Hybrid structures of metals and fiber reinforced thermoplastics for chassis components

Conventional same-part strategies used in the automotive industry lead to functionally redundant weight for most vehicles and impede necessary component modifications in later development stages. One possible approach for a more flexible modular system is the systematic use of hybrid synergy parts. Using local tape reinforcements allows for designing the metallic base components for a less demanding vehicle; hence the weight of the metallic component can be reduced. For car models with higher requirements, full functionality is achieved by local tape reinforcements which are applied in an Automated Fiber Placement process. A potential study for composite reinforcements for components with stiffness-driven design is conducted using geometrically simple principle parts. These are derived from chassis parts and equipped with Polyamide-based fiber reinforced tapes. Monoaxial stiffness tests based on metallic and reinforced specimens are performed. Fiber type (glass, carbon) and fiber orientation (0°, ±45°) are varied at a constant laminate thickness. The results are presented by the example of pressure tests; they show the highest stiffness increase of up to 44 % for carbon reinforcements in the parts' longitudinal direction. Finite-element pressure tests demonstrate a similar behavior regarding variation of tape material and fiber orientation. The simulation overestimates the measured stiffness values for most configurations.