METALS: LIGHTWEIGHTING
were arrived at in several
consecutive optimisation
cycles based on extensive
nite-element engineering
and crash simulations in line
performed in the
study strictly adhered
with standard speci cations,”
explains Tobias Wigand, project
The crash
simulations
to demanding
international
automotive
standards
manager, new business development, RLE
International. “In some cases, such as the side
doors, our hybrid structural plastic and foam
solution was even capable of exceeding the
expected performance when compared with the
initial all-aluminium design.”
The crash simulations performed in the study
strictly adhered to demanding international
automotive standards, such as o set and small
overlap frontal crash testing according to the
European New Car Assessment Programme
(Euro NCAP) and the Insurance Institute of
Highway Safety (IIHS) at speeds of 64 and 50
km/h, respectively. The side (or “pole”) crash
performance was tested according to U.S.
NCAP speci cations at 32 km/h. The rear
impact scenario was simulated with a 60 km/h
moving barrier onto a xed test vehicle as
de ned by U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (FMVSS) No. 301. Another IIHS test
standard was applied to establish the roof crush
behaviour.
Altogether, the hybrid designs with Henkel’s
Teroson EP structural foam were found to pass all
these tests well within the limits of deformation
and intrusion, while o ering substantial weight
savings compared to conventional all-metal
components. Henkel and RLE International are
o ering their hybrid structural design technology
as an encompassing joint approach from concept
to launch and series production, ensuring
the process security and sustainability of all
development, engineering and material processes.
Each design is fully engineered and optimised
for all pertinent crash load cases according to
customer speci cations and applicable industry
standards.
Hot form quench
sets aluminium
lightweighting standard
Impression Technologies has released a white paper introducing the
bene ts of its ground-breaking new technology: hot form quench
(HFQ). An innovative hot forming process was developed to offer a
step change in aluminium forming across multiple industries, including
automotive and aerospace.
The drive to reduce emissions and improve ef ciency through
lightweighting constantly requires manufacturers to nd new solutions.
The white paper, titled ‘Hot Form Quench (HFQ) Technology: The new
international standard for cost-effective automotive lightweighting using
aluminium’, outlines how manufacturers can easily and cost-effectively
replace steel or low-gauge aluminium components using HFQ. The process
cycle time for HFQ is at least as rapid as alternatives such as boron steel
processing, enabling the low-cost, high-volume manufacturing demanded
in automotive applications.
The white paper describes the bene ts and process of HFQ in detail. It also
includes examples and case studies that illustrate how the technology
can be applied and what can be achieved: a measurably stronger nal
component, alongside major savings in weight and cost when compared
with alternatives.
“The automotive industry is on a constant mission to improve structural
strength, integrity, consistency, durability and safety, all while reducing
weight and cost,” explained Jonathan Watkins, CEO of Impression
Technologies. “This is a very challenging set of goals that requires
constant evolution and quick uptake of new technologies and processes.
“HFQ is a unique, patented process that enables low-cost production of
high-strength aluminium parts. The bene ts of aluminium in automotive
applications are widely known,
but there have been concerns
around cost, strength and
production rate. HFQ
addresses these.”
32 www.materialsforengineering.co.uk Autumn 2019
/www.materialsforengineering.co.uk