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International Journal of Automotive Technology 2008;9(6): 713-717. |
| EFFECT OF STRUCTURAL VARIABLES ON AUTOMOTIVE BODY BUMPER IMPACT BEAM |
| K. J. KIM1, S. T. WON2 |
1SsangYong Motor Company
2Seoul National University of Technology |
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| ABSTRACT |
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Increasing fuel economy has been a central issue in the development of new cars, and one of the important strategies to improve fuel economy is to decrease vehicle weight. In order to obtain this goal, researchers have sought to make bumpers lighter without sacrificing strength, ability to absorb impact, or passenger safety. In this study, the effects of structural variables on the torsional stiffness of a body bumper impact beam were analyzed for possible weight reduction. To this end, the effects of variation of section height, increase of impact beam thickness and the addition of stays in a bumper impact beam were carefully investigated and compared. Among these, the most effective way to increase the torsional stiffness of the bumper impact beam was found to be increasing the section height. In addition, the potential for overall weight reduction of the impact beam was examined by comparing the crash capability of a bumper using conventional steels with that of highstrength steel (boron steel) with a tensile strength of 1.5 GPa. This analysis could serve as a guide to design for optimal bumper impact beam development. |
| Key Words:
Automotive body, Bumper, Section properties, Impact, Torsional stiffness, Weight reduction |
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