Abstract
The specific characteristics of aluminium alloys offer the possibility to design lightweight car body structures with high stiffness and excellent crash energy absorption potential. Depending on the envisaged production volume, various body architecture concepts are being applied. Apart from different applicable assembly methods, the big advantage of aluminium is the wide range of product forms, e.g. sheets, tubes, extruded profiles as well as net-shaped parts in different alloys, sizes and geometries of various degrees of complexity.
Key to a successful introduction of aluminium body structures into the automotive market is a total systems approach taking into account all the benefits offered by the material, the available component production processes and the application of aluminium-oriented assembly and finishing methods. Most important for a cost-efficient production of aluminium car bodies is an appropriate selection of the type of aluminium components and the applied assembly technique(s).
The paper concentrates on a demonstration of the advantages which can be achieved for low volume models by an integrated design and engineering approach using intricately shaped extruded sections as well as large, high quality and thin-walled die castings. Intimate knowledge of the different material characteristics including their crash behaviour enables rapid product development based on computer aided design and engineering methods.