A brand of car made of steel. What material are car bodies made of? Elements of final body finishing include
Throughout history, from the moment the car was created, there has been a constant search for new materials. And the car body was no exception. The body was made from wood, steel, aluminum and various types plastic. But the search did not stop there. And, probably, everyone is wondering what material car bodies are made of today?
Perhaps the manufacture of the body is one of the most difficult processes when creating a car. The workshop in the plant where the bodies are produced occupies an area of approximately 400,000 square meters and costs a billion dollars.
To make a body, more than a hundred individual parts are needed, which then need to be combined into one structure that combines all the parts of a modern car. For lightness, strength, safety and minimal cost of the body, designers need to constantly make compromises, look for new technologies, new materials.
Let's consider the disadvantages and advantages of the main materials used in the manufacture of modern car bodies.
Steel.
This material has been used for the manufacture of bodies for a long time. Steel has good properties that make it possible to produce parts of various shapes and, using various welding methods, to connect the necessary parts into a whole structure.
A new grade of steel has been developed (hardening during heat treatment, alloyed), which makes it possible to simplify production and subsequently obtain the desired properties of the body.
The body is manufactured in several stages.
From the very beginning of production, individual parts are stamped from steel sheets of different thicknesses. Afterwards, these parts are welded into large units and assembled into one using welding. Welding in modern factories is carried out by robots, but manual types of welding are also used - semi-automatically in a carbon dioxide environment or resistance welding is used.
With the advent of aluminum, it was necessary to develop new technologies to obtain the desired properties that steel bodies should have.
The Tailored blanks technology is just one of the new products: steel sheets of various thicknesses from various grades of steel are butt-welded according to a pattern to form a blank for stamping. Thus, the individual parts of the manufactured part have ductility and strength.
low cost,
high maintainability of the body,
proven production and disposal technology body parts.
the largest mass
Corrosion protection required
the need for a large number of stamps,
their high cost
as well as a limited service life.
Everything goes into action.
All the materials mentioned above have positive properties. Therefore, designers design bodies that combine parts from different materials. Thus, when used, you can bypass the shortcomings and use only the positive qualities.
The body of the Mercedes-Benz CL is an example of a hybrid design, since the materials used in its manufacture are aluminum, steel, plastic and magnesium. The bottom of the luggage compartment and the engine compartment frame, as well as some individual frame elements, are made of steel. A number of external panels and frame parts are made from aluminum. The door frames are made of magnesium. The trunk lid and front fenders are made of plastic. It is also possible to have a body structure in which the frame is made of aluminum and steel, and the outer panels are made of plastic and/or aluminum.
body weight is reduced, while rigidity and strength are maintained,
the advantages of each material are used to the maximum.
the need for special technologies for connecting parts,
difficult disposal of the body, since it is necessary to first disassemble the body into elements.
Aluminum.
Aluminum alloys began to be used for the manufacture of automobile bodies relatively recently, although they were used for the first time in the last century, in the 30s.
Aluminum is used in the manufacture of the entire body or its individual parts - hood, frame, doors, trunk roof.
The initial stage of manufacturing an aluminum body is similar to that of a steel body. The parts are first stamped from a sheet of aluminum, then assembled into a whole structure. Welding is used in an argon environment, connections with rivets and/or using special glue, laser welding. Also, body panels are attached to the steel frame, which is made of pipes of different sections.
the ability to produce parts of any shape,
the body is lighter than steel, while the strength is equal,
ease of processing, recycling is not difficult,
resistance to corrosion (except electrochemical), as well as low cost of technological processes.
low maintainability,
the need for expensive methods of connecting parts,
the need for special equipment,
much more expensive than steel, since energy costs are much higher
Thermoplastics.
This is a type of plastic material that, when the temperature increases, turns into a liquid state and becomes flowable. This material is used in the manufacture of bumpers and interior trim parts.
lighter than steel
minimal processing costs,
low cost of preparation and production itself when compared with aluminum and steel bodies (no stamping of parts, welding, galvanic and painting production required)
the need for large and expensive injection molding machines,
if damaged, it is difficult to repair; in some cases, the only solution is to replace the part.
Fiberglass.
