OPTIMAL DESIGNS WITH ALTERNATE MATERIALS SUITABLE FOR HIGH-VOLUME PRODUCTION

This paper is concerned with optimal designs of thin-sheet double-layer panels made of alternate materials which are suitable for high-volume automotive production. The materials considered are conventional sheet metals such as steel and aluminum, for their suitability in stamping; and chopped-fiber composites such as glass-fiber and carbon-fiber reinforced sheet molding compounds (SMC), for their potential of high production rates in compression molding.

Structural optimization techniques are used to obtain the minimum-weight designs of a typical double-layer panel made of each material considered. Potential weight-savings of each type of material under different design considerations are compared.