Advanced Technology of Automotive Front-End

Advanced technology of automotive front-end
Before the advent of European sports cars being imported to the United States, highways in that country were traversed by large heavy hulks of automobiles that somewhat jokingly held the reputation of being like Sherman tanks. Everything was heavy about them, from power train to the knobs on the radio. Up to the very recent past cars were manufactured from the ground-up in one assembly line; nothing really had changed from the time of Henry Ford in the very early 1900s. In other areas of manufacturing, especially electronics, miniaturization and modulations were becoming watchwords, as more attention was being paid to the need to have space and conserve natural resources.
Europe and Japan already realized that there needed to be a change in how automobiles were being manufactured, as peoples in these regions already were experiencing high fuel costs, and they were living in much more crowded areas. It was only logical to bring in manufacturing practices to the automobile industry, and the first wave of that came with European sports cars and economy cars. The U.S. lagged by at least ten years, introducing similar but inferior models, such as the Chevette and Pinto in the early 1970s. The Mustang and the Camero, albeit smaller than their larger predecessors, still werent as small as the Toyota Corolla of 1971, Honda Civic, fiat Spider, or the VW Beetle. They certainly dont rank in the category of compact or economy cars, as a visit to any major parking lot, rental car agency, or street in Europe or Japan will immediately reveal.
Europe and Japan also led the way to modularization, as well as miniaturization, front-end modules (FEM) being a major step forward. Two major factors driving FEM development were the need for weight reduction, brought on by increasing fuel costs, and the observation that vehicle assembly procedures were bulky and inefficient. Smaller cars demand lighter components, simply because the engines are not as powerful.
Material density and size are the main factors contributing to weight and strength. The main goal in design to make a material less dense and miniaturized, while retaining functionality and durability. However, overall cost of manufacturer still is the baseline consideration by most manufacturers. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations [1] also will be a factor. These U.S. regulations were enacted in 1975 in response to the 1973 Arab oil embargo and mandated auto manufacturers to construct vehicles with lower fuel usage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------IQPC GmbH | Friedrichstr. 94 | D-10117 Berlin, Germany t: +49 (0) 30 2091 3330 | f: +49 (0) 30 2091 3263 | e: eq@iqpc.de | w: www.iqpc.de
Visit IQPC for a portfolio of topic-related events, congresses, seminars and conferences: www.iqpc.de
Three basic ways of constructing a front-end module (FEM) are using current materials, (mainly metal), all non-metal (mainly composites), or a combination of both. The central goal is to have a lower weight but stronger assembly that is durable but environmentally friendly. FEMS initially has a steel carrier but developments in composite design have helped transition construction from a hybrid design to more composite-based assemblies.
Material and weight considerations Lift up the suspension and steering assemblies of the front-end and youll realize that they are one of the heaviest assemblies of the automobile. Only the engine and transmission weigh more (and the differential in older cars). Just about every part contributes to the weight, but of particular notice are brake assemblies (particularly rotors and callipers), ball joints, power-assisted steering units, and the material out of which the linkage is made usually dense steel. Plastics, metal alloys, ceramics, and composites are changing all that.
Plastics Plastics saw their advent with Bois Durci (French for "hardened wood") in 1855, made from finely ground cellulose together with an adherent, such as egg or blood albumen, or gelatine. The mixture is compressed to a dense form using steam. Synthetic ivory was under the trade name of Parkesine and won an award at the 1`862 Worlds Fair in London. This is made by treating cellulose with nitric acid (part of the process making nitroglycerine) and dissolving this cellulose nitrate, or pyroxilin, in alcohol and hardened by heating it. Bakelite was invented in 1912 by Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a Belgian-born American and was the first plastic, not being created from molecules not found in nature. World War I brought polyvinyl chloride, with polyamide (nylon) following in the 1930s, and hosts of other during and following World War II. Synthetic rubber saw its advent in that war, and since then, we have developed a plethora of synthetic materials, including biodegradables and organicsynthetics. Which then are used in making cars lighter and stronger? Surely, anything lighter and stronger than the present usually metal-based materials is better.
Thermoplastic resins provide the material most commonly used in the most common matrices that are filled with polypropylene (PP) and nylon polyamide (PA). Early FEM materials consisted of compression moldable glass-mat thermoplastic (GMT)
composites with chopped-fiber matting. Plastics manufacturing in other applications was using injection molding, and this technology was transferred to FEMs, along with pelletized long fiber thermoplastics (LFT), the first being PA, and winding up with PA. Currently, there is inline-compounded (ILC) injection, or compression-molded direct-LFT (D-LFT) as a major material of choice [2].
D-LFT process (compression): Compression moulding after in-line compounding with glass rovings.
D-LFT (or S-LFT) process (injection): Injection moulding after in-line compounding with glass rovings.
[3] For lighter cars, manufacturers like Mercedes and Hyundi are using injectionmoulded pelletized LFT-PP for their all-composite FEMs. These FEMs have the capability of deforming better, thus preserving the main part of the car during a crash. LFT also provides the needed stiffness and allows for the creation of mounting points for system components.
Fiber reinforced plastics Everyone has heard of fiber glass and knows that strands of a material mixed with any other substance that hardens in a homogeneous way will strengthen it. This is the principle behind fiber reinforced plastics. Not only is the substance lighter than metal, it often can be just as strong or stronger. At the Shanghai Auto Show this year, the Chinese displayed an all-plastic front-end module (FEM) made out of a long glass fiber polypropylene (LGFPP) resin. Their claim is that the weight reduction is about 40%.
All Plastic FEM [3]
The American Chemistry Council says of fiber reinforced plastics:
Fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials weigh around 50 percent less than steel, though according to a carbon fiber manufacturer, they are characterized by a higher absorption of crush energy per kilogram 100 kJ/kg, compared to steels 25 kJ/kg. On impact, carbon fibers can have four to five times higher energy absorption than steel or aluminium [5].
Such materials are designed to break crack so as to use up impact energy. The Council asserts, An automotive front-end section built from glass-fiber-reinforced polymer composites passed a key 35 mph barrier crash test performed by the Automotive Composites Consortium (ACC), a research partnership established by DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and General Motors [6].
Metals Light weight metals (such as magnesium and aluminum), alloys and metal structures, such as tubes, being injected with plastics, such as polyphenylene ether/polyamide (PPE/PA) blend for strength, are being used in lie of conventional metals. Compressible steel reduces the consequences of vehicle object/person impact are designed to meet regulations, such as the European Pedestrian Impact Phase Two Standards that took effect in 2010. Magnesium is mixed with aluminum and then formed into geometric structures that have equivalent
strength to older designs using conventional steel [7]. Too, with the design of a collapsible front as an ultimate shock absorber, the need for conventional metals and solid construction, with attendant heavy weight, is no longer needed or even wanted, the result being a lighter (often to more than a third of the weight of a regular component) and safer car.
Magnesium, itself, is strong and durable, as well as being lightweight, so as to hold radiator and front-hood latching mechanism. The metal is cheaper than plastics, is fully recyclable, and obviously doesnt rely on petroleum [8]. Of course, everyone knows about mag wheels, and simply lifting one up and comparing it to the weight of a conventional wheel will be convincing enough in arguing for using magnesium as a way to make cars lighter. As a general consideration, magnesium is used for making engine blocks, and considering the strength needed for that component, it is easily seen that it would be satisfactory for frontend components, as well.
In its undated report, Lightweight Front End Structure, the Auto/Steel Partnership organization presents front-end rail and bumper construction that significantly reduces weight but sustains crashes just as well as conventional materials. By stamping in reinforcement geometry, with thinner metals, there is significant weight loss but strength as in conventional designs [9]. In addition, strength in the parts is manufactured as needed, rather than having a uniform density.
Example of reinforcement by geometry
Different strengths of a rail [10]
Hybrid materials Heavier vehicles cannot be constructed from purely composite materials, as the technology has not been developed to the point of lowering the cost of construction. Consequently, what we see is a reliance on GMTs. Research is continuing to develop composites with the strength of conventional metals. Developments in adhesives have accelerated FEM design and construction.
Plastics and metals are being united to create building material for components [11]. Where plastics cannot supplant metal in order to reduce weight, the metal can surely be used with the plastic. In one process, metal is drilled with holes and plastic reinforced with fibers uses them into which to hold when covering the metal part [12].
Want to learn more about current technologies and developments in automotive front-end?
Visit our download centre for more articles, whitepapers and interviews: http://bit.ly/oRF4ay
References(Subject is indicated by URL accessed 22 August 2011)
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_Average_Fuel_Economy [2] http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/facilities/imi/magna-nrc-composites-centre/manufacturing-direct-longfibre-thermoplastics.html [3] Courtesy of http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/facilities/imi/magna-nrc-composites-centre/manufacturingdirect-long-fibre-thermoplastics.html [4] https://ktn.innovateuk.org/web/polymers/articles/-/blogs/driving-plastics-forward-another-mile-stonetowards-the-all-plastic-car;jsessionid=9AD213EBDB025E2FD69077E5DC86E890.9OphEwv4 [5] http://www.plastics-car.com/frontendvehicle, p. 2 [6] ibid. [7] http://www.aimme.es/archivosbd/observatorio_oportunidades/super_light_car.pdf [8] http://www.intlmag.org/showcase/MgShowcase7_Jan09final.pdf 6
[9] http://investors.smdisteel.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cf m&CONTENTID=28256 [10] http://investors.smdisteel.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.c fm&CONTENTID=28256 [11] http://www.ptonline.com/articles/plastic-metal-hybrids-make-headway-on-and-off-the-road [12] http://www.ptonline.com/articles/plastic-metal-hybrids-make-headway-on-and-off-the-road
Resources (Subject is indicated by URL accessed 22 August 2011)
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.aimme.es/archivosbd/observatorio_oportunidades/super_li ght_car.pdf&embedded=true&chrome=true https://ktn.innovateuk.org/web/polymers/articles/-/blogs/driving-plastics-forward-another-mile-stonetowards-the-all-plastic-car;jsessionid=9AD213EBDB025E2FD69077E5DC86E890.9OphEwv4 http://insciences.org/article.php?article_id=6220 SuperLight Car https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.superlightcar.com/public/docs/20080710_SLC_Final_Con cept_PUBLISHABLE.pdf&embedded=true&chrome=true http://www.plastics-car.com/frontendvehicle http://www.a-sp.org/database/publicationmain.asp - Magnesium http://www.ncn-uk.co.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=139&tabid=431 http://innovationzealot.typepad.com/files/ct-dec-08-front-end-modules.pdf https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/43178/1/251505730.pdf &embedded=true&chrome=true http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/review-of-front-end-modules_id104743.aspx http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibre-reinforced_plastic
About IQPC: IQPC provides tailored conferences, large events, seminars and internal training programmes for managers around the world. Topics include current information on industry trends, technical developments and regulatory rules and guidelines. IQPC's conferences are market leading events, highly regarded for their opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas for professionals from various industries. IQPC has offices in major cities across six continents including: Berlin, Dubai, London, New York, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Johannesburg, Sydney and Toronto. IQPC leverages a global research base of best practices to produce an unrivaled portfolio of problem-solving conferences. Each year IQPC offers approximately 2,000 worldwide conferences, seminars, and related learning programs.

Advanced Technology of Automotive Front-End

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Advanced Technology of Automotive Front-End

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Advanced technology of automotive front-end

All Plastic FEM [3]

The American Chemistry Council says of fiber reinforced plastics:

Example of reinforcement by geometry

Different strengths of a rail [10]

References(Subject is indicated by URL accessed 22 August 2011)

Resources (Subject is indicated by URL accessed 22 August 2011)

You might also like