The name fiberglass refers to any fibrous filler that is impregnated with polymer thermosetting resins. The most well-known fillers are carbon, fiberglass, Kevlar, and plant fibers.
Carbon, fiberglass from the group of carbon-plastics, which are a network of interwoven carbon fibers (moreover, the interweaving occurs at different specific angles), which are impregnated with special resins.
Kevlar is a synthetic polyamide fiber that is lightweight, resistant to high temperatures, nonflammable, and has tensile strength several times greater than steel.
The technology for manufacturing body parts is as follows: layers of filler are placed in special matrices, which are impregnated with synthetic resin, then left to polymerize for a certain time.
There are several methods for producing bodies: a monocoque (the entire body is one piece), an outer panel made of plastic mounted on an aluminum or steel frame, as well as a body that runs without interruption with power elements integrated into its structure.
low weight with high strength,
the surface of the parts has good decorative qualities (this will eliminate the need for painting),
simplicity in the manufacture of parts with complex shapes,
large sizes of body parts.
high cost of fillers,
high demands on precision of form and cleanliness,
the production time for parts is quite long,
if damaged, it is difficult to repair.
No one doubts that the load-bearing body of a car body is the main and most difficult to produce (and therefore in price) part of a modern vehicle. This is what we will talk about in this article.
From history.
Of course, in the era of carts and carriages (the beginning of the history of bodies), it saved people from changeable weather and served as a container for cargo. With the emergence of the automotive industry, devices and components were “camouflaged” under the outer body panels. For a long time, the body patiently worked only as a roof, protecting cargo, passengers, and devices. For the first time, in half a century of the 20th century, measures began to remove the load-bearing function from the frame and transfer this component to the body. After development that lasted several years, the body became “load-bearing.” In other words, in addition to personal “innate” functions, the body began to play the role of a support frame for devices, suspension, etc.
In order to achieve suitable stability, torsional and bending rigidity, frame fragments were introduced into the body system: frame spars and cross members; at the same time, the roof with its pillars, doors, and so on were strengthened. The ancestor of frameless production cars was the domestic Pobeda, the creation of which began in 1945. Of course, at the very beginning of production, load-bearing bodies were inferior in strength to frame systems.
At this time, the situation has changed in favor of the former. In any case, the difference is very insignificant. In open-top cars, the lack of rigidity was compensated by strengthening the bottom of the car. In some designs, rigidity was achieved by connecting the front and rear side members, a more impact-resistant structure.
A little about definitions.
Body geometry strictly defined by the body system, the location of the front and rear suspension, gearbox devices, doors, windows and clearances.
Changes (accidents, modernization) in the geometry of the body lead to changes in movement, uneven wear of tires and worsen the safety of passengers (increased possibility of skidding, doors swinging open while moving, etc.).
Deformation zones places with reduced rigidity determined by the design features of the body, specially created to absorb impact energy. Deformation zones are provided to preserve the integrity of the car interior and the health of passengers.
Resistance welding an electric welding method, where electrodes are applied to the parts to be welded and a high-power current is applied. In the heating position, the alloy of elements melts, forming a homogeneous compound. Welding spots can be continuous or spot. The second method is called “spot welding” (the connection is made at a distance of approximately 5 cm from the adjacent point).
Laser welding connecting elements using a focused laser beam. The temperature at the junction is simply enormous, but the melting distance from the edges is very small. This is a huge advantage of this method, an almost invisible welding site. This means there is no need to process the weld seam.
Power frame welded into a common structure are the bottom, pillars, roof with window frames, side members, reinforcement beams and other power components, which overall form a “cocoon” in which the passenger car interior is located.
Bodyguard body.
In the modern high-speed world, the load-bearing body of the car body has begun to fulfill a new task - the second level of passenger protection. On the first - seat belts, airbags, etc. To do this, the car body was divided into zones with different degrees of rigidity. The front and rear were made more “pliable”, successfully absorbing the power of an impact, and the interior body was made into a more rigid zone in order to eliminate the occurrence of traumatic situations and the pressing of units into the inside of the body. Energy absorption is supported by the accordion-like crushing of some power structures, which can cause damage to the health of passengers.
