Thermoplastic Bumper Design of Light Commercial Vehicle Using Finite Element Method

In order to meet the safety requirements and to reduce the component weight, it is necessary that destructive tests for new bumper system to be performed. These tests are very expensive and time consuming. Therefore, the economical design and analysis of bumper system using finite element method becomes very popular.

This paper attempts to show a method using computer simulation which has been broadly adapted in the various design stages of vehicle development. The analyses have been performed for center-center pendulum and barrier impact of bumper system of thermoplastic material under the process of injection molding. Also, the results predicted from finite element analysis are compared with test results to evaluate the propriety of analysis procedure.