HYBRID COMPONENTS WITH FUNCTION INTEGRATION FOR CRASH RELATED APPLICATIONS IN ELECTROMOBILITY

Abstract

In times of major changes in the field of automotive drive concepts, lightweight construction as a key technology is particularly important for the reduction of vehicle mass and thus for sustainable mobility. The most significant synergy effect can only be achieved considering all three principles of lightweight construction: material-, structural- and system-lightweight construction.

As a part of the BMBF-funded project thermoPre®, by pursuing this approach the substitution of a motor carrier in die-cast aluminum construction with steel attachments was investigated. For this purpose, the entire potential of the lightweight construction on the reference component was determined and maximized including a cost-efficient production. The result is a continuous glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic (gfrp) component, which shows the high potential for weight and cost minimization by integrating existing attachments and inserts into the component manufacturing process.

Based on the aluminum component, a material appropriate design with subsequent topology optimization and final component design was carried out. Using the finite element method simulations, a load-capable component design was determined. The final design of the engine carrier and the necessary material blanks came from a series of optimization loops, which ultimately led to the production of prototypes. These were tested according to the requirements of the OEM, inter alia crash tests, whereby an equal and partly even improved performance was proven.

Confirmed by the good results from this research project, the implementation of a mass production of such components is planned.