion layer with the aluminum block material and therefore improve heat conductivity in fired operation conditions compared to conventional cast iron liners. The improvement of the heat dissipation rate reduced the bore distortion and therefore LOC as proven by engine tests. In this paper, results of engine dyno tests to build up LOC maps using Real Time Lube Oil Consumption (RTLOC) by mass spectrometry are presented. The application of nickel coated liners showed LOC reduction up to 75% in certain engine operation conditions. Detailed information about the coating and diffusion layer of Fe-Ni-Al is also presented by Energy Dispersive X- Ray (EDS) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Finally comparative analysis of bonding strength on aluminum blocks and thermal conductivity measurements by thermocouples installed on aluminum blocks engine test is presented to consolidate the nickel coating technology.
Rejowski, Edneyde Souza, Juliano PallaoroRabello, Rafael Bettini
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