An unconventional solution was made in passive protection and increasing the rigidity of the body by the designers of Mercedes class A. In order to ensure that the engine located under the short hood could not cause damage to passengers in an accident, the bottom itself was designed by the designers to form a double “sandwich” with a void gap. Of course, with such an assembly, the engine, located virtually at the very bottom, is pressed into this gap in the event of a frontal impact, thereby protecting passengers in the cabin from damage. Also, it is worth noting the fact that in this gap the battery, gas tank, as well as other units and components of the car are freely located.
What and how are load-bearing bodies made of?
In the manufacture of bodies, sheet iron is used, which has a different set of parameters. For example, in places where power loads are increased, a 2.5 mm sheet of metal is used, and for the “tail” elements of the hood, wings, doors, trunk, 0.8-1.0 mm.
All parts from which the body will subsequently appear are connected using several types of electric welding. By the way, some companies use unusual connection methods body elements, for example, laser welding is used, or they are riveted with rivets in combination with very strong glue. In the range of materials for production load-bearing bodies there is not much choice.
Until this time, production cars used exclusively sheet iron and, occasionally, aluminum. In the 80s, in order to protect the body from rust, they began to use galvanized iron in the first period with a single layer of zinc coating, and later they began to coat it on both sides. As a result, guarantees against rust through the body have increased from 6 to 10 years, somewhere even up to 12!
The car body uses a huge amount of various materials, much more than in any other component of the car. Now we will look at what car bodies are made of and what certain materials are used for.
In order to accurately comply with all technologies, strength standards and at the same time make the body light and cheap, manufacturers are constantly looking for new materials.
Let's look at the main advantages and disadvantages of various materials.
The main elements of a car are now made from steel. Basically, low-carbon sheet steel with a thickness of 65 to 200 microns is used. Unlike earlier cars, their modern counterparts have become much lighter, while maintaining the rigidity and strength of the body.
In addition to reducing the weight of the car, low-carbon steel allows parts to be made into various complex shapes, which allowed designers to bring new ideas to life.
Now to the disadvantages.
Steel is very susceptible to corrosion, so modern bodies are treated with complex chemical compounds and painted using a certain technology. Disadvantages also include the high density of the material.
Body elements are stamped from sheets of steel and then welded into a single unit. Today, welding is done entirely by robots.
Advantages of steel bodies:
* price;
* ease of body repair;
* well-established production technology.
Flaws:
* high weight;
* the need for anti-corrosion treatment;
* a large number of stamps;
* limited service life.
Aluminum
Aluminum alloys have recently been used in automotive production. You can find cars where only some of the body elements are aluminum, but there are also completely aluminum bodies. A feature of aluminum is its poorer noise insulation ability. To achieve comfort, it is necessary to additionally soundproof such a body.
To join aluminum body elements, argon or laser welding is required, and this is a more complex and expensive process than when working with more common steel.
Advantages:
* the shape of body parts can be any;
* lighter weight with strength equal to steel;
* corrosion resistance.
Flaws:
* difficulty in repair;
* high cost of welding;
* more expensive and complex equipment in production;
* higher cost of the car.
Fiberglass and plastic
Fiberglass is a fairly broad concept that includes any material consisting of fibers and impregnated with a polymer resin. Most widespread received carbon, fiberglass and Kevlar. Body panels are most often made from these materials.
Polyurethane is used in interior parts, upholstery and in shockproof linings. Recently, fenders, hoods and trunk lids have been made from this material.
Let us tell you what car bodies are made of and what technologies have emerged? Let's consider the disadvantages and advantages of the main materials used in the manufacture of the machine.
To make a body, hundreds of individual parts are required, which then need to be assembled into one structure that connects all the parts modern car. For lightness, strength, safety and minimal cost of the body, designers need to make compromises, look for new technologies, new materials.
Steel
The main body parts are made of steel, aluminum alloys, plastics and glass. Moreover, preference is given to low-carbon sheet steel with a thickness of 0.65...2 mm. Thanks to the use of the latter, it was possible to reduce the total weight of the vehicle and increase body rigidity. This is due to its high mechanical strength, non-scarcity, deep drawing ability (parts of complex shapes can be obtained), and manufacturability of joining parts by welding. The disadvantages of this material are high density and low corrosion resistance, requiring complex measures to corrosion protection.Designers need steel to be strong and provide high level passive safety, and technologists need good stampability. And the main task of metallurgists is to please both. Therefore, a new grade of steel has been developed to simplify production and subsequently obtain the desired properties of the body.
