With the increasing demands on automakers to improve crash worthiness, and CAFE requirements, automakers are faced with evaluating alternative technologies to achieve new competitive standards. In particular, the use of structural foam as a reinforcing media for automotive hollow sections is being examined. The objective of this study is to examine the use of epoxy structural foam in a hollow section as an optimum reinforcing means and to compare the reinforcing performance of a solid fill versus a laminate configuration and several approaches using steel alone. For this comparative program, idealized hat shaped cross sections are tested in three point bending. A quasi-static load-deflection curbe is reported for each beam type. For crash-worthiness, strength and energy absorption is physically measured for an unfilled baseline beam and reinforced beams with the composite reinforcement in the middle of third of the length of the beam. All beams were modeled using FEA failure analysis for the steel and the foam. Correlations was indicated for failure mode and load-deflection. The correlated model was used to conduct a sensitivity study for the carrier properties, the polymer thickness, and efficiencies using steel reinformcements alone. The main result of this study was that filling a section solid with structural foam was not as efficient as a three-sided laminate for bending applications. The three-sided laminate not only offered a process-feasible approach but could result in a minimal use of structural foam between existing metal parts such as in a B pillar outer and reinforcement. For design, a three-sided laminate should be considered first for bending applications. Filling a section with a two part foam might be advantageous for difficult geometries but for relatively straight sections, the laminate would be optimum.
Influence of structural foam properties on the performance of automotive body reinforcements
2003
9 Seiten, 15 Bilder, 5 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
Influence of structural foam properties on the performance of automotive body reinforcements
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