Project Lightweight Door A new concept for a lightweight door

A new concept for a lightweight door

Project Lightweight Door

Index: A lightweight functional door demonstrator 1 Project partners 3 Project system approach 5 Materials & Technologies 7 Design / Engineering consultancy 20 Door trim panel demonstrator 21 Integration of functionalities 23

steel wire and coating

aluminium extrusions

design support

advanced materials

sealing and bonding materials

tailored blanks steel research durable lightweight vehicle systems sound systems interior trim

Project partners

1

A two-year (2008-2010) collaboration project of 10 partners with the following objectives:

► Developing new materials and technologies for weight reduction and integration of

functionalities

► Integrating and validating the developed technologies in a passenger car door demonstrator ► Focusing on materials and technologies for high-volume production

► Acquiring knowledge to be used also in other applications within and beyond the

automotive industry

2

A system-level development approach has been applied taking into account the following considerations:

► Existing functionalities: must be kept at least at the same level as state-of-the-art doors ► Assembly process: no negative impact of new concepts on assembly time

► Production process: new materials must be produced at high-volume rate ► Cost: new materials and technologies with comparable cost as existing ones

► Recycling: new materials and technologies must meet the prevailing recycling requirements

The project objectives have been realised, making good use of the synergies of the specialist knowledge and expertise of the project partners in the field of Materials, Design, Joining technologies, Integration, and Validation.

ArcelorMittal is world leader in laser welding of steel sheets of different thicknesses and Tailored Blanks strengths for automotive applications with the aim of increasing the safety of

passengers and at the same time reducing vehicle weight. (www.arcelormittal.com) Bekaert is a global technological leader in its two core competences: advanced metal

transformation and advanced materials and coatings, and a market leader in drawn wire products and applications. (www.bekaert.com)

D&M PSS is an innovative worldwide supplier of advanced audio systems to the automotive industry. This includes the development of loudspeakers, multi-channel DSP amplifiers, and also the integration and acoustic tuning of audio systems. (www.dm-holdings.com)

Flanders’ DRIVE is the Flemish initiative that develops competences for the automotive industry

with a focus on innovation in products and processes. Since 2008, it has evolved from a knowledge network and test platform into a fully fledged and

internationally recognised research institute. (www.flandersdrive.be)

Project partners

4

hegge ID is the expert in design and engineering, transforming ideas and concepts into visual and concrete developments. (www.hegge-id.com)

Nitto Europe combines its expertise in production techniques, such as polymerisation, coating, foaming and finishing, with extensive know-how in damping, sealing and reinforcement for innovative applications in the automotive industry. (www.nittoeurope.com)

OCAS develops new steel grades and coatings for the ArcelorMittal group and offers its clients innovative steel and metal-based solutions. (www.ocas.be)

Recticel is the expert in polyurethane and in developing automotive interior parts in this versatile material. (www.recticel.be)

Sapa RC Profiles is specialist in co-development and production of profiles, fabrication and joining

technologies in aluminium, including friction stir welding, right through to delivering a completed product. (www.sapagroup.com)

Umicore is a material technology group with expertise, among others, in new developments in nanotechnology and “Advanced Materials” (www.umicore.com)

Project system approach

analysis _{System architecture &} packaging

6

Taking into account the end customer requirements has reduced the gap between technology push and market pull

Benchmarking to

identify specs & requirements Innovative design to integrate new technologies & reduce weight Validation test

to prove the new technologies

Damping materials

Steel-cord reinforced PU

Dual phase steel (TS 500 DP) Friction stir spot welding Sandwich materials Gen 2 CosCone speaker CompuLite TM PUR substrate Borit® Structured steel Nanoreinforced steel & PU nanocomposites Laser welded blanks

& patchwork Boron steels

for SIPS bar

Foam in steel profiles

Concepts

Materials & Technologies

8

CompoLite

_{PU substrate}

► Structural sandwich material based on PU foam core and PU-fibres reinforced skins

CHARACTERISTICS

► Lightweight and good strength/weight ratio ► High bending stiffness and high dimensional stability

► Different reinforcing layers possible (glass fibre, basalt, natural fibres, ...) ► High design freedom:

► integration possibilities (channels, fixture, other materials, …)

► flexible A-surface type: Colo-Fast®, textile, …

► good 3D formability in the moulding process

► different properties possible in 1 piece ► Cost-saving due to the 1-step process

PU Nanocomposites

► Addition of Zn oxide nanoparticles in PU formulation

CHARACTERISTICS

► UV absorption leading to:

► improved colour stability

► broader UV protection spectrum ► No volatile organic compounds

10

CONCEPT

► Steel strengthening by non-alloy particles:

► oxide nanoparticles produced via different methods

► coating on nanoparticles to improve wettability

► nanoparticles dispersed in molten steel

CHARACTERISTICS

► Steel strengthening by non-alloy particles

► Weight reduction as thickness can be reduced (higher steel strength)

Concept in feasibility stage

Structured Steel

► Forming embossments in single sheet in a continuous process (patented) ► Assembly of 2 sheets (e.g. adhesive bonding)

