Production processes for body in white (BIW) of mixed lightweight materials

Production processes for body in white (BIW) of mixed lightweight materials.

The use of mixed lightweight materials for BIW production in the automotive industry is set to increase. These materials ensure better crashworthiness/safety performance and/or reduced weight, but do not impair strength. Reduced weight lowers the environmental impact and offers better fuel economy. The project is aimed at increasing knowledge in the BIW production processes employing mixed lightweight materials.

Purpose
The project code-named Production processes for BIW of mixed lightweight materials has been initiated at GME (GM Europe) as part of meeting the requirements set for the Saab brand as regards product cost and flexibility of production systems, while observing the requirements on safety, fuel consumption, etc. The production processes that are currently included in the project shall be based on the GME Mixed materials' strategy. These will contribute to strengthening the Swedish automotive industry through increased flexibility and shortening of the production time of a BIW of new lightweight materials that contribute to reducing the car weight. In the short term, to increase the possibility of achieving competitively the knowledge-based development and production of lightweight vehicles through assuring and strengthening the competence at GME - THN. In the long term, to develop and strengthen the collaboration between GME THN, researchers in the academia and other parties in the MERA programme. The project results shall lead to a Center of excellence in Trollhttan, Sweden, with knowledge of and competence in manufacturing vehicle bodies of mixed lightweight materials. The Project shall also lead to a stronger and more effective cooperation between the automotive industry and academic institutes in Sweden. In long term, this will secure competence and act as a strong reason for future competence-based production in Sweden. Also to establish a Centre for the Development of Convertibles in Trollhttan. The orientation on niche cars and convertibles requires the production process to be adapted to shorter production runs, with more variants of each model.

Production processes for body in white (BIW) of mixed lightweight materials

Results and project implementation

The project is divided into four sub-projects: A) B) C) D) Production process Development of forming and joining processes Digital support for process development Adaptation of the production process to market requirements

A) Production process Sub-project A1: Process development for small cars made of mixed lightweight materials. The concept phase has resulted in several lightweight material designs, including how these materials will be joined in the BIW process. The modularization work is done in a Sedan / Convertible simulation model. Two suppliers, Gestamp HardTech and Outokumpu, have participated in the production and adaptation of all parts. Calculation work has been completed and all parts have been adapted for production. One virtual concept has been presented internally at GM, where the weight and cost were found to meet the requirements. Sub-project A2: Modularized structure for niche cars. This has shown that it is possible to save approximately 50 kg on a convertible structure when consideration is given to the common interface in the design, and the bodywork process is adapted accordingly in the production of new platforms (including the production process). Sub-project A3: Process development for modular rear floor. Offers great scope for adapting the rear floor to customer requirement in the same production equipment, without compromising on the product requirements, through a modularized structure. Sub-project A4: Low-cost joining process for lightweight doors. Modularized approach has also cut production costs. The introduction of new UHSS materials has necessitated a change in process parameters in order to find optimum welding windows. This has provided the possibility of producing a new door structure with lower weight, fewer components, lower cost and simplified production. Sub-project A5: Modular doors of mixed lightweight materials. The result shows that the combination of UHSS and aluminium is most cost-effective for minimizing weight. Modular construction doors that can be used for several different models (brands) using the same production process have become mainstream at GM. The virtual solution gave very promising results for the future in terms of lower weight and cost and shorter manufacturing times in production. B) Development of forming and joining processes Sub-project B1: Joining an aluminium front to a steel structure. The project is aimed at saving weight, particularly at the front, since high-performance premium cars tend to be heavy at the front, which impairs road behaviour. It is then important to make the front structure of lightweight materials. An aluminium front structure has been developed in order to save weight at the front end and thereby improve the road behaviour of the car. The aluminium front is joined to the remainder of the steel body in a cost-effective manner by using a joining process that has been verified to provide an aluminium/steel joint while maintaining the product requirements. Since spot welding causes serious problems, riveting and adhesive bonding will be used, with proven process windows that safeguard the quality of Saab cars. Prototype parts have been produced jointly at Saab and Hydro, and complete front structures have been produced at Saab.

