MORPHOTEC Optimizes Electric Commercial Vehicle A-Pillar for Lightweight Design and Crash Safety

As part of the ULAS-E-VAN research project, MORPHOTEC developed an aluminum die-cast structure with optimized material distribution and automatically adjusted wall thicknesses to improve crash performance.

As part of the ULAS-E-VAN research project, MORPHOTEC further developed an A-pillar structure for a lightweight electric commercial vehicle by combining crash simulation, topology optimization, and automated wall thickness optimization. The component mass was reduced from 18.4 kg to 14.2 kg, corresponding to a weight reduction of approximately 23 percent.

The starting point was an existing sheet steel structure incorporating an A-pillar made of high-strength boron steel. Explicit dynamic crash simulations were used to investigate its structural behavior under crash loading.

In the next development step, MORPHOTEC investigated replacing the steel structure with an aluminum die-cast profile. Due to aluminum's significantly lower Young's modulus compared to steel, meeting the requirements for stiffness and deformation behavior presented a particular challenge.

Topology optimization was initially used to develop a load-adapted rib structure. Under defined loading and deformation constraints, the component mass was reduced to 14.9 kg.

Subsequently, automated, algorithm-based wall thickness optimization was coupled with explicit dynamic crash simulations. In an iterative numerical optimization process, wall thicknesses were systematically varied, particularly in highly stressed rib and flange regions, and evaluated with regard to stresses, stiffness, and crash performance. This enabled a further reduction in component mass to 14.2 kg.

The resulting aluminum die-cast structure also met the requirements defined in the simulation model regarding deformation limits and structural stability.

A significant research contribution lies in coupling dynamic crash simulation with automated wall thickness optimization to specifically improve energy absorption under crash loading. This methodological approach opens up additional opportunities to design safety-critical vehicle structures with lower weight while maintaining load-appropriate structural performance.

The results were obtained within the ULAS-E-VAN research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (funding reference 03LB3086G). Further information on the research project is provided in the consortium's overall final report.

MORPHOTEC
Dennewartstr. 25-27
52068 Aachen
Germany

https://www.morphotec.de

Herr Andreas Henschen
+49 (0) 241-963-1680
+49 (0) 241-963-1689
presse@morphotec.de

MORPHOTEC is an engineering company specializing in numerical simulation, CAE and technical optimization. Its range of services includes structural and forming simulation, dynamics, thermal analysis, as well as simulation-based product and process development.

In the field of metal forming, MORPHOTEC provides simulation services, training, and distribution of the AFDEX metal forming simulation software. Customers can either commission MORPHOTEC with individual development and analysis tasks or use AFDEX for their own in-house simulations.

This release was published on openPR.