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Progress in automobile body processing technology: multi-material and lightweight strategies for saving energy and reducing emissions

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Abstract

The automobile industry is an important pillar of the national economy. In response to the increasingly serious problems of energy depletion and environmental pollution, saving energy consumption and reducing pollutant emissions have become urgent requirements for the automotive industry. The most important solution at present is to reduce the weight of the car body through the application of new and multiple materials. As far as the structural materials of automobiles are concerned, they have been developed from traditional steel and aluminum to high-strength steel, high-strength aluminum alloy, fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite (PMC), ceramic matrix composite (CMC), and other new materials. The advancement of materials and processing methods has greatly contributed to the overall safety and performance improvement of vehicles. However, the main challenges faced by the automobile industry during this transition include higher manufacturing costs for new materials, lower production efficiency, and greater difficulty in material recycling. Correspondingly, in this review, we try to explore the processing methods that have been improved in recent years and outlook the challenges that the automobile industry is facing.

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Data availability

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Abbreviations

3D:

Three-dimensional

AM:

Additive manufacturing

BHF:

Blank holder force

BIW:

Body in white

BJ:

Binder jetting

BPD:

Blown powder deposition

CAD:

Computer-aided design

CAE:

Computer-aided engineering

CF:

Carbon fiber

CFRP:

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer

CMC:

Ceramic matrix composite

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

DC:

Direct current

DED:

Direct energy deposition

EBM:

Electron beam melting

FML:

Fiber/metal laminate

GF:

Glass fiber

GFRP:

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer

HPRTM:

High-pressure resin transfer molding

ME:

Material extrusion

NNS:

Near-net shape

NX:

Next generation

PA6:

Polyamide 6

PBF:

Powder bed fusion

PET:

Polyethylene terephthalate

PMC:

Polymer matrix composite

PP:

Polypropylene

RVE:

Representative volume element

SiC:

Silicon carbide

SLM:

Selective laser melting

TEM:

Transmission electron microscope

TEMP:

Thermal expansion molding process

THTB:

Tailor heat-treated blank

TRB:

Tailor-rolled blank

TWB:

Tailor-welded blank

WAAM:

Wire arc additive manufacturing

WCM:

Wet compression molding

Y2O3–SiO2 :

Yttrium trioxide–silicon dioxide

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intelligent Manufacturing and Automotive College, Yunnan Economics Trade and Foreign Affairs College, Kunming, 650000, Yunnan, China

    Peixing Li & Yimeng Yang

  2. College of Automotive Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Yunnan Communications Vocational and Technical College, Kunming, 650000, Yunnan, China

    Zhongxiao Yan

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  1. Peixing Li
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design. Literature collection was performed by Peixing Li and Zhongxiao Yan. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Peixing Li and Zhongxiao Yan. Yimeng Yang commented on the previous versions and revised the final version. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yimeng Yang.

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Li, P., Yan, Z. & Yang, Y. Progress in automobile body processing technology: multi-material and lightweight strategies for saving energy and reducing emissions. J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng. 46, 324 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-024-04928-5

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