Project overview

Project name	Development of a light-weight low-cost aluminum single piece bending/percing bumper
Supervision institution	Supervision institution
Participating institutions	Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Korea University of Technology and Education, Kongju National University, Korea Auto Industries Coop. Association, Tallis Tech Co., Ltd., etc.

Development objective

Final objective		To develop and commercialize a light-weight low-cost aluminum bumper beam and frame for the next-generation sports utility vehicles.
Annual objective	1st Year	Economic effects	800 million won (approx. 0.67 million USD), 5 jobs
		Technological effects	Secure the design and technology of a bumper and frame for the next-generation sports utility vehicles.
	2nd Year	Economic effects	900 million won (approx. 0.753 million USD), 8 jobs
		Technological effects	Secure the technology of manufacturing a bumper and frame for the next-generation sports utility vehicles.
	3rd Year	Economic effects	Secure the technology of commercializing a bumper and frame for the next-generation sports utility vehicles.
		Technological effects	Secure the technology of commercializing a bumper and frame for the next-generation sports utility vehicles.

The Importance of development technology

Problems of conventional AI bumper beams

• Stretch bending process following extrusion requires additional stretch equipment and increases cycle time.
• Piercing process following bending requires additional molds and processes, which increases the manufacturing cost of an aluminum bumper beam, produces burrs, and causes local deformation to hole-machining areas.
• Causes spring back, local buckling, and sometimes changes in thickness and sectional shapes, which has great influence on dimensional precision and shock-absorbing ability.
• In spite of fuel efficiency improved by weight lightening,, still some vehicles except medium and large size vehicles are not getting applied due to price and quality.

Problems of conventional frames

• As safety-related parts are being added and supplemented owing to current strengthening of laws and regulations related to the safety of drivers, fellow passengers, and pedestrians, the necessity of weight lightening is growing.
• Requirement to design a frame that substitutes a chassis frame connecting with a conventional steel bumper and can be compatible with an aluminum bumper.
• As an important part that determines driving safety and performance as well as ensures structural strength, a frame accounts for a considerable portion of vehicle weight. Therefore, it is very urgent to reduce the weight of chassis frame assemblies including bumper beams.

Differentiation and Innovativeness of Technology Development

Manufacturing technology of conventional AI bumper beams

Low-cost manufacturing technology of AI bumper beams

No additional stretch equipment / Reduces cycle time/ Reduce manufacturing costs (10%)/ Improves the quality of products/ Applicable to smaller vehicles.

Core technology development

Development plan for bending and piercing integrated molding process

Reduces springback/ prevents buckling distortion/ reduces manufacturing cost.

Evaluation method of major quantitative indexes

Bumper impact test

Annual development plan

1st Year (Year 2015)	Design and manufacture bending-piercing integrated molds.
	Design and manufacture bending-piercing integrated molds.
	Establish design and assembly plans for parts of a light-weight body frame for the next-generation sport utility vehicles.
2nd Year (Year 2016)	Make a corrective design for bending-piercing integrated molds and optimize forming processes.
	Optimize designs for light-weight body frame assembly for the next-generation SUVs and manufacture prototypes.
	Verify products by conducting a sled impact test.
3rd Year (Year 2017)	Commercialize bending-piercing integrated molding system.
	Commercialize light-weight body frame assembly for the next-generation SUVs.
	Verify products by conducting a sled impact test.

Business-to-Business (City to Province) Cooperation Plan

This project is intended to revitalize cooperation among corporations and organizations in Asan, Cheonan, and Sejong city for promotion of mechanical parts industries in Chungnam province, promote inter-region coexistence, and contributed to promoting regional economic industries by building new parts supply chains.

Supporting Plan for Connective Cooperation of Commercialization Support Team

Business-to-Business cooperation plan to build parts supply chains

• Introduce Kyungki’s AI bumper technology and project consortium businesses through vehicle purchase headquarters (Hyundai, Kia, Renault Samsung, and GM Korea) and support inter-business cooperation and publicity.
• After selecting car body assembly manufacturers through parts manufacturer database, conduct preliminary demand surveys and technology public relation for each business.

Cooperation plan to build network by utilizing specialized institutions

• Explore potential demand in cooperation with private TLO and local TP and support cooperation to organize network connected with businesses in cities and provinces.

Reference data for conventional aluminum bumper beam manufacturing technology

Domestic S company’s method of manufacturing aluminum bumper beams

Stretch forming technology

Comparison between aluminum bumper and steal bumper

– Comparison of bumper materials

– Performance : Comparison among various commercial alloys

Materials	Alloy/Grade	Density (g/cm3)	Stiffness		Equal Bending Stiffness to Steel
			Modulus	Modulus/ Density	Thickness Ratio	Weight Ratio
Mg	AZ80-T5, extrusion	1.80	45	25.0	1.67	0.38 (62% Reduce)
Al	6061-T6, extrusion	2.70	67	25.5	1.45	0.50 (50% Reduce)
	7005-T5, extrusion	2.78	72	25.9	1.40	0.45 (55% Reduce)
Fe	Steel, galvanized	7.80	210	26.9	1.0	1 (0% Reduce)
Plastics	PC/ABS, Dow 2000	1.13	2.3	2.04	4.45	0.65 (35% Reduce)

Reference data for aluminum bumper design process

Design

Optimization

Section

Thickness

Optimization including selection of sectional shape and thickness of extruded materials

Analysis

Reference data for aluminum bumper development process

Bumper production

• Design & analysis

  Design AI bumper

  Conduct collision analysis

• Prototype making

  Manufacture of aluminum extruded materials

  Forming and machining

  Assembling

• Collision test

  Bumper unit test

  Analysis of collision tests

Inter-business (inter-city and province) cooperation plan

Inter-region cooperation plan

Reference data for evaluation method of major quantitative indexes

Bumper collision test