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The paper presents the work on the development of a joint design approach for adhesively bonded and spot-welded aluminium automotive structures. The approach includes an allowance for joint geometric variables, manufacturing variability and complex joint loading. An important aspect in the development of the approach has been to minimise the detail required to model the joints in a full vehicle model. The paper describes the development of the joint design approach and identifies many of the joint variables which may influence joint performance. The accuracy of the approach is demonstrated on a simple structure subjected to complex loading, and the use of the approach is illustrated on a full vehicle structure.

The paper describes problems and suggested solutions in use of adhesive bonding for joining aluminum structures. Different ways to model and analyse a bonded joint are presented along with discussion on various advantages and drawbacks. As an example, the modelling and experimental results of a design exercise on a vehicle front cross-member are presented. The use of detailed joint modelling in determining the influence of local joint geometry on both adhesive and metal stresses is also demonstrated.

As part of the development of Aluminum Structured Vehicle Technology (ASVT), significant advances have been made in the design of impact energy absorbing members for automobiles. This paper compares the performance of aluminum and steel impact members, and discusses the influence of the material properties of aluminum on subsequent impact member performance. Methods for designing aluminum impact members for stability, collapse initiation and subsequent collapse performance are presented. This includes both analytical and finite element modelling.

The Aluminum Structured Vehicle Technology (ASVT) program in Alcan is developing technology for the design and manufacture of adhesively bonded aluminum automobile structures. The development of any new vehicle involves a complex balance between package, manufacture, cost and performance constraints, and it is therefore important to be able to give clear guidelines in these areas to support the evaluation of this new technology by the motor industry. This paper on ASVT structural design demonstrates the important features involved in meeting strength and stiffness needs at minimum weight, and it is intended to complement previous publications which have focused on the core technology and process considerations of ASVT. The first two sections examine the key elements of ASVT, namely the aluminum and the adhesive bond, with both strength and stiffness being considered.

The F408 research vehicle has enabled Ferrari Engineering to evaluate new forms of transmission, suspension, bodywork and structure for future production vehicles. As part of this project, Alcan worked with Ferrari Engineering to adapt its Aluminum Structured Vehicle Technology (ASVT) to develop a bonded version of a central section of the structure (center cell) which had previously been made from folded, stainless steel box sections, laser-welded together. This paper begins with an outline of the major F408 project objectives and indicates the performance and manufacturing advantages for the features of interest, particularly the center cell structure. The paper describes the development stages of the bonded aluminum center cell, focusing on the design for stiffness, strength, and manufacture, and it shows that the performance and manufacturing objectives were met with a substantial weight-saving and improvement in stiffness compared to laser-welded stainless steel.