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This work aims to develop a PA6 nanocomposite with glass fiber (GF) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) focusing on automotive parts application. Polyamide 6 is a semi-crystalline polymer that exhibits high fatigue and flexural strength, making it viable for rigorous applications. Along with the improved electrical, mechanical, thermal, and optical performance achieved in PA6 and GF-based nanocomposites, they can fill complex geometries, have great durability, and are widely utilized due to their capacity of reducing the weight of the vehicle besides a cost reduction potential. The glass fiber is a filamentary composite, usually aggregated in polymeric matrices, which aims to amplify the mechanical properties of polymers, mainly the tensile strength in the case of PA6.

Manufacturing processes impact many factors on a product. Depending on the selected method, development time, part performance and cost are affected. In the automotive sector, there is a growing demand for weight reduction due to the advent of electrification and the greenhouse gas emission regulations. In addition, geometric complexity is a challenging factor for the feasibility of mass production of parts. In this scenario, plastic materials are a very interesting option for application in various vehicle parts, since these materials can be molded by injection, vacuum forming, among others, while maintaining good mechanical properties. Almost a third of a vehicle’s parts are polymeric, making the development of these materials strategic for car manufacturers. This article investigates the impact of the presence of fiberglass in a thermoplastic automotive body part.

Polyurethane (PU) foams are versatile in automotive applications for sound absorption, due to their superior acoustic-absorbing properties, vibration damping and robustness, and seat cushioning products due to their easiness of manufacturing process and cost-effectiveness. In recent studies, micro- and nano-particles were used to improve sound absorption efficiency, these fillers help to form interconnected pore structures in the foam matrix, and this interconnection of pores is advantageous in dissipating heat generated from wave friction with the air. Some of the micro- and nano-particles used are natural fibers (like cellulose, fir, palm), silica, clay, graphene and derivatives, zeolite, and others. This review is an overview of recent advances in the incorporation of fillers in PU foams and the influence they have on the sound absorption capacity of the foams.

Steel represents more than 50% of weight in vehicles, being more susceptible to corrosion processes. Corrosion studies in these components are of great industrial and economic interest, and anticorrosive coatings with efficiency of superior protection is still a relevant area in materials research. Paintings from inorganic and organic hybrid compounds have been used to produce more effective and efficient coatings. Among polymeric coatings, epoxy resin is considered one of the most used anticorrosion coatings, mainly due its excellent protective properties. High barrier level is reached by reinforcing the coatings with inorganic fillers such heavy metal, nanoparticles, silica, and now more recently, carbon-based materials, like graphene and its derivatives.

Corrosion affects all industrial sectors where metals or metal alloys are used in their structures. In the automotive industry, the continuous search for lightweight parts has increased the demand for effective corrosion protection, in order to improve vehicle performance without compromising durability and safety. In this scenario, coatings are essential elements to preserve and protect vehicle parts from various environmental aggressions. Automotive coatings can be classified into primers, topcoats, clearcoats, and specialty coatings. Primers provide corrosion resistance and promote adhesion between the substrate and topcoat. Topcoats provide color, gloss, and durability to the coating system, while clearcoats enhance the appearance and durability of the finish. Specialty coatings provide additional properties, such as scratch resistance, chemical resistance, and UV protection.

Rubber is one of the most used materials currently selected to produce automotive parts, but, for specific applications, some improvement is required in its properties through the addition of some components to the rubber compound formulation. Because of that, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties are enhanced in order to meet strict requirements of the vast range of application of the rubber compounds. In addition to improving material properties, the combination of different substances, also aims to improve processability and reduce the costs of the final product. Recently, the use of nanofillers has been very explored because of their distinctive properties and characteristics. Among the nanofillers under study, graphene is known for its high-barrier property, thermal and electrical conductivities, and good mechanical properties.

A DMS (Driver Monitoring System) is one of the most important safety features that assist in the monitoring functions and alert drivers when distraction or drowsiness is detected. The system is based in a DSMC (Driver Status Monitoring Camera) mounted in the vehicle's dash, which has a predefined set of operational requirements that must be fulfilled to guarantee the correct operation of the system. These conditions represent a trade space analysis challenge for each vehicle since both the DSMC and the underlying vehicle’s requirements must be satisfied. Relying upon the camera’s manufacturer evaluation for every iteration of the vehicle’s design has proven to be time-consuming, resources-intensive, and ineffective from the decision-making standpoint.

