Analysis and Optimization of Aluminum Automobile Side Door Design Using LS-DYNA® Implicit and LS-OPT®

Vehicle design and development involves various types of linear and non-linear finite element analyses. Using different solvers for different types of analyses is not always a cost-effective solution. Using one solver for multiple types of analysis saves cost as well as it allows sharing CAE models between various disciplines. Although LS-DYNA historically has been used for explicit analysis, recent enhancements in LS-DYNA Implicit enable it to be used for various implicit analyses. This work focuses on the analysis and optimization of an automobile side door assembly made of aluminum, using LS-DYNA Implicit Solver for multiple load cases. A combination of Novelis’s high formable and high strength aluminum alloys were used in the door design. Implicit load cases used for this analysis were – modal analysis, door sagging, door frame stiffness, and beltline stiffness. LS-DYNA Implicit models were further used for setting up DOE and design optimization. LS-OPT tool was used to conduct multi-response DOE studies and optimization to minimize the door weight while meeting all the performance requirements. Additionally, the DOE runs results were combined with Excel cost model results to choose an optimal design that balanced the total mass of the door versus the cost to manufacture. A final validation simulation was run to demonstrate the optimized design met all expected performance requirements.