The body is manufactured in several stages. From the very beginning of production, individual parts are stamped from steel sheets of different thicknesses. Afterwards, these parts are welded into large units and assembled into one using welding. Welding in modern factories is carried out by robots.
Advantages:
- low cost;
- high maintainability of the body;
- proven production and disposal technology.
- largest mass;
- Anti-corrosion protection against corrosion is required;
- the need for a large number of stamps;
- limited service life.
Aluminum
Aluminum alloys for manufacturing car bodies started to be used relatively recently. Aluminum is used in the manufacture of the entire body or its individual parts - hood, doors, trunk lid.
Aluminum alloys are used in limited quantities. Since the strength and rigidity of these alloys is lower than that of steel, the thickness of the parts has to be increased and a significant reduction in body weight cannot be achieved. In addition, the sound insulation capacity of aluminum parts is lower than that of steel, and more complex measures are required to achieve the acoustic performance of the body.
The initial stage of manufacturing an aluminum body is similar to that of a steel body. The parts are first stamped from a sheet of aluminum, then assembled into a whole structure. Welding is used in an argon environment, connections with rivets and/or using special glue, laser welding. Also, body panels are attached to the steel frame, which is made of pipes of different sections.
Advantages:
- the ability to produce parts of any shape;
- the body is lighter than steel, but the strength is equal;
- easy to process, recycling is not difficult;
- corrosion resistance, as well as low cost of technological processes.
- low maintainability;
- the need for expensive methods of connecting parts;
- the need for special equipment;
- much more expensive than steel, since energy costs are much higher.
Fiberglass and plastics
The name fiberglass refers to any fibrous filler that is impregnated with polymer resins. The most well-known fillers are: carbon, fiberglass and Kevlar.About 80% of plastics used in cars are made up of five types of materials: polyurethanes, polyvinyl chlorides, polypropylenes, ABS plastics, fiberglass. The remaining 20% consists of polyethylenes, polyamides, polyacrylates, and polycarbonates.
External body panels are made from fiberglass, which ensures a significant reduction in vehicle weight. Seat cushions, backrests, and shockproof pads are made from polyurethane. A relatively new direction is the use of this material for the manufacture of wings, hoods, and trunk lids.
Polyvinyl chlorides are used for the manufacture of many shaped parts (instrument panels, handles) and upholstery materials (fabrics, mats). Headlight housings, steering wheels, partitions and much more are made from polypropylene. ABS plastics are used for various facing parts.
Advantages of fiberglass:
- low weight with high strength;
- the surface of the parts has good decorative qualities;
- ease of manufacturing parts with complex shapes;
- large sizes of body parts.
- high cost of fillers;
- high requirement for precision of forms and cleanliness;
- the production time for parts is quite long;
- if damaged, it is difficult to repair.
The automotive industry does not stand still and is developing to please the consumer who wants a fast and safe car. This will lead to the fact that new materials that meet modern requirements are used in the production of cars.
Throughout history, from the moment the car was created, there has been a constant search for new materials. And the car body was no exception. The body was made from wood, steel, aluminum and different types plastic. But the search did not stop there. And, probably, everyone is curious, what material are car bodies made of now?
Perhaps the manufacture of the body is one of the most difficult processes when developing a car. The workshop in the plant where the bodies are made occupies an area of approximately 400,000 square meters, the cost of which is billions of dollars.
To produce a body, you need more than a hundred individual parts, which then need to be combined into one structure that connects all the parts of a modern car within itself. For lightness, strength, safety and low price of the body, designers always need to make compromises, find new technologies, new materials.
Let's look at the shortcomings and advantages of the main materials used in the manufacture of modern car bodies.
Steel.
This material has been used for the production of car bodies for a long time. Steel has excellent characteristics, allowing the production of parts of various shapes, and using different methods welding to connect the necessary parts into a whole structure.
A new grade of steel has been developed (hardening during heat treatment, alloyed), which makes it possible to simplify the creation and in the future obtain these body characteristics.
The body is made in several steps.
