The Advanced Structural Dynamics Evaluation Centre (ASDEC) in the UK is part of a successful winning bid for £1.4m (US$2m) in R&D funding from Innovate UK for which it will be working in a team with other companies to optimize hybrid structures for the automotive sector.
The Hybrid Automotive Lightweight Optimisation (HALO) project will focus on the multi-material approach in maximizing the potential of each material and component within the structure of the vehicle, as opposed to the current trend of direct replacement from one material to another. Modern composite materials can be optimized to provide the same strength for lighter weight but the reality is that there is still a disconnect between computer modelling and actual construction. HALO aims to close that gap by analyzing results from the real world and correlating them back into the virtual.
ASDECs Robotised Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) will be vital in analysis and correlation of what happens to these materials when used in a hybrid construction. New experimental measurement techniques will provide detailed information on joint structure interaction along with the repeatability and accuracy available using the Robovib system. The end result of this project will be validated with the manufacture of a full size prototype to demonstrate how optimization of these hybrid structures can work in real-world manufacturing.
The HALO project team comprises five companies working together to deliver optimum results for future lightweight automotive materials: JLR, FAR-UK, TWI, HPL Prototypes and ASDEC.
May 18, 2016