GM Truck Group has achieved many industry firsts with the development of this liftgate. It is the first aluminium liftgate assembly designed and built in North America. It is the first high-volume spot-welded assembly. The inner panel represents the first deep draw/redraw application in high volume. GM views this aluminium liftgate as a conduit to more complex closures and semi-structural assemblies. It is important to note that this liftgate is being used on a mainstream vehicle that is a profit-driver for the company. Many lessons were learned by the team that developed this liftgate. Early formability analysis is important to determine the seal planes, depth of draw, and overall architecture of the part. Improvement is needed in the area of FEA of outer panel stiffness and the phenomenon of oil canning. Springback and its affect to the dimensional integrity of the final assembly need to be considered early in the program. When hemming aluminium parts, it is important to avoid hemming over complex shapes. The successes that the program achieved by using the aluminium liftgate are varied in nature. The obvious mass reduction helped the vehicle meet its mass target. The team was also able to add a third row of seating to the smaller Tahoe/Yukon vehicles without the development of a new rear axle. Although difficult to quantify, the experience of developing this liftgate has profided GM with a resource of knowledgeable individuals who will cascade throughout the organization and spread of understanding of bringing aluminium parts into production.
GM truck liftgate - an aluminium liftgate designed for high-volume production
Aluminium-Liftgate für GM-rucks
2000
10 Seiten, 4 Bilder
Conference paper
English
High Volume Thermoplastic Liftgate Production
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2019
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