WAPRO 2023 - Darmstadt

Using the example of the development of flexible longitudinal members of a lightweight floor assembly for light BEV and FCEV commercial vehicles, the presentation will provide an overview of the process development with its methods and tools up to the production of the prototype components.

Within the “Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action” joint project FlexHyBat*, among other things, the technological limits as well as the design freedom of 3D roll-formed profiles with respect to the geometry when processing different ultra-high-strength steel grades and low sheet thicknesses have been investigated. To achieve these goals, new CAE tools were required, such as a 3D simulation pre-processor for automatic simulation model building taking into account the kinematics of the 3D roll forming line. Thus, the market-leading process planning and tool design software COPRA could also be extended for the application of profiles with variable cross sections.

Different longitudinal beams were developed and validated using the new CAE tools, with a special focus on a partially laser-deformed high-strength cold-rolled strip. In two test campaigns on the COPRA 3D Rollforming Center (the world's only prototyping facility), different real components for prototype floor assemblies have been produced.

You can find the full agenda here: https://www.wapro2023.ptu-darmstadt.de/agenda1.php 

*The "FlexHyBat" research project has the backing of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and is being supervised by TÜV Rheinland Consulting GmbH, the project sponsor.