Production processes for body in white (BIW) of mixed lightweight materials

Prototype cars have been built at GM Canada during the spring and summer of 2008, and testing will be carried out in the autumn of 2008, including crash, corrosion, fatigue, etc. in order to safeguard product requirements, verify the simulations, and validate the production process in the factory (at Lansing in the USA). The cars will be built in the USA/Canada. Sub-project B2: Process for strengthened body structure with lightweight materials, incl. joining possibilities. Another important result is the way in which various strengthening materials are implemented, such as aluminium/foam, plastics, composites, etc. in order to strengthen thin-wall beam sections or as local reinforcements at mounting points, etc. in the body. A problem is to find a process that allows plastic foam, for instance, to be used without negative impact on the working environment. The project has delivered a theoretical study of the materials available on the market, which has been compiled in a report that includes: cost, weight, material properties, hygienic risks, process facilities, etc. The report also includes the results of simulations of important properties, such as stiffness, safety, sound emission and process parameters. Sub-project B3: Joining process for sandwich materials in body parts. The project has studied the new lightweight solutions for recreating sound performance, NVH (to at least todays level), at a low cost and without affecting the production process. Benchmarking and simulations have been carried out highly successfully. Concept selection has been carried out for roof sheet, aluminium front structures, etc. Tests were carried out on mules in order to correlate the simulation work. Sub-project B4: Joining of body parts of roll-formed material. Resulted in an understanding of how welded components of boron steel should be designed in order to make strong welds, and how the direction of rolling of the billets affects cracking when subjected to dynamic stresses.

C) Digital support for process development Sub-project C1: Optimized production processes for high strength stainless steels. Material properties and material models for CAE codes have been produced and a virtual demonstrator in the form of a B-pillar for the Volvo S40 has been developed. The results in the form of hardware are crash-tested B-pillar that have been shown at all participating OEMs and also to other project participants. Information on the project results has been launched by visits to all participating companies, and this Stainless Steel Academy will be rolled out during the whole of 2008. Work has been started on Block 3, i.e. the virtual design of a platform made entirely of stainless steel, with the aim of demonstrating the results in the form of Weight/Cost/Performance at the Motor Show in Frankfurt in Sept. 2009. The reference in Block 3 is the GM Kappa platform. Will be concluded at GME in Dec. 2008.

D) Adaptation of the production process to market requirements Sub-project D1: Towing concept specified by Marketing. A new demand from Marketing is that the tow hitch of the future should be controllable from inside the car. The concept was shown to be too expensive, which is why this resulted in being quite an ordinary concept that does not increase the production process costs, while still meeting the normal usability requirements of the markets. Sub-project D2: RHT Removable hard tops for convertibles. Saab wants to retain its leading role at GM and to build up a knowledge base in a centre for the development of convertibles, with the aim of moving production to Trollhttan. SAAB traditionally had soft tops. Work in the sub-project has therefore been concluded with a study of

Production processes for body in white (BIW) of mixed lightweight materials

how our production process could be adapted to all types of convertible in the same production line in Trollhttan.

Project outcomes
The project has improved the possibility of achieving competitively knowledge-based development and production of lightweight vehicles by developing and strengthening the know how at GME - THN. A product process will be developed and verified both virtually and physically. The results will lead to the implementation of a flexible production system for future car ranges / models in the whole of GM. The expected effects are fewer physical prototypes, faster ramp-up at the beginning of production, fewer production stoppages, lower material consumption, and a product that strengthens the Saab brand in the market. Furthermore, the Centre of Expertise for Convertibles has become reality and, in the future, this will be an important part of retaining production of niche cars in Sweden. The Stainless Steel Academy will continue to be held in the future at regular intervals at all participating companies. All materials and results from this project will be stored in joint GM databases and may be used in future car projects.

Participating parties and Contact person

Project parties: Saab Automobile AB Innovatum AB Participating suppliers: Lars-Olof Hellgren (Project Leader) Lillemor Lindberg Hydro Automotive AB, ERAB, Outokumpu Stainless AB, Gestamp HardTech AB

Contact: Lars-Olof Hellgren, Manager Adv. Body Concept Saab Automobile AB [email protected] Telefon: +46 520-86962