From the very beginning of production, individual parts are stamped from iron sheets of different thicknesses. Afterwards, these parts are welded into large units and assembled into one using welding. Welding in modern factories is carried out by bots, and manual types of welding are also used - semi-automatically in a carbon dioxide environment or contact welding is used.
With the advent of aluminum, it was necessary to develop new technologies to obtain these parameters that iron bodies should have. The development of Tailored blanks is just one of the new products - iron sheets of various thicknesses of different types of steel, butt-welded according to a template, form a blank for stamping. Thus, the individual parts of the made part have plasticity and strength.
- low price,
- highest maintainability of the body,
- proven development of production and recycling of body parts.
- greatest mass,
- Corrosion protection required
- need for more stamps,
- their overhead,
- also limited service life.
Everything goes into action.
All materials mentioned above have positive characteristics. That’s why designers design bodies that combine parts from different materials. Thus, when used, you can bypass the shortcomings and use only the positive properties.
The body of the Mercedes-Benz CL is an example of a hybrid design, because the following materials were used in its manufacture: aluminum, steel, plastic and magnesium. The bottom of the luggage compartment and the frame of the engine compartment, as well as some individual frame elements, are made of steel. A number of external panels and frame parts are made of aluminum. The door frames are made of magnesium. The trunk lid and front fenders are made of plastic. Another possible body design is that the frame will be made of aluminum and steel, and the outer panels will be made of plastic and/or aluminum.
- the weight of the body is reduced, while maintaining hardness and strength,
- The advantages of each material are greatly exploited when used.
- the need for special technologies for connecting parts,
- It is not easy to dispose of the body, because it is necessary to disassemble the body into elements in advance.
Aluminum.
Duralumin alloys began to be used for the production of auto bodies relatively recently, although they were used for the first time in the last century, in the 30s.
Aluminum is used in the manufacture of the entire body or its individual parts - hood, frame, doors, trunk roof.
The initial step in the production of a duralumin body is similar to the creation of an iron body. The parts are first stamped from a sheet of aluminum and later assembled into a whole structure. Welding is used in an argon environment, connections with rivets and/or with the use of special glue, laser welding. Also, body panels are attached to the iron frame, which is made of pipes of various sections.
- the ability to make parts of any shape,
- the body is lighter than iron, but the strength is equal,
- ease of processing, recycling is not difficult,
- resistance to corrosion (not counting chemical), and low cost of technological processes.
- low maintainability,
- the need for expensive methods of connecting parts,
- the need for special equipment,
- significantly more expensive than steel, because energy costs are much higher
Thermoplastics.
This is a type of plastic material that, when the temperature rises, changes into a liquid state and becomes fluid. This material is used in the manufacture of bumpers and interior trim parts.
- lighter than iron
- low processing costs,
- low cost of preparation and production itself when compared with duralumin and iron bodies (no need for stamping of parts, welding, galvanic and painting production)
- the need for huge and expensive injection molding machines,
- In case of damage, it is difficult to repair; in some cases, the only solution is to replace the part.
Fiberglass.
By the name fiberglass we mean any kind of fibrous filler that is impregnated with polymer thermosetting resins. More well-known fillers include carbon, fiberglass, Kevlar, and plant fibers.
Carbon, fiberglass from the group of carbon-plastics, which are a network of interwoven carbon fibers (moreover, the interweaving occurs at various specific angles), which are impregnated with special resins.
Kevlar is a synthetic polyamide fiber that is lightweight and resistant to the highest temperature, non-flammable, tensile strength is several times higher than steel.
The development of the production of body parts consists of the following: filler is placed in special matrices in layers, which is impregnated with synthetic resin, then left to polymerize for a certain time.
There are a number of methods for manufacturing bodies: a monocoque (the entire body is one part), an external panel made of plastic mounted on an aluminum or iron frame, as well as a body that runs without interruption with power elements inserted into its structure.
- with the highest strength and low weight,
- the surface of the parts has good decorative properties (this will allow you to avoid painting),
- simplicity in the manufacture of parts with complex shapes,
- huge sizes of body parts.
- highest price of aggregates,
- the highest demands on precision of form and cleanliness,
- The production time for parts is quite long,
- if damaged, it is difficult to repair.
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