FEA (Finite Element Analysis) Modeling for Body-in-White Adhesives

Adhesive bonding of body-in-white (BIW) automotive structures offers potential improvements in NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) and mechanical durability. To effectively include structural adhesive bonding in BIW designs, vehicle program teams must be able to quantify the benefits obtained from the adhesive joints. Finite element analysis (FEA) modeling can provide information on the stiffness and durability improvements obtainable from including adhesive joints in BIW structures.

The stiffness effects of an adhesive joint can be economically included in a full BIW FEA model through the use of sets of three springs connecting adjoining node pairs on the opposing faces of a joint. A single spring models the tension and compression stiffness of the adhesive while two additional springs aligned perpendicular to each other and to the tension/compression spring portray the adhesive's shear stiffness. The three springs should be of zero length and all the end points should be in a local coordinate system defining the tension and shear directions of the joint.