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Recent changes to the U.S. CAFÉ (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) requirements have caused increased focus on alternative vehicle component designs that offer mass savings while maintaining overall vehicle design and performance targets. The instrument panel components comprise approximately 6% of the total vehicle interior mass and are thus a key component of interest in mass optimization efforts. Typically, instrument panel structures are constructed of low carbon tubular steel cross car members with welded stamped steel component brackets. In some cases, instrument panel structures have incorporated high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels to reduce mass by reducing gage. In this study, aluminum low mass instrument panel structure concept designs are developed. This paper illustrates the differences between a HSLA steel solution and four different aluminum instrument panel structure designs.

This paper summarizes an ongoing effort to develop a computer-aided engineering methodology for the design and analysis of automotive bumper systems. The barrier impact of a bumper system was studied in detail to validate the analysis procedure. Several different finite element analysis procedures were compared and evaluated based on available experimental data. The results showed that a successful finite element analysis of an automotive bumper system should be based on the following basic assumptions: a) Transient dynamic approach is necessary to simulate the impact response of the bumper system; b) Elasto-plastic material properties are necessary to model the permanent deformations and plastic damping effects; c) Large deformation shell theory should be adopted to describe the thin-walled open section of the bumper structure.

In the continuing automotive design trends towards greater lightness, the energy absorption capacity and low deformability of the knee bolster system in a front end collision, must not be compromised for light material guages. In order to minimize knee injury to both the driver and the front seat passenger, it is necessary to have a knee bolster system that absorbs as much of the impact energy as possible. Moreover, in order to minimize chest injury to the driver, the driver side knee bolster must not come in contact with the steering column during impact. In a study conducted by us, a simplified approach was used to evaluate the energy absorption capacity and the deformations of the knee bolster system under frontal impact. The analysis was performed using a nonlinear dynamic finite element computer code, DYNA3D, developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.