Designand Analysisof Composite Sandwich Struturefor Automotive Application

Design and Analysis of Composite Sandwich Structure for Automotive Application
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION:
A vehicle has to be designed with minimum weight in order to maximize fuel
efficiency and acceleration performance. However, it is particularly difficult to achieve a
lightweight body structure for large cars using conventional materials such as steel.
Aluminum is a potential alternative for vehicle body construction but is significantly
more expensive than steel. FRCs comprises a category of materials that may offer
advantages in terms of weight and cost when compared to conventional steel and
aluminum alloys. But the feasibility of FRCs as a structural material for automotive
applications can be affected by impact energy absorption and crush requirements. GFRP
and CFRP composites appear to be important candidates for automotive applications and
basically have a layered structure supported by an epoxy-type resin. [5]
The constitutive modeling of such laminated composites which are anisotropic
and inhomogeneous poses significant challenges. For computational efficiency in
numerical simulation of full vehicle crashes, phenomenological material models have to
be used. This approach leads to difficulties in detailed prediction of different modes of
failure of FRCs such as matrix cracking, fiber breakage, fiber-material de-bonding, de-
lamination, etc. which are observed in experiments.[5]
Manufacture from cars and trucks to ships and helicopters. In automotive
applications primary energy absorbers, such as bumpers, are designed to absorb the
energy from small impacts seen in circumstances such as parking accidents. At higher
velocities the energy is absorbed in impact crumple zones, with the aim of preserving the
passenger cell integrity and limiting the forces seen by the occupant. Extensive research
into energy absorbing properties of composite tubes has shown that, under appropriate
conditions and with the correct design, composite materials can absorb more energy per
unit mass than an equivalent metallic structure. The way they absorb the energy with a
constant crush load is in line with the ideal deceleration curve. A constant load and
therefore constant deceleration is seen as ideal because the crash energy is absorbed for a
minimum deceleration level experienced by the occupant. Metals fail by plastic buckling,
which causes oscillations of the crush load (see Figure 1.1).
Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 1

Fig 1.1: Idealized Load Vs Displacement Graph of Different Energy Absorber
This means that higher deceleration levels are experienced by the occupant for the
same level of energy dissipation. Also due to the nature of their failure mode composites
are able to crush for a greater proportion of their length before the compaction of the
material causes the sustained load to rise sharply. Therefore, their importance in the
design of modem crashworthy components is growing considerably. [1]
Occupant so motor vehicles are injured or killed in different types of crash events, side,
rear, rollovers, and others. With each type of crash, there are different crash severities,
causes, and risk of injuries to the occupant for a given type of vehicle. The most severe
accident situations are frontal impact crashes. After frontal impact crashes, these condo
most severe type of automobile impact sin the United States are side impacts, which
result in serious head and pelvic injuries to the occupants. The statistics in Figure1.1 are
derived from Volvo’s accident database, containing 27,500 crashes involving Volvo cars
only [1].

Over the years, researchers have carried out a wide range of studies and analyses
on front impact crashes. They have largely been successful in reducing the injury
parameters sustained by the vehicle occupant [1].
Fig 1.2: Volvo’s distribution of serious-to-fatal crashes

Figure1.3 shows vehicle crashes by crash type, and Figure1.4 provides a
comparison of the injuries involved in frontal and side impact scenarios. This clearly in
dictates that researchers have been successful in there diction of injury levels in frontal
impacts; however the injuries involved in side impact crashes have increased.
Fig1.3:Vehicle crashes by crash type

Many design and material changes have been made in an effort reduce injury severity,
mainly by improving frontal impact protection techniques.
Nearly 30,000 vehicle occupants die every year in front impact crashes, of which more than
50% of deaths are due to head injuries. Impacts with poles represent a significant portion of
the vehicular collisions. Fixed object collisions account for less than 8% of all crashes in the
USA, but they represent early 30% of overall fatal crashes.
Fig 1.4: Comparison off frontal and side impact crash injuries
1.1.1 Motivation:
Much automotive search has been aimed at developing automotive structures to sustain
impact loading in diverse crash conditions such as, frontal perpendicular, angular, offset and
side collisions. This research has enabled manufacturers to replace existing structural parts
with new materials and design stat improves the structural performance of the automobile.
An increased focus on occupant safety has been the basis for developing the most
comfortable, as well as fuel and environmentally efficient cars. The increasing application
of composite materials in the automobile industry, and the specific strength that they offer,
is the core reason for replacing the existing front bumper of the Ford Taurus withstand
witch beam material. Sandwich beam materials the combination of solid laminate as the
face sheet, and rigid foams the core. This offers better strings than absorbs more impact
energy, when compared with existing front bumpers.

1.1.2 Crashworthiness:
The ability o the vehicle to absorb energy and to prevent occupant injuries in the event of an
accident is referred to as crashworthiness. The vehicle must be designed so that, at higher
speeds, it so occupant does not experience net deceleration greater than
20g .Crashworthiness can be categorized in to three basic areas :material engineering and
design, combustion and fire, and medical engineering (biomechanics) .Crashworthiness
features include air bags, seat belts, crumple zones, side impact protection ,interior padding,
and head rests. These features are updated with new, safer, and better designs.
Structural crashworthiness involves absorption of kinetic energy by considering design sand
materials suitable for controlled and predictive energy absorption. In this process, the
kinetic energy of the colliding bodies is partly converted in to internal work of the bodies
involved in the crash. Crash events are non-linear, and may in valve material failure, global
and local structural in stabilities, and failure of joints. In addition, strain-rate and inertia
effects may play an important role in the response of the structure in evolved.
Crashworthiness of a materials expressed d in terms of its specific energy absorption,
ES=F/DS, where D Sis the density of the composite material and Fist he crush stress. In
order to protect passengers during an impact, a structure based on strength and stiffness is
far from being optimal .Rather, the structure should collapse in a well-defined deformation
zone, and keep the forces well below dangerous acceleration levels. However, since the
amount of absorbed energy equals the area and earthen load deflection curve, the two
abovementioned criteria are somewhat contradictory.
Bumper beam absorbs the accidental kinetic energy by deflection in low-speed impact and
by deformation in high-speed impact. The safety regulations low-, and high-speed, and
pedestrian impacts along with new environmental restrictions end-of-life vehicles increased
the complexity level of bumper system design. The new bumper design must be flexible
enough to reduce the passenger and occupant injury and stay intact in low-speed impact
besides being stiff enough to dissipate the kinetic energy in high speed impact. The
reinforcement beam plays a vital role in safety and it must be validated through finite-
element analysis (FEA) and experimental tests before mass production.
The careful design and analysis of bumper beam effective parameters can optimize the
strength, reduce the weight, and increase the possibility of utilizing biodegradable and
recyclable materials to reduce the environmental pollution. Developing the correct design
and analysis procedures prevents design re-modification. On the other hand, analysis of the
most effective parameters conducive to high bumper beam strength increases the efficiency
of product development. Cross section, longitudinal curvature, fixing method, rib thickness,
and strength are some of the significant design parameters in bumper beam production. This
study critically reviews the related literature on bumper design to come up with the optimal
bumper beam design process. It particularly focuses on the effective parameters in the
design of bumper beam and their most suitable values or ranges of values. The results can
help designers and researchers in performing functional analysis of the bumper beam
determinant.
1.2 NEED OF PROJECT:

