Abstract
In the event of a frontal collision between a car and a truck, the passenger compartment of the car may end up under the truck due to the difference in bumper heights between the two vehicles. One of the main purposes of the front underrun protection device (FUPD) is to prevent a smaller vehicle from being partially or completely pushed under a heavy truck. This type of collision is described in several regulations, like in Europe’s ECE-R93, which sets the requirements to be met by a front underrun protection device (FUPD). The current conventional FUPD is formed through the assembly of steel parts by OEMs or tier suppliers. This solution is relatively heavy and costly due to the multiple joining processes required.
Today’s stringent emission standards and increasing fossil fuel prices have put a lot of pressure on truck makers to improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles. Metal-plastic hybrid technology concepts for FUPDs combine the advantages of inherent material properties of both metal and plastics and the manufacturing flexibilities of plastics. A hybrid FUPD solution concept is presented here. This solution concept includes two modular designs, a quarter module design and half module design based on their shape and joining mechanisms. These concepts enable truck makers to accommodate for variants in the truck heights. Based on the quasi-static simulations carried, the conceptual designs presented in this paper could help truck makers fulfill regulatory requirements while saving up to 30 percent in weight compared to an all-metal design. The cost advantage made possible by this hybrid solution concept can be further enhanced by integrating additional functionalities into the hybrid structures and the ease of assembly and replacement.
KEYWORDS – Underrun protection devices, automotive crashworthiness, hybrid structures, thermoplastics, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe regulations (UNECE) and heavy trucks.