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This paper presents a new method for the 5mph vehicle's bumper section shape optimization. The Intermediate Response Surface Modeling (IRSM) technique is newly introduced to approximate the nonlinear force-deflection curves. This can avoid the excessive 3D nonlinear FEM analysis during the optimization process. Then, the accuracy of the IRSM models is examined by comparing their results with those of the 3D nonlinear FEM. Finally it is shown that the proposed approach is effective to design the 5mph vehicle bumper section.

In this paper, an optimization technique for thin walled beams of vehicle body structure is proposed. Stiffness of thin walled beam structure is characterized by the thickness and typical section shape of the beam structure. Approximate functions for the section properties such as area, area moment of inertia, and torsional constant are derived by using the response surface method. The approximate functions can be used for the optimal design of the vehicle body that consists of complicated thin walled beams. A passenger car body structure is optimized to demonstrate the proposed technique.

Low frequency vibration characteristics of a vehicle are mainly influenced by the stiffnesses of the beam type structures such as pillars and rockers, and by the stiffnesses of the joint structures, at which several beam structures are jointed together. In the early design stage of the car body structure a simple FE model has been used, in which joints are modeled as linear springs to represent the stiffnesses of the joint structures. In this paper a new modeling technique for the joint structure is presented using an equivalent beam, instead of using a spring. The modeling technique proposed is utilized to design optimal joint structures that meet the required vibration performance of the total vehicle structure.