Fretting fatigue was observed in standard cylindrical fatigue samples at the regions in contact with the grips of the test frames during fatigue testing for AlSi10Mg aluminum alloy produced by laser powder bed fusion process (L-PBF). The failure of the fatigue sample grips occurs much earlier than the failure of the gauge section. This results in a damaged sample and the sample cannot be reused to continue the test. This type of failure is rarely seen in materials produced by traditional manufacturing processes. In this study, X-ray residual stress analysis was performed to understand the cause of failure for L-PBF AlSi10Mg with the as-built surface condition. The result indicates that the fretting fatigue failure was caused by the strong tensile residual stress in the as-built state combining with the fretting wear between the sample and the grip. A few potential solutions to avoid the fretting fatigue failure were investigated.

There are a multitude of dynamics faced by any industry. There is also a consistent search and development of technological platforms and services to address these changes. This necessitates a shared work philosophy which involves multiple stakeholders. Verification and validation are integral part of any development irrespective of product, process, or services. Also, every industry has a regulatory compliance to adhere too. But the extent of complexity and the level of dependencies or interactions between modules as well as stakeholders involved, creates slippage at some or other level. Nowadays the industries are also driven by reuse for cost effectiveness. Though it marks the significant improvement in the capability to compete, compatibility is a key measure to a successful product or service launch and sustainability.

Enhanced protection against high speed crashes requires more aggressive passive safety countermeasures as compared to what are provided in vehicle structures today. Apart from such collision-related scenarios, high energy explosions, accidentally caused or otherwise, require superior energy-absorbing capability of vehicle body subsystems. A case in point is a passenger vehicle subjected to an underbody blast emanating shock wave energy of military standards. In the current study, assessment of the behavior of a “hollow” countermeasure in the form of a depressed steel false floor panel attached with spot-welds along flanges to a typical predominantly flat floor panel of a car is initially carried out with an explicit LS-DYNA solver. This is followed up with the evaluation of PU (polyurethane) foam-filled and liquid-filled false floor countermeasures. In all cases, a charge is detonated under the false floor subjecting it to a high-energy shock pressure loading.

In recent years there has been an increase in the development of vehicles that use alternative energy sources, more specifically electric vehicles, intending to establish the transition from combustion engines, bringing to the automotive chain a reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels. Electrified vehicles help to improve air quality by drastically reducing the emission of harmful gases and contributing to a considerable improvement in sound quality, due to the use of their silent electric motors. A material allied to these alternative technologies is graphene, few layers (usually up to 6) of Carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal and crystalline form in a two-dimensional plane lattice. Its unique chemical structure allows it to share its exceptional properties with other materials, making it a strong candidate to meet the needs and improve products of the automotive sector.

Several factors stimulate the development of new materials in the industry. From specific physical-chemical characteristics to strategic market advantages, technology companies seek to diversify their raw materials. In the automotive sector, the current trend of electrification in vehicles and the increase of government and market demand for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases makes lighter materials more and more necessary. As electric vehicles use heavy batteries, the vehicle weight is directly related to its power demand and level of autonomy. The same applies to internal combustion vehicles where the vehicle weight directly impacts fuel consumption and emissions. In this context, there is a lot of research on special alloys and composites to replace traditional materials. Aluminum is a good alternative to steel due to its density which is almost five times smaller while that material still has good mechanical properties and has better impact absorption capability.

In this paper, a novel mixed-integer programming model is developed to optimally assign the die sets to candidate plants to minimize the total costs. The total costs include freight shipping stamped parts to assembly plants, die set movement, outsourcing, and utilization. Therefore, the objective function is weighted multi-criteria and it takes into consideration some of the key constraints in the real-world condition including “must-move die sets”. An optimization tool has been developed that takes several inputs and feeds them as the input to the mathematical model and generates the optimal assignments with the directional costs as the output. The tool has been tested for several plants at Ford and has proved its robustness by saving millions of dollars. The developed tool can easily be applied to other manufacturing systems and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

In automotive body manufacturing the dies for blanking/trimming/piercing are under most severe loading condition involving high contact stress at high impact loading and large number of cycles. With continuous increase in sheet metal strength, the trim die service life becomes a great concern for industries. In this study, competing trim die manufacturing routes were compared, including die raw materials produced by hot-working (wrought) vs. casting, edge-welding (as repaired condition) vs. bulk base metals (representing new tools), and the heat treatment method by induction hardening vs. furnace through-heating. CaldieTM, a Uddeholm trademarked grade was used as trim die material. The mechanical tests are performed using a WSU developed trimming simulator, with fatigue loading applied at cubic die specimen’s cutting edges through a tungsten carbide rod to accelerate the trim edge damage. The tests are periodically interrupted at specified cycles for measurement of die edge damage.

