Process simulation in LSDYNA from the viewpoint of a materials supplier: towards an integrated approach for performance and process

Electromobility and sustainability are the current megatrends that drive the market development of the automotive industry. In order to be conforming to these megatrends, one solution exists, and this is the lightweighting of automobile structures. More specifically, with advancing metal technology, the trend is for automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers to reduce the thickness of outer, non-load bearing panels of closures like doors and hoods. However, reducing the thickness of such panels creates an additional challenge, this being retaining both the Class A surface finish and the localized stiffness, which is crucial as it defines the experience of the end-user of the automobile. This can be achieved by leveraging 2D rubber or epoxy reinforcements that enable the bridging of the weight reduction and the localized stiffness competing requirements. Outer panel thickness reduction, however, makes them more prone to process induced permanent deformations due to temperatures of the oven required for curing coatings and paints.