With continuously rising fuel costs and vehicle weights, the application of light weight materials for automotive engineering is a much discussed approach to improve vehicle economy. In this context, the car body offers effective mass saving potential. Up to now, light weight metals have hardly been used for load bearing structures of compact and middle class car bodies, although fuel consumption commonly is often a major selling point for these vehicle classes. In addition, the effect of weight reduction on fuel consumption is most significant in city traffic, where cars of smaller classes are frequently used. Within this study the application of aluminium for the structural components of the front section of a C-class vehicle is analysed by the Institut für Kraftfahrwesen Aachen (ika) in cooperation with the European Aluminium Association (EAA). The aim is to develop and numerically analyse two concepts for an aluminium front section. The conservative aluminium concept is developed considering the exact design space limitations of a steel reference vehicle. For the progressive aluminium concept the design space is expanded, as far as possible with respect to the major package components of the reference vehicle, in order to achieve more design freedom and enable innovative ideas. Both aluminium concepts shall offer at least the same structural performance as the reference structure. Under this constraint a high level of weight reduction is intended. This report summarises the development strategy, the findings and the results of the study. In a first step, the real reference structure is analysed and represented as a finite element model for later comparison with the virtually developed aluminium concepts. Subsequently, each aluminium concept is described in a separate chapter. The report closes with an evaluation of the aluminium concepts in comparison to the steel reference structure regarding structural performance and estimated manufacturing costs.
Aluminium front structures for a C-cIass vehicle
Aluminium-Vorderteilstruktur für ein C-Klasse-Fahrzeug
2006
29 Seiten, 23 Bilder
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
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