The bumper is a safety system is used to observe the low speed collision. It is placed
in car body. The car bumper is designed to prevent or reduce physical damage to the front
and rear ends of passenger motor vehicles in low-speed collisions. Automobile bumpers are
not typically designed to be structural components that would significantly contribute to
vehicle crashworthiness or occupant protection during front or rear collisions. It is not a
safety feature intended to prevent or mitigate injury severity to occupants in the passenger
cars. Bumpers are designed to protect the hood, trunk, grille, fuel, exhaust and cooling
system as well as safety related equipment such as parking lights, headlamps and taillights
in low speed collisions that can be achieved by composite sandwich structure.
To achieve following Aims:
● To reduce weight of bumper.
● To reduce cost.
● Introduce new energy absorbing bumper.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT

The objectives of overall objective of project to develop composite sandwich
structure for bumper, for high energy absorption during accident and to reduce injuries to the
person seating in front seat of passenger car.
The project work is outlined as below.
● Selecting car model for study impact analysis.
● To develop a new composite sandwich structure with chopped strand mat (CMS),
Epoxy resin, core mat composites by hand layup method.
● Evaluation of mechanical properties such as: tensile strength, compressive strength,
tensile modulus, impact strength, poisons ratio, density.
● Defining how much weight of bumper can be reduced after analysis and cost
reduction.

1.4 SCOPE OF PROJECT:

A bumper is a shield made of steel, aluminum, rubber, or plastic that is mounted on
the front and rear of a passenger car. When a low speed collision occurs, the bumper system
absorbs the shock to prevent or reduce damage to the car. In existing bumper the weight is
more. In the present trends the weight reduction has been the main focus of automobile
manufacturers.
In the present work, the steel bumper used in passenger vehicles is replaced
with a composite sandwich bumper made of chopped strand mat (CMS), Epoxy resin, core
mat composites. The objective was to compare the stress, weight, and cost savings.

CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Overview of Composite Materials:
A composite material is made when two or more materials usually ones that have
very different properties. The two combining materials work together to give the composite
such unique properties. However, within the composite you can easily tell the different
materials apart as they do not dissolve or blend into each other. Composite materials are not
new, since materials are known to have been used by the ancient Egyptians, whom embedded
straw in bricks to improve their structural capabilities. Nowadays, the increases in numbers
of the usage of composite materials are greatly seen. Nowadays, composites have been
widely used for airframes, automobile components and even in the oil and gas industries,
especially for the offshore applications. Although composite materials seems to have more
advantages for vast industrial applications and overcoming the usage of steel and alloys,
there are still properties that needs further researches and investigations regarding the
material; its fire-proofing characteristics and their reaction in the event of fire. Therefore, in
this chapter, related theories and literature review of previous work and research made on
this field will be discussed.

Fig 2.1: Illustration of Composite Materials
2.2 Glass-Fiber Reinforced Plastics (GFRP):

Fiberglass (also called glass-fiber reinforced plastic, GFRP) is a fiber reinforced
polymer which is made from plastic matrix and reinforced by fine fiber of glass. Fiberglass is
made of glass, similar to drinking glasses in the kitchen. Its major advantages are
lightweight, extremely strong, and tough material. When comparing with the carbon fiber,
the material is far less brittle, and much cheaper. It can be easily formed using molding
processes and its bulk strength and weight properties are also very advantageous when
compared to metals.
2.2.1 Fiber Reinforcements:

Fiber is a material consists of thousands and bunches of filaments, in which every
filament is having a diameter between 5 to 15 micrometers allowing them to be produced by
using textile machines. Reinforcements can be continuous, woven or chopped fiber which
can increase the mechanical properties of the composites. Glass, by far is the most widely
used fiber in all applications due to its good characteristics which include high abundances,
high tensile strength and cost-effective compared to other composites. Glass fibers are
formed by 4 different forms; roving, woven roving, chopped strand and chopped strand mat.
There are several grades of glass fiber that are produced commercially, for example E-glass,

S-glass, R-glass, C-glass and Cemfil. The code E in E-glass fiber stands for electrical.
Almost 90% of the composites fabrication in aerospace industry used E-glass fiber as
reinforcements. This is because of its high corrosion-resistance, high strength-to-weight ratio,
low thermal conductivity, adequate optical properties, low electrical conductivity,
dimensional stability, good energy savings and light in weight.
Fig 2.2: Different physical forms supplied of glass reinforcements; fine ground,
chopped, woven
2.2.2 Chopped Strand Mat:

Chopped strand mat or CSM is a form of reinforcement used in fiberglass. It consists
of glass fibers laid randomly across each other and held together by a binder. It is typically
processed using the hand lay-up technique, where sheets of material are placed in a mold and
brushed with resin. Because the binder dissolves in resin, the material easily conforms to
different shapes when wetted out. After the resin cures, the hardened product can be taken
from the mold and finished. Using chopped strand mat gives a fiberglass with isotropic in-
plane material properties. In this project, CSM will be used as the fiber reinforcement
2.2.3 Matrix Material:

Besides having its own advantages, fiber has limits in its engineering applications, in
which it cannot transmit load from one to another. The composite are consist of fiber and
matrix material that are embedded together, where the matrix serves to bind and transfer load
to the fiber and protect them again environmental attack and damage due to handling. In this
research, epoxy resin is the type of matrix that is going to be used to fabricate fiber
composites. Epoxy resin is almost totally transparent when cured. Epoxy is used as a
structural matrix material or as structural glue in the aerospace industry. Resin is a good

resistance to most chemicals, good resistance to creep and fatigue, high strength and good
electrical properties. To fabricate the composites, fiberglass hand lay-up construction method
will be used in this research. There are major advantages of using hand lay-up methods; low
molding costs, it is widely and commonly used, it is possibility for large products small
series products.
2.3 Fiberglass Hand Lay-Up Operation:

Hand lay-up is one of the common methods of manufacturing fiberglass composites.
It is the method of cutting lengths of fiber reinforcement off of rolls. The reinforcement most
often comes in the form of chopped fiber, woven fiber, or stitched fiber. A release agent,
usually in either wax or liquid form, is applied to the chosen mold. This will allow the
finished product to be removed cleanly from the mold. Resin typically a 2-part polyester,
vinyl or epoxy is mixed with its hardener and applied to the surface. Sheets of fiberglass
matting are laid into the mold, then more resin mixture is added using a brush or roller.
The material must conform to the mold, and air must not be trapped between the
fiberglass and the mold. Additional resin is applied and also possibly additional sheets of
fiberglass. Hand pressure, vacuum or rollers are used to make sure the resin saturates and
fully wets all layers, and any air pockets are removed. The work must be done quickly
enough to complete the job before the resin starts to cure, unless high
Resin is a good resistance to most chemicals, good resistance to creep and fatigue,
high strength and good electrical properties. To fabricate the composites, fiberglass hand lay-
up construction method will be used in this research. There are major advantages of using
hand lay-up methods; low molding costs, it is widely and commonly used, it is possibility for
large products small series products

Fig 2.3: Hand Lay Up Method

2.3.1 Advantages of Hand Lay-up Process:
1. Very low capital investment is required for this process because there is negligible
equipment cost as compared to other processes.
2. The process is very simple and versatile. Any fiber type material can be selected with
any fiber orientation.
3. The cost of making a prototype part is very low because a simple mold can be used to
make the part. In addition, the raw material used for this process is liquid resin, mat
and fabric, material, which are less expensive than preparing material.[7]
2.3.2 Limitations of Hand Lay-Up Process:

1. The process is labor incentive.
2. The process is mostly is suitable for prototype as well as for making large structures.
3. Because of its open mold nature.
4. Styrene emission is major concern.

5. The quality of the part produced is consistent form part to part. High fiber volume
fraction cannot be manufactured using this process.
2.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Composite Materials:

2.4.1 Advantages of Composites:
Higher specific strength to weight ratio:
Composites have a higher specific strength than many other materials. A distinct
advantage of composites over other materials is the ability to use many combinations
of resins and reinforcements, and therefore custom tailor the mechanical and physical
properties of a structure.
Design flexibility:
Composites have an advantage over other materials because they can be molded into
complex shapes at relatively low cost. This gives designers the freedom to create any
shape or configuration. Boats are a good example of the success of composites.
Corrosion Resistance:
Composites products provide long-term resistance to severe chemical and
temperature environments. Composites are the material of choice for outdoor
exposure, chemical handling applications, and severe environment service.
Low Relative Investment:

One reason the composites industry has been successful is because of the low relative
investment in setting-up a composites manufacturing facility. This has resulted in
many creative and innovative companies in the field.
Durability:
Composite products and structures have an exceedingly long life span. Coupled with
low maintenance requirements, the longevity of composites is a benefit in critical
applications. In a half-century of composites development, well-designed composite
structures have yet to wear out.
2.4.2 Disadvantages of composites:

Composites are heterogeneous:

Properties in composites vary from point to point in the material. Most engineering
structural materials are homogeneous.
Composites are highly anisotropic:

The strength in composites varies as the direction along which we measure changes
(most engineering structural materials are isotropic). As a result, all other properties
such as, stiffness, thermal expansion, thermal and electrical conductivity and creep
resistance are also anisotropic. The relationship between stress and strain (force and
deformation) is much more complicated than in isotropic materials. Composites
materials are difficult to inspect with conventional ultrasonic, eddy current and visual
NDI methods such as radiography.
2.5 Automotive Bumper:

Bumper beams are one of the key structures in passenger cars for which careful
design and manufacturing should be considered in order to achieve good impact behavior.
The bumper beam is the main structure for absorbing the energy of collisions. Since, suitable
impact strength is the main expectation for such a structure. A commercial front bumper
beam was chosen in this study for modeling and impact test. With the introduction of
automobile safety legislation, crashworthiness and safety should be considered as
preconditions in light-weighting design of bumper beam .The automobile bumper weight can
be reduced by the use of composite and highstrength metallic sheet of a thinner thickness
material. Fig. 1 shows the schematic diagram of a low-speed impact test. According to these
conditions, the car should be placed on a flat surface with released gear and brake and
impacted both from front and side directions .Since the real low-velocity test stated in the
agreement requires laboratory equipment, simplifications were assumed to make finite
element modeling possible. The consequence of adopting this concept, however, is that when
the bumper is impacted by a stiff object, such kind may happen in a parking accident or in
the legislative low speed impact pendulum test ,then the bumper fascia alone may not be
sufficiently stiff to resist the impact.
The simplifying assumptions were deemed not to change real conditions but to create
more critical conditions, which could provide a reliable basis for the design and analysis of
bumper beams. There were four main strategic parameters being studied during the test
modeling in the first step for metallic material. Firstly, the material, i.e., how the type of
material can affect the impact specifications and what kind of materials can be used as
replacement in order to lower part weights. The effect of module of elasticity and yield
strength on impact behavior of bumper beam was under investigation in this section.
Secondly, the thickness, i.e., how the bumpers beam thickness can affect the impact
specifications. Thirdly, the shape, i.e., how even small changes and modifications can result
in easier manufacturing processes and lessening material volume without lowering the
impact strength.
2.5.1 Problem Definition:

Finally, the impact condition, i.e., how test conditions other than the previously
mentioned parameters can affect the impact behavior. Steel and aluminum structures with a
specified thickness that did not fail during the test depicted clearly that they are not suitable
as bumper beam structure due to increasing weight. They increased the weight of the
structure by nearly 500% and 100%, respectively, in comparison with the composite bumper.
In the next step, the composite materials like GMT and SMC are used and studied to find
best impact behavior. To summarize, the objective of this research was to develop and
propose a replaced composite bumper, which could satisfy following requirements:
1. Easy to manufacture by simplifying the shape. This was accomplished by removing
strengthening ribs of bumper.
2. Being economical by utilizing low-cost composite materials.
3. Achieving reduced weight compared to the metallic bumpers.
4. Achieving improved or similar impact behavior compared to the current metallic
structure.[7]
2.5.2 Bumper and its Purpose:
A bumper is a shield made of steel, aluminum, rubber, or plastic that is mounted on
the front and rear of a passenger car. When a low speed collision occurs, the bumper system
absorbs the shock to prevent or reduce damage to the car. Some bumpers use energy
absorbers or brackets and others are made with a foam cushioning material.[6]
Main parts of the conventional bumper systems:

There are several models and systems for bumpers of passenger cars. Traditional
models have corrugated open section areas for installing some car elements and increasing
bending strength of the bumper. Main parts of the conventional bumper systems are depicted
in (Fig.2.4).
Fig 2.4: Configuration of common Bumper Type
a. Fascia: bumper fascias must be aerodynamic, lightweight and aesthetically

pleasing to the consumer. Usually fascias are made of polypropylene,
polyurethane or polycarbonate.
b. Energy absorbers: energy absorbers are designed to absorb a portion of the
kinetic energy from vehicle collision. Its types include foam, honeycomb and
mechanical ones. However mechanical absorbers have several times the weight of
foam and honey comb absorber, they receive limited usage.
c. Reinforcing beam: this part is a key component of the bumper and helps absorb
the kinetic energy and provide protection to the rest of the vehicle. In other words,
in low-speed contacts, the kinetic energy of impact is absorbed by changing the
impact force direction by the spring system (as mechanical energy absorbers) and
in high speed contacts it is absorbed by deformation of conic composite cells of
the bumper (as reinforcing beam).

The main elements of advanced bumper are as follows:

1. Front rubber tape: that is composed of polypropylene (PEP) for damping of
poor contacts.
2. Fascia: it indicates the aerodynamic form of the bumper and is used as a bearing
for spring system retainer.
3. Spring system: it contains 26 vertical springs for converting the kinetic energy to
the spring potential energy, In addition to 4 horizontal springs for connecting the
fascia to base plate.
4. Conics and base plate: they are main elements of the bumper for energy
absorbing in high speed contacts (i.e. reinforcing beam).
5. Connecting plastic parts: two propylene (PEP) parts that connect the bumper
base plate to the car.
2.6 Purpose of Bumper:

A bumper is a shield made any of material like steel, aluminum, rubber or plastic that
is mounted on the front and rear of passenger car. The function is when a low speed collision
occurs, the bumper system absorbs the shock to prevent or reduce damage to the car. Some
bumper use energy absorbers or brackets and others made with foam cushioning material.
The car bumper is design to prevent or reduce physical damage to the front car. It is also
design to protect the hood, trunk, grille, fuel, exhaust and cooling system as well as safety
related equipment such as parking lights, headlamps and taillights in low speed collision. It is
not safety feature intended to prevent or mitigate injury to occupants in the passenger cars.
Bumper car rides are designed so that the cars can collide without much danger to the riders.
Each car has a large rubber bumper all around it, which prolongs the impact and diffuses the
force of the collision.[7]
2.6.1 What happens to an automobile in an accident? :

Fig 2.5: Crash Test for Car

In typical collision, it is the outer envelope, which experiences the impact and
undergoes deformation locally in the impact region. The occupants only later experience the
impact. Thus one can define the encounter of the outer envelope of an automotive vehicle
with an external object at the first collision and the subsequent collision undergone by the
occupants within the passenger compartments as the second collision. Obviously the severity
of the second collision involving occupant motion is of the primary concern in occupant
protection from injuries and collisions; in general severity of second collision is strongly
related to first collision. So for past several years much attention has been directed to the
design analysis of passenger compartment integrity and energy absorption mechanism of
front and rear structure which usually experiences extremely large plastic flow of metals due
to severe deformation of structure .Occasionally when objects collide, either they bounce off
each other or stick to each other and travel with the same speed after the collision.
Rebounding involves a change in direction of an object. Thus rebounding situations are
characterized by a large velocity change and a large momentum change. From the impulse-
momentum change theorem, we could deduce that a rebounding situation must also be
accompanied by a large impulse. Since the impulse experienced by an object equals the
momentum change of the object, a collision characterized by a large momentum change must
also be characterized by a large impulse. The importance of rebounding is critical to the
outcome of automobile accidents. In an automobile accident, two cars can either collide and

bounce off each other or collide and crumple together and travel together with the same
speed after the collision. But which would be more damaging to the occupants of the
automobiles the rebounding of the cars or the crumpling up of the cars? Contrary to popular
opinion, the crumpling up of cars is the safest type of automobile collision. If cars rebound
upon collision, the momentum change will be larger and so will the impulse. A greater
impulse will typically be associated with a bigger force. Occupants of automobiles would
certainly prefer small forces upon their bodies during collisions. In fact, automobile designers
and safety engineers have found ways to reduce the harm done to occupants of automobiles
by designing cars, which crumple upon impact. Crumple zones are sections in cars, which are
designed to crumple up when the car encounters a collision. By crumpling, the car is less
likely to rebound upon impact, thus minimizing the momentum change and the impulse.
Crumple zones minimize the effect of the force in an automobile collision.
The most dangerous case is that of a head on collision during which the front
compartment is brought into play. In a more typical frontal collision it is not surprising to
find collapsing of the dashboard, piercing of the steering column, intrusion of engine
assembly, pedals, and other miscellaneous part into the occupant compartment, shattering of
windshield in occupant compartment, thereby endangering occupants life. In case of a rear
impact, it may happen that the fuel tank might be damaged due to the collision making it
susceptible to explosions. There by also putting the safety of rear passengers at stake. In case
of side impact, the whole vehicle experiences a sideways force. This exerts a large amount of
force on the occupants neck, as it is not used to sideways thrusts. Also, it is common that the
occupant is jolted in opposite direction and might hit the opposite window. The next
intrusion is the displacement of the steering assembly with the buckling around of column
forcing the steering wheel backwards and possibly upwards. This used to be the major cause
of fatalities amongst drivers but some designs now reduce the displacement to small
amounts. Injuries arose from the excessive strength of the hub sometimes combined with the
hand wheel mounted a weak spokes. Hence one way to minimize the impact on occupants is
to maximize the impact on the automobile. (The impact energy is absorbed by the automobile
itself and very little is passed on to the passenger compartment.) Ideally the car has seat belt
pretension and force limiters which tighten up the seat belts as soon as the car hits the barrier,
but before the airbag deploys. The seatbelt then absorbs some of the kinetic energy as you

move forward towards the airbag. Milliseconds later the force limiters kick in making sure
the force in the seatbelts doesnt get too high. Next the air bag deploys and absorbs some
more of the forward motion for protecting you from hitting anything hard. To minimize the
risk of injury, the kinetic energy has to be removed as slowly and evenly as possible. In
recent years, the automobile industry has attempted to improve safety through a number of
technological developments. One technique, which has been proven to be successful,
involves the use of crumple zones positioned in specific areas of an automobile. Crumple
zones are created by the integration which has been proven to be successful, involves the use
of crumple zones positioned in specific areas of an automobile.
The effect of collisions in cars having crumple zones is less serve due to prolonged
time of impact in comparison with cars without crumple zones.[14]
2.6.2 Principle:
Before looking at the specifics, lets review the knowledge of the laws of motion. We
know that moving objects have momentum. Unless an outside force acts on it, the object will
continue to move at its present speed and direction. When your body is moving at the speed
of 35 mph (56 kph), it has a certain amount of kinetic energy. After the crash, when you
come to a complete stop, you will have zero kinetic energy. To minimize the risk of injury,
the kinetic energy has to be removed as slowly and evenly as possible.
Crumple zones are created by the integration of variable grades of steel and fiberglass
into the front and rear-end assemblies of the automobile. Occasionally, crumple zones are
used in the actual frame of the automobile creating a point for the frame to buckle when
subjected to extreme stress. These crumple zones yield during impact, redirecting the energy
of the collision- often reducing the chance of injury to the driver. The following diagrams
illustrate the effect of crumple zones in automobiles. In figure2.6 , a steel block travels at a
constant velocity towards a cement wall, representing an automobile without crumple zones.
Initially, the block has kinetic energy, represented by the expression, Mv²/ 2. As the² block
collides with the wall, it exerts a force on the wall, after which the wall exerts an equal and
opposite force on the block.
The magnitude of this force is illustrated by the amount of kinetic energy regained by
the block. At the moment of impact, the steel block immediately rebounds in an elastic
manner, regaining nearly all of its kinetic energy, and consequently experiencing a large

force. In figure 5, aluminum can travels at a constant velocity towards a cement wall,
representing an automobile with crumple zones. As the can collides with the wall, it does not
regain all of its initial kinetic energy. Instead, some of the kinetic energy is transferred into
heat and sound energy, resulting in a smaller force experienced by the can. Amount of force
experienced by the car as shown in the example has been lessened by the action of crumple
zones. Crumple zones also decrease the severity of an accident by creating a phenomenon
known in the automobile industry as Controlled deceleration Generally, this means that if the
time it takes for an automobile to come to rest or change direction is increased, the force
experienced by the automobile is decreased.[15]
Where, M - is mass
V - Is initial velocity
V1 - is the final velocity and
KEnc - is the non-conservative kinetic energy, or the sound and heat
energy lost in the collision.
This phenomenon is expressed more formally through the application of Newtons
second law of motion, as: - . F = M * a
Where, a = can be represented by the change in velocity over the change in time.
Fig 2.6: Collision of steel block and cement wall

The energy equation governing:

Fig 2.7: Collision of coke can and cement wall

Also,
Substituting the previous equation for a in Newtons second law yields:
From this equation, it is clear that as the time of the collision decreases, the force
experienced by the automobile increases dramatically. For example, if a 1000 Kg. Car
collides with a wall at 14 m/s (32 mph), the force experienced by the car is expressed as:
F = 1000(2-14) / Δt
The resulting negative sign indicates direction of the force. The graph of this function
is shown in figure 2.8, illustrating how force changes as time changes. Observe that the
greater the time over which the collision occurs, the smaller the force acting upon the object.
Thus, to minimize the effect of the force on an object involved in a collision, the time must
be increased, and to maximize the effect of the force on an object involved in a collision, the
time must be decreased. The better the crumple zone, the more effective it is in increasing the
time of a collision.

Fig 2.8: Forces Vs Time
▪ Engineers stamp wave and rip patterns onto sheets used in crumple zones. In
addition, they stamp accordion pleading into longitudinal members at front

and rear. These combine to let the front and rear end deform as calculated and
thereby dissipate impact energy efficiently.
▪ During the deformation of the front crumple zone, the engine, transmission
and other components in the engine compartment may undergo multiple

collisions, forming a block, which might intrude, into the interior. To reduce
this risk, engineers arrange the components to prevent formation of such a
block and/or mount them so that they will turn, slide or be removed.
▪ In addition to a conventional front crumple zone built into the nose of the
vehicle. Todays vehicles incorporate a special structure around the windshield

pillars. In a severe collision, this extra crumple zones can actually help
dissipate some of the crash energy around the sides of the vehicle.
2.7 Experimental Analysis of Bumper Beam with Glass fiber based CMS Composite
Laminates:
For the current study, the specimens necessary for tensile and compressive tests are
fabricated using laminated chopped strand mat (CSM) plies with arbitrarily oriented E-glass
fibers bonded with a polymeric matrix material. Polymers can be divided into two broad
categories, namely, thermoplastic and thermoset. Thermoplastic polymers can be heat-

softened, melted and reshaped as many times as desired by the application of heat; on the
other hand, a thermoset polymer which is formed in-situ through chemical reactions cannot
be melted by the application of heat. Polyester resin is an example of a thermoset polymer. It
is adopted in the present study primarily for its ease of use. The polymeric matrix for present
composite material is prepared by mixing required amount of chalk powder (calcium
carbonate), polyester resin, accelerator and catalyst. Cobalt and MEKP (Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Peroxide) respectively are the accelerator and catalyst. Hand lay-up process has been
employed to fabricate the specimens and the same are cured in room temperature. In future,
procedures such as vacuum bagging and autoclaving are planned for producing specimens of
higher consistency. The 2-ply tensile and compressive test specimens are shown in Figures
2.9 and 2.10. The compression specimens are short with low slenderness ratio so that chances
of buckling are eliminated. The dimensions of the tensile test specimens are consistent with
the ASTM 3039 standard.[5]
Fig 2.9: Testing Specimen

The stress-strain curves of tensile and compressive test specimens are shown in
Figures 3 and 4 respectively. The tensile stress-strain curves shown below display a non-
linear behavior from the beginning without a well-defined yield point and also the failure is
of brittle manner. Although the CSM plies are made of randomly oriented glass fibers, test
specimens in Figure 1 have been cut from a 2-ply sheet in three different directions which are
designated as 0o (parallel to one of the edges of the square 2-ply sheet), 45o and 90o to
verify the expected quasi-isotropic nature of the present laminates. In Figure 2.11, such an
anticipation regarding the quasi-isotropic nature of the 2-ply CSM laminate is confirmed as
stress-strain behaviors are seen to be similar in all three directions considered. Thus, if a
failure criterion for unidirectional or bidirectional composites is used in modeling the
behavior of current CSM-based composites, strengths in longitudinal and transverse
directions can be assumed as same. For predicting the mechanical behavior of the CSM
laminates, it may be instructive to use average strengths in tension and compression based on
tests carried out in multiple specimens. Thus, the average variation of compressive stress
with respect to compressive strain in three tests is shown in Figure 4. Both the tension and
compression tests are carried out in a UTM under quasi-static conditions at a cross-head
speed of 1 mm/min. It is seen from Figures2.11 and 2.12 that the strengths in tension and
compression can be quite different; in general for an FRC, the compressive strength is
perceptibly lower than the tensile strength. Tensile coupon and short cylinder compression
tests were carried out also for 4-ply and 6-ply CSM laminates. The average material
properties of 2-, 4- and 6-ply laminates are given in Table 1. It is noted from Figure 2.12 that
there appears to be no distinct failure strain in compression in contrast to tensile failures
which are well-defined and of brittle nature.

Fig 2.11 Tensile Stress-Strain Curves for 2-Ply CSM Laminates
Fig 2.12: Average Compressive Stress-Strain Curve for 2-Ply Laminates
Table 2.1: Average mechanical properties of 2-ply, 4-ply and 6-ply laminate

Laminate Youngs Shear Tensile Compressive Laminate

Poissons
Configuratio modulus modulus strength strength thickness
Ratio
n (GPa) (GPa) (MPa) (MPa) (mm)
2-ply 6.5 0.3 2.5 53.6 41.3 1.3
4-Ply 8.5 0.3 3.27 88.3 28.3 2
6- ply 11.34 0.3 4.38 96 30 3.5
2.7.1 Charpy Testing:
The principles of instrumented Charpy impact testing, in particular, the procedures

for loading the specimen and for measuring and evaluating the data are briefly outlined in
Fig. and explained in ISO standard25. Tests are performed using Charpy specimens with
standard size of 55 × 10 × 10 mm3 equipped with 45° V-shaped notches and 0.25 mm root
radius at the tip of the notch. The specimen is supported by anvils of 40 mm support span.
With Wilbert Charpy impact tester Model D-6700 by a pendulum hammer of a given mass.
The specimen is impacted at velocities ranging from about 1 to 5.5 m/s, depending on the
size of the pendulum test device and the chosen drop height. The total energy that is provided
by the striking hammer accordingly ranges up to 300 J for a 20 kg hammer and a drop height
of 1.55 m. In the original version of the test, the energy to break the specimen is simply
determined from the difference of the heights of the striker before and after the test.[5]
Table 2.2: Impact energy Absorption
Laminate Energy Absorbed During Steel Energy Absorbed

Configuration Test (Joule)
2-ply 193.543 163

4-Ply 293.524 163
6- ply 11.34 163
2.9 Conceptual Design Procedure:

2.9.1 Conceptual design of bumper beam:

The preliminary stage of product development start with conceptual design, which is
derived from customer requirement voice of the customer to find a solution to satisfy the
functional design problems. Imprecise engineering calculation, design and material selection,
might increase up to 70% the total product cost for redesigning. Designer has to select the
most suitable idea from different possible solutions or combination of material selection and
component design to meet the desired PDS in each design stage to decrease the rework
expense .Therefore, many tools are developed to evaluate design concept selection(DCS) and
compromise different effective factors, i.e. customer requirements, designer intentions and
market desire. Decision matrix-based methods, offer the qualitative comparison such as
Pughs method or quality function deployment (QFD) . Fuzzy ANP-based, evaluate a set of
conceptual design alternatives to satisfy both customer satisfaction and engineering
specifications. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a mathematically based technique for
analyzing complex situations, which were sophisticated in its simplicity. Multi criteria
decisionmaking (MCDM) is an effective method for single selection among mixed criteria.
Multi-attribute decision-making technique (MADM) is a conflicting preferences solution
among criteria for single decision makers. Topsis is well suited technique to dealing with
multi attribute or multi-criteria decision-making (MADM/ MCDM) problems in real world
ideal solutions. Its method is based on chosen alternative has shortest distance from positive
ideal solution and farthest distance from negative ideal solution. It helps to organize
problems, compare, and rank alternatives to carry out the analysis for better options. This
method has been Fig. 2.17. Bumper system components appointed to select the best concept
in this research

Fig 2.17: Selection Parameter for Bumper Beams

2.9.2. Product design specification (PDS):
To perform the customer requirements and expectation to a detailed technical document
called PDS . It is quite difficult to finish the exact PDS in the early stage of product
development, while the knowledge of design requirements is imprecise and incomplete. PDS
originates by disorganized brainstorming team with various proficiency, i.e. manufacturing,
designing, selling, assembling, maintaining, and might be improved due to new product
changes and manufacturing limitations. Safety was the main goal among different bumper
PDS specification in this study.
Bumper beam PDS consisted of safety, performance, weight, size, cost, environment
issue, appearance (see Fig. 2.19). Whole PDS parameters can be classified into three main
subdivisions such as material, manufacturing and design. Since energy absorption of
different concept is the core competency of this study, it is emphasized in the PDS safety
parameters. Some of the mechanical and physical properties values are received from
experimental results and others from existing PDS data.

2.9.3 Safety:
There are different bumper safety regulations for passengers car, issued by safety
organization, insurance companies or original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Insurance
companies usually offer more severe conditions in order to decrease their own costs. This
study follows safety criteria of the European car manufacturer.
(1) Low impact test: Longitudinal pendulum impact test by 4.0 km/h (2.5 mph), and corner
pendulum impact test by 2.4 km/h (1.5 mph) with any bumper visual, functional, and
safety damages.
(2) High speed test: No bumper damage or yielding after 8 km/h (5 mph) frontal impact into
a flat, rigid barrier.
(3) Pedestrian impact test: In this test, a leg-form impactor is propelled toward a stationary
vehicle at a velocity of 40 km/ h (25 mph) parallel to the vehicles longitudinal axis. The
test can be performed at any location across the face of the vehicle.

Fig 2.18: Bumper beam conceptual selection flowchart

2.10 EFFECT OF BUMPER BEAM MATERIAL:-

To investigate the effect of bumper beam material on the impact behavior, two parameters
are studied here: the modulus of elasticity and the yield strength. The effects of each
parameter are presented as follows.[6]
2.10.1 Modulus of elasticity
Steel, magnesium and aluminum were the three conventional metals whose specifications
were assigned to the bumper in separate tests. Other characteristics of the model such as
shock absorber, impactor , etc., remained constant for all the case studies. Mechanical
specifications of the isotropic and metallic materials are illustrated in Table 2.4 that are used
for the analysis. To study the effect of elastic modulus on bumper impact behavior, three
mentioned alloys metals with different modulus of elasticity are selected where they have
equal yield strength. The impactor collides to the bumper perpendicularly with 4 km/h
velocity. Fig.2.19 shows the comparison of the average longitudinal deflection among three
bumpers made of different metals. The deflection was measured at the nodes located in the
middle of the bumper horizontally. Point of center of impact was assumed 445 mm above
ground in this simulation according to the low-velocity impact standard , for passenger cars,
which gives a fixed value where most collisions occur. The separation point takes place at
0.072 , 0.058 and0.054 s, for aluminum, steel and magnesium, respectively. This may be seen
in the deflection vs. time diagram in Fig.2.19, where the deflections become constant. In all
cases, the deflections after impact do not become zero, because the plastic deformation
occurs in bumper system (beam and shock absorber). The maximum deflection point also
occurs at 0.037, 0.034 and 0.033 s; with the deflections 20.25 , 16.47 and 15.51 mm, for
aluminum, steel and magnesium, respectively. Both phenomena are attributed to the material
stiffness. In the other words, the magnesium stiffness is higher than the steel and the steel
stiffness is higher than the aluminum. Linear momentum is conserved and since the impact
phenomena almost always are with losing energy, kinetic energy is not conserved. With
subtraction kinetic energy, after and before impact this energy dissipated in the collision can
be calculated. This portion of kinetic energy of system converts to strain energy due to elastic

and plastic deformations that occur in bumper system. In aluminum bumper due to the low
stiffness, the impact area of beam is wide. It means a wider area of bumper is involved. So
plastic deformation and consequently, dissipated energy is small since coefficient of
restitution is bigger than other metal. Another observation is the difference in impact
velocities. With comparison among Figs.2.20-2.22 clearly shows that there is a difference in
impact velocities among magnesium, steel and aluminum bumper. In aluminum bumper
difference between impactor velocity and vehicle velocity after impact is higher than steel
and magnesium bumper. In other words, in aluminum bumper more kinetic energy from
impactor transfers to the vehicle. It means that in steel and magnesium bumpers, reduction of
impactor velocity and increasing of vehicle velocity are lower than aluminum bumper. It can
be proved by abovementioned impact laws. Another parameter to study was impact force. To
compare the differences among impact forces, the impactor inertia force in three states was
defined as a common criterion i.e. how the impactor decelerates due to the combined effects
of the bumper and car. According to Fig.2.23 , the impact force in aluminum bumper is the
lowest; meanwhile it applies in a longer time interval. This phenomenon is due to lower
rigidity of aluminum.
Table 2.4: Material properties of the models

Fig 2.19 :Mg, Steel,and Aluminium Bumper Deflection
Fig2.20: Kinetic Energy Transfer in Magnesium Bumper

Fig2.21: Kinetic energy Transfer in Steel Bumper
Fig2.22: Kinetic energy Transfer in Aluminum Bumper

Fig 2.23: Impact force in three case studies of bumpers
2.10.2 Yield strength
The effect of yield strength on impact behavior is studied with three different
specifications on aluminum alloys. Properties of these aluminum alloys are shown 2.4. Fig.
2.24 demonstrates comparison of bumpers deflection for different aluminum bumpers. The
maximum deflection and remained plastic deflection after impact decrease with increasing
the aluminum strength. Also, maximum deflection time and separation point in high-strength
aluminum occur early. All phenomena are attributed to the yield strength of aluminum. For
different aluminum bumpers, difference between vehicle and impact or velocities after
impact increases by increasing the yield strength. Figs.2.25 show these velocities.
Accordingly, more kinetic energy transfers to the vehicle and as a result lesser energy
dissipates. According to these figures, the velocity of impactor is not reduced to zero. The
major reason is plastic deformation that occurs in the bumper and holders. So, bumper
system collides in elastically with coefficient of restitution of lower than one and
consequently plastic strain energy dissipate during an impact. Impactor velocity after impact
may be determined by standard formulae, the car begins to obtain kinetic energy at the same
time the impactor loses it. Since the whole of impactor kinetic energy does not transfer to the
car and a portion of this energy converts to elastic and plastic strain energy impactor velocity

does not become zero and also the car does not accelerate to the impact or initial velocity of
4km/hr
Fig2.24: Various Bumper Aluminum deflection
Fig2.25: Kinetic Energy transfer in Aluminum Bumper
The middle point of the bumper has the same velocity as the impactor when it is in
direct contact with it. At the time of separation, the bumper becomes once again part of the
car and thus begins vibrating to adjust its velocity to that of the car. The velocity reported for
bumper is average amount for the nodes mentioned at its middle which are contacted to the

impactor at the time of impact. In Fig.2.26, the impact forces in aluminum bumper beams are
shown. It is observed from this figure that the average impact force decreases by decreasing
the aluminum strength Thus, in comparison with steel and magnesium, using of high-
strength aluminum with more thickness, while has a better performance in impact, can be
obtained lighter structure.
Fig 2.26: Impact forces in aluminum bumpers
2.11 BUMPER THICKNESS:-

Different bumper beam thickness made of highstrength steel with 584 MPa yield strength are
also chosen to determine the effect of impact behavior. This grade of steel can be used for
roll forming and stamping of door-intrusion beams, bumper-reinforcement beams, and
various seating components, such as tracks, pillars, risers and towers . Fig. shows the bumper
deflection in which one can observe that the maximum deflection increases. Furthermore, the
separation point and the maximum deflection point take place with a delay in thicker bumper.
The study of impact forces on bumper with various thicknesses shows that the impact force
enhances following increasing the bumper thickness as illustrated in Fig.2.27 . So, the
acceleration rate of the car increases very fast, since this force applies in short-time interval.
By investigation of kinetic-energy diagram, it is observed that more kinetic-energy transfer
from impactor to vehicle and less plastics strain energy dissipates with increasing the bumper
thickness

Fig2.27:Effect of thickness on Bumper Deflection
Fig2.28: Effect of thickness on Impact force

shows the bumper deflection in which one can observe that the maximum deflection
increases, since the bumper rigidity reduces and it is the result of decreasing the bumper
beam thickness. Furthermore, the separation point and the maximum deflection point take
place with a delay in thicker bumper. The study of impact forces on bumper with various
thicknesses shows that the impact force enhances following increasing the bumper thickness
as illustrated in Fig. 2.28 So, the acceleration rate of the car increases very fast, since this
force applies in short-time interval. By investigation of kinetic-energy diagram, it is observed
that more kinetic-energy transfer from impactor to vehicle and less plastic

CHAPTER 3
MATERIALS AND EXPERIMNTATION
This chapter describes the details of processing of the composites and the
experimental procedures followed for their mechanical characterization. The raw materials
used in this work are:
1. E glass fiber (chopped strand mat) and core mat.
2. Epoxy resin.
3. Hardener (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide).
4. PVA liquid (remover).
5. Cobalt (Accelerator).
3.1. Specimen preparation:

Mold release agent is applied to glass surface or mould of 75 micron. Chopped
strand mat glass fiber and core mate is reinforced with Epoxy resin, chemically
belonging to the epoxide family is used as the matrix material. The glass fiber, epoxy
resin and the hardener are supplied by Chemocrates Sales, Budhwar Peth, Pune. The
fabrication of the composite sandwich structure is carried out through the hand lay-up
technique. The low temperature curing epoxy resin and corresponding hardener

(Methyl Ethyl Ketone Paroxide) are mixed in a ratio of 10:1 by weight as

recommended. Composites sandwich structure with two different forms are made and
the designations of these composites are given in Table 4 The cast of each composite
is cured for 24 hours before it removed from the mould. Then this cast is post cured in
the air for another 24 hours after removing out of the mould. Specimens of suitable
dimension are cut using a cutter for mechanical testing. [13]
Table 3.1 Composite Sandwich Structure
Composite Sandwich Structure-i Core mat Between 2 CMS Mat With Epoxy
Resin
3.1.1 Tools Required:

The mould design for the hand lay-up process is very simple as compared to other
manufacturing process because the process requires room temperature to cure with low
pressures. In this project existing bumper is used as mould.
3.1.2 Fabrication of Bumper:

In the hand lay-up process the thickness of the composite part is built up by applying
a serious of fiber glass layers and liquid resin layers. A roller is used to squeeze out the
excess resign and create uniform distribution of the resign throughout the surfaces. By the
squeezing action of the roller, homogeneous fiber wetting is obtained, the part is then cured
at room temperature for about one week and once solidified it is removed from mould. The
cost making one composite bumper is around Rs.700.

Chopped Strand Mat Core Mat

Fig 3.1 : Images of Composite Raw Material
Sandwich Structure Sandwich Structure

Fig3.2: Final Specimen Fro Testing Material
3.2 Tensile Testing Of Composite Sandwich Structure:
● Tensile testing were conducted according to ASTM standards D 638, specimen strain
response rate calculated for150 mm gauge length , width 25 mm, 4mm thickness .[2]

Fig 3.3: Tensile Test Specimen
● Testing is done in DUTECH INDIA LAB., LTD., Pune on 40 ton UTM machine
With flat dies are used to grip specimen
3.2.1 Tensile Test For Sandwich structure-I:
Sample Type -- Rectangular Bar

Area: 148.930 mm ² Width = 28.1 mm
Thickness = 5.3 mm Final Areas: 112.4 mm ²
Gauge Length: 150 mm Final Gauge Length: 160.5 mm
Fig 3.4: Load Vs Deflection (SW-I)

Fig3.6: Tensile Test on specimen
3.3 Compression testing of sandwich structure:
● Specimen having 30mm gauge tength,4mm thickness, 25