Materials info consultancy private limited www.materials-info.com Reducing the weight of the vehicle 

Reducing Weight of the Vehicle UNSPRUNG MASS  In a ground vehicle with a suspension, the unsprung mass is  The mass of the suspension, wheels or tracks (as applicable)  Other components directly connected to them, rather than supported by the suspension.  Components coming under this include suspension springs, wheel rims, other chassis components like wishbone, traiing arm etc Materials info consultancy private limited 2 

Reducing Weight of the Vehicle UNSPRUNG MASS REDUCTION  Vehicle weight reduction particularly unsprung mass reduction  Saves energy, minimizes brake and tire wear,  Cuts down emissions. Lightweighting of vehicles is directly linked to lower CO2 emissions  Results in Improved fuel economy.  The benefits of even modest vehicle weight reduction are significant. Reducing an automobile’s weight by a mere 50 kg (110 lbs) reduces up to 5 g of CO2 /km and increases fuel economy by up to 2%.  The reduction of unsprung mass can also benefit in performance, ride and handling of vehicles particularly passenger cars and utility vehicles Materials info consultancy private limited 3 

Reducing Weight of the Vehicle LIGHTWEIGHTING STRATEGY  Various approaches for weight reduction could be  Use of polymer or engineering plastics, Aluminum or hybrid constructions ( combination of different materials)  Downgauging or reducing thickness of body steel components by increasing usage of advanced high strength steels for body as well as chassis parts  With development of hot stamping the strength levels upto 1400 Mpa could be achieved in steel sheets with a defined chemistry.  Use of composite/engineering plastics for body panels and less load bearing components can be done. Materials info consultancy private limited 4 

Reducing Weight of the Vehicle LIGHTWEIGHTING STRATEGY  Tubular construction /design can be an option in place of a solid section  The lightweghting in case of castings and forgings can be achieved by optimization , thereby weight reduction.  For autoelectricals the weight reduction can be achieved by reducing solenoid weight through use of advanced thermoplastics  Reduction of weight for battery cables and wiring harness assemblies by using a hybrid construction of Copper and Aluminum. Materials info consultancy private limited 5 

Reducing Weight of the Vehicle ANALYSIS AND VALIDATION All the above weight reduction approaches need to be studied carefully  Through load analysis/CAE , stress levels experienced by the part under the various loading conditions,  Manufacturing feasibility, freedom from defects through use of advanced simulation software in castings and forgings .  Also it is important to use a proper problem solving/failure analysis technique in case of any failures in usage to find out the real root cause and addressing the same. Normally with initial failure such ideas are abandoned Materials info consultancy private limited 6 

Reducing Weight of the Vehicle OUR SUPPORT We at materials info can help you to take through this journey of lightweighting of your components /aggregates thus achieving the final goal of reducing environmental burden Materials info consultancy private limited 7