Title: Stiffness and dent characteristics of body outer surface panel - finite element analysis and experiment

Authors: H. Sakai, K. Saito, H. Tsukada

Addresses: Chief Staff Engineer, Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., Toyota-shi, Japan. ' Assistant Manager, Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., Higashifuji Technical Centre, Susono-shi, Japan. ' Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., Higashifuji Technical Centre, Susono-shi, Japan

Abstract: When the motor car|s outer surface panel is subjected to a concentrated load, load-deformation curves show typical non-linear characteristics. It can be approximated, however, by two straight lines, one of which represents a high rigidity area (1st stage) and the other a low rigidity area (2nd stage). Considering this point, the stiffness and dent characteristics at each stage were thoroughly investigated from both aspects of finite element analysis and experimental analysis. As a result, stiffness was found to be greatly influenced by the transition of a high deformation energy band in the 2nd stage. Also, the dent resistant characteristics are stronger with a small radius of curvature of outer surface panel in the 1st stage and with large radius in the 2nd stage. These phenomena might be quite useful in motor car body designing.

Keywords: vehicle design; outer surface panel; stiffness; dent characteristics; high rigidity area; low rigidity area; plastic deformation; belt domain; finite element analysis; FEA; load deformation curves; radius of curvature.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1983.061295

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1983 Vol.4 No.1, pp.13 - 22

Published online: 25 May 2014 *

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