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Automotive OEMs are proactively working on vehicle light-weighting, powertrain optimization, alternate/renewable energy sources and combinations of the three to meet challenging corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. Light-weighting of the body-in-white (BIW) is an obvious choice for vehicle light-weighting as this structure contributes to more than 30-35% of the total weight of a car. Changing manufacturing and assembly lines requires substantial investment. As such, OEMs are exploring short-term light-weighting strategies that do not require any major changes to the BIW. Local reinforcement for the BIW are pertinent solutions that does not require any major changes in the existing assembly lines. This paper focuses on the development of BIW reinforcement solutions using engineering thermoplastic materials that can be mounted at appropriate locations on a vehicle’s BIW to achieve significant weight savings without compromising crash performance.

Automotive OEMs, insurance agencies and regulatory bodies are continuously looking at various accident statistics and proper ways of evaluating unaccounted (as per current regulations and safety ratings) accident scenarios to improve the safety standards of cars. Small overlap and oblique impacts during which a corner of a car hits a tree or the corner of another vehicle are two such situations. Most of the vehicles that are on road scored low when tested for these impact scenarios. This paper focuses on development of energy-absorbing members, using engineering thermoplastics materials, which can be mounted on the BIW of a vehicle, as countermeasures to small overlap impact. Various design and material configurations options, including metal plastic and composite plastic structural members mounted on the BIW are evaluated through CAE studies, against small overlap/oblique impact scenarios.

The worldwide involvement in global technical regulation (GTR) discussion shows the increasing importance of pedestrian safety as a global concern. In the US, bumper systems are designed for the Part 581 bumper standard and IIHS (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety) bumper structural test protocols. There has also been discussion in the North American automotive industry about the merits of incorporating some measure of pedestrian protection into their systems as well. Compliance with the potential pedestrian leg requirements creates a design conflict with current bumper damageability standards and possibly CAFÉ laws. The difficulties of designing a bumper system that is rigid enough to protect the vehicle in low speed crashes and, at the same time, compliant enough to protect a pedestrian raise questions as to whether these ideas are compatible.

High repair cost and the subsequent increase in insurance cost in a highly competitive automobile market have forced every automobile original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to comply with the FMVSS and ECE-42 regulatory requirements of low-speed vehicle damageability. Although, the terminologies used are different, similar regulatory requirements also exist in Asia-pacific region. At the rear side, reducing the damage to expensive vehicle components in a low-speed pendulum impact or a low-speed barrier impact can attain a good rating for low-speed vehicle damageability. This paper focuses on a detailed study of various lightweight plastic rear beam designs and their effectiveness in reducing the damage to the vehicle during low-speed vehicle-to-vehicle collision or vehicle to barrier collision.

Improving passenger car damageability has been an important topic for The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Research Council for Automotive Repairs (RCAR) council. Incorporation of new IIHS/RCAR barrier (Rigid bumper shaped barrier fitted with an energy absorbing material and cover) in ‘Bumper Structural Test protocols’ closely replicates the damage patterns observed in real world low-speed crashes. Inclusion of new IIHS/RCAR barrier impact (10kmph speed) test, along with IIHS and RCAR bumper test protocols, redefines the development of countermeasures for low speed damageability. In this paper an innovative cost effective, and lightweight, hybrid bumper beam solution is proposed with thermoplastics and steel, to meet IIHS and RCAR impact requirements including new IIHS/RCAR barrier impact test protocols.

Worldwide involvement in Global Technical Regulation (GTR) discussion shows the increasing importance of pedestrian safety as a global concern. Vehicle front styling plays an important role in vehicle to pedestrian impact. Front styling can change the pedestrian kinematics and injury levels during an impact. Key elements of bumper front are Fascia, Upper & Lower Grille, Hood, spoiler or undertray, bumper beam and height of these components from ground level, determine the vehicle aggressiveness for pedestrian safety. This paper presents an approach to diagnose the vehicle front aggressiveness for pedestrian leg impact. Eight different vehicle bumper front configurations from ‘minis’ to ‘sedans’ are studied for lower leg impact cases, to understand the bumper stiffness profile (stiffness in upper, middle and lower load path).