The Composite Hybrid Automotive Suspension System Innovative Structures (CHASSIS) is a project that developed structural commercial vehicle suspension components in high volume utilising hybrid materials and joining techniques to offer a viable lightweight production alternative to steel. Three components were selected for the project:- Front Subframe Front Lower Control Arm (FLCA) Rear Deadbeam Axle

Laser welding of the magnesium-bearing AA5xxx aluminum alloys is often beset by keyhole instability, especially in the lap through joint configuration. This phenomenon is characterized by periodic collapse of the keyhole leaving large voids in the weld zone. In addition, the top surface can exhibit undercut and roughness. In full penetration welds, keyhole instability can also produce a spikey root and severe top surface concavity. These discontinuities could prevent a weld from achieving engineering specification compliance, pose a craftsmanship concern, or reduce the strength and fatigue performance of the weld. In the case of a full penetration weld, a spikey root could compromise part fit-up and corrosion protection, or damage adjacent sheet metal, wiring, interior components, or trim.

A novel laser-absorption gas sensing apparaOn-vehicle Testing at VERtus capable of measuring NO directly within vehicle exhaust was developed and tested. The sensor design was enabled by key advances in the construction of optical probes that are sufficiently compact for deployment in real-world exhaust systems and can survive the harsh, high-temperature, and strongly vibrating environment typical of exhaust streams. Prototype test campaigns were conducted at high-temperature flow facilities intended to simulate exhaust gas conditions and within the exhaust of vehicles mounted on a chassis dynamometer. Results from these tests demonstrated that the sensor prototype is fundamentally free of cross-interference with competing species in the exhaust stream, can achieve a 1 ppmv NO detection limit, and can be operated across the full range of thermodynamic conditions expected for typical vehicle exhausts.

Adhesive bonding provides a versatile strategy for joining metallic as well as non-metallic substrates, and also offers the functionality for joining dissimilar materials. In the design of unibody vehicles for NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) performance, adhesive bonding of sheet metal parts along flanges can provide enhanced stiffening of body-in-white (BIW) leading to superior vibration resistance at low frequencies and improved acoustics due to sealing of openings between flanges. However, due to the brittle nature of adhesives, they remain susceptible to failure under impact loading conditions. The viability of structural adhesives as a sole or predominant mode of joining stamped sheet metal panels into closed hollow sections such as hat-sections thus remains suspect and requires further investigation.

Most of the applications of magnesium in lightweighting commercial cars and trucks are die castings rather than sheet metal, and automotive applications of magnesium sheet have typically been experimental or low-volume serial production. The overarching objective of this collaborative research project organized by the United States Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP) was to develop new low-cost magnesium alloys, and demonstrate warm-stamping of magnesium sheet inner and outer door panels for a 2013 MY Ford Fusion at a fully accounted integrated component cost increase over conventional steel stamped components of no more than $2.50/lb. saved ($5.50/kg saved). The project demonstrated the computational design of new magnesium (Mg) alloys from atomistic levels, cast new experimental alloy ingots and explored thermomechanical rolling processes to produce thin Mg sheet of desired textures.

As the automotive industry strives for an increased fuel economy, lightweighting is a key factor and can be realized through composite materials. Composites have better strength-to-weight ratio as compared to metals. In this paper, static and fatigue analysis is performed on an oil pan made of polyamide-6,6 and 50% glass fiber (PA66-GF50). PA66 has a glass transition temperature of 170°C; therefore, it is suitable for automotive applications where the operating range is −40°C to 150°C. Long glass fiber (LGF) composite has an aspect ratio of 30-50 in the oil pan. Fibers break in the molding process but are still considerably longer than with conventionally compounded short glass fiber (SGF) composite, where the aspect ratio of fiber is between 10 and 20. However, the computer-aided engineering (CAE) procedure for life prediction of short glass fiber-reinforced (SGFR) plastic versus LGF-reinforced plastic is the same.