CHARACTERISTICS

► High stiffness, because of top/top set-up ► Lightweight (e.g. steel skins 2 x 0.25 mm) ► Extra energy adsorption during impact loading ► Additional features:

► allows internal (air) flow for heating and cooling

► advanced “design” look, different cavity shapes possible

► available in various steel grades (strength, coloured pre-coat)

12

Gen2 CosCone speaker

► Lightweight shallow speaker

CHARACTERISTICS

► Lightweight (down to 125 g for standard 6.5” woofer or full range) because of the use of Nd magnet

system & reduced material volume

► Shallow envelope (down to 30 mm for standard 6.5” woofer or full range) allows for more integration

flexibility:

► compared to classic loudspeakers, a height reduction can be obtained that equals or exceeds

the required mechanical excursion of the loudspeaker in its application

► Rigid membrane with controlled break-up matches classic cone performance ► Parameterization of membrane dimensions allows for design towards desired acoustics

CONCEPT

► Remote laser stitch welding technology for hybrid blank solution

► LWB in combination with patchwork for local reinforcement enabling thickness reduction

CHARACTERISTICS

► Weight reduction (10-15%) ► Easier production at OEM (less parts) ► Cost reduction

► Crash management

Optimisation of welding parameters

(robot path, penetration depth, gap, patch size, clamping, …)

Laser welded blanks & patchwork

14

CONCEPT

► Combination of press-hardened steel (PHS) and tailored blanks technology

CHARACTERISTICS

► Weight reduction (up to 50% compared with a High-Strength Steel) ► Higher strength thanks to Usibor® steel

► Higher energy absorption thanks to Ductibor® steel ► Crash management

► Overall production costs reduction, thanks to:

► parts integration, blanking, stamping, post-assembling operations, reduction and better material

consumption with improved sub-blanks cutting lay-outs

CONCEPT

► Hollow metal profile filled with:

► aluminium foam

► different types of PUR foam

CHARACTERISTICS

► Increased stiffness

► Extra energy absorption during impact loading ► Easy foam insertion

Foam in metal profiles

16

CONCEPT

► Steel cords in PU matrix ► Energy absorption element

CHARACTERISTICS

► Weight reduction (450 g/m) and space saving ► Flexibility and easiness of assembly

► Universal usage by cutting to size at assembly line ► Adaptable length

CONCEPT

► Visco-elastic, structural damper with high damping performance and low weight ► It consists of a thin constraining layer (aluminium or glass cloth) and a self-adhesive

synthetic rubber

CHARACTERISTICS

► High-performance vibration damping

► Extremely lightweight, reducing overall vehicle weight

► Excellent adhesion on the vibrating structure thanks to special rubber compound ► Easy to apply even on curved or oily surfaces

► Application possible before and after ED-paint process

Design, test and evaluation at Nitto Automotive Technical Centre (ATC)

Damping material - Legetolex

18

CONCEPT

► Heat-curing, epoxy/rubber based material for reinforcement of sheet metal ► Nitohard bonds tightly to the steel sheet

► The epoxy/rubber resin is foamed and hardened by the heat of the electro-coating line

CHARACTERISTICS

► High reinforcement strength ► No sink marks on outer panel ► High adhesion at low temperatures ► Also applicable on curved surfaces ► Excellent workability

Design, test and evaluation at Nitto Automotive Technical Centre (ATC)

CONCEPT

► Applied to join aluminium and steel ► Solid-state joining technique

CHARACTERISTICS

► Combination of materials that are difficult to join ► Reduced internal stresses

► No fume or radiation emission during welding

Friction Stir Spot Welding

20

CONCEPT

► Coming trends analysis ► Structural innovations ► Styling guide

► Concept integration design - engineering

CHARACTERISTICS

► Through concept and emotional sketches a concept evolves into reality ► Implementation of structural enhancements and intelligent feature integration ► Material/finish/colour advice to optimize end result

► 3D CAD concept to realisation

► 3D CAD rendered visualisations for marketing purposes ► Demonstrator model initiation and support

Physical door demonstrator leading to weight reduction (~20%) while adding new functionalities

Door trim panel demonstrator

22

Sound box

► Integration of speaker and sound box in armrest ► Improved sound system performance because of:

► lower susceptibility to external parameter variation

► less influence of loudspeaker’s suspension parts variation

► low efficiency loss

► higher transmission loss for external sound sources

► reduced vibration transfer to door structure and/or trim

Integration of functionalities

24

Heating/Cooling

► Integration of structured steel in door carrier

► Heating and cooling within the door through the structured steel channels ► Air intake from the dashboard channelling

► Outlet towards rear passengers (through an extra ventilation hole in the door trim) ► Alternative for channelling in the body structure

The door demonstrator has been validated considering various aspects

► Interior trim requirements ► Door sagging

► Door slamming ► Squeak & Rattle ► Torsional stiffness ► Thermal insulation ► Acoustic insulation ► Water tightness ► Impact resistance ► …

Door demonstrator validation

Flanders’ DRIVE Oude Diestersebaan 133 3920 Lommel – Belgium tel. +32 11 790 590 fax + 32 11 790 591 www.flandersdrive.be info@flandersdrive.be

Contact information