| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
NUMISHEET 2022: The 12th International Conference on Numerical Simulation of 3D Sheet Metal Forming Processes
|
| Symposium
|
NUMISHEET 2022
|
| Presentation Title |
Structural Optimization of an Automotive Engine Cradle Design Considering Sheet Metal Insert and Fiber-reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer Overmolding |
| Author(s) |
Feng Guo, Luca Quagliato, Joćo Henrique Fonseca, Hyungyil Lee, Naksoo Kim |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Feng Guo |
| Abstract Scope |
Lightweight manufacturing for the automotive industry is gaining ever more importance due to international regulations and fuel economy policies. The research presented in this paper aims to provide a methodology for the replacement of fully-metal components with metal-composite ones, where the composite part is realized by injection molding process of short carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymers. The developed methodology is divided into a topology optimization phase, based on stiffness and strength criteria, and a design for injection molding stage, where the feasibility of the topology optimized component shape is tested. The two phases are cycled in a closed-loop until the optimal configuration for the steel (sheet metal) insert and for the composite cover are reached. The developed procedure has been applied to an automotive engine cradle structure allowing to reduce its weight by 25% and might be applied to other industrial parts where weight reduction is a key issue. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Definite: At-meeting proceedings |