Body light weight and cost control

Abstract

Body light weight is optimization design of body performance under body cost control, which is also a system engineering balanced body performance and body cost. Making the best of application of computer aided software for design and analysis, contrast body performance is sensitive to steel thickness, carry through light weight design and cost control, combine application these methods: body structure optimization included body joints optimization, major section improvement and features betterment; using more thin steel with higher strength as advanced high strength steel, ultra high strength steel, even press hardened steel; using new kind of light material as plastic, various alloy; applying new manufacture process as TRB, TWB, hot stamping etc. Controlling body cost through these methods such as, body structure boundary well adjusted in order to improve material utilization ratio, removing those overmuch strength structure, using low price material with equal performance. Applying computer aided software, carried through system design and analysis, balanced advantage and disadvantage of these methods, can we realize the aim of body light weight and cost control. Researching and discovering body light weight has sameness with body cost control, but there are also some differences, because both of their purpose and method are different. At present, costliness of those advanced light material with higher strength is the developing bottle neck for vehicle bodywork light weight and body cost control. Only when more cheap materials with high strength appear, can automobile company farther realize reducing body weight and low cost body. © Springer-Verlag 2013.