DEVELOPMENT OF A COST-EFFECTIVE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR SANDWICH STRUCTURES FOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION

Kurzfassung

Sandwich structures have a high potential for weight reduction due to their inherent strength and stiffness, even at very low weight [ZEN1997]. In automotive applications, they can also exhibit excellent energy absorption [BRU2017]. In validation project "Development of a cost-effective production process for sandwich structures for vehicle construction", which received funding by the Helmholtz Gesellschaft (HGF), automated manufacturing processes were developed for the production of sandwich components. In one of these processes, inserts with screw-on points were integrated into the sandwich components during the manufacturing process in order to subsequently ensure quick and easy assembly. The geometry of the components originates from the body of the Safe Light Regional Vehicle (SLRV) research vehicle, which was developed at the DLR Institute of Vehicle Concepts. The SLRV is a Lightweight research vehicle with fuel cell drive train and a body in sandwich construction. Its energy consumption is around half that of a conventional car, which is largely due to its lightweight sandwich construction. The manufacturing processes developed aim to enable a cost-effective production and assembly of such a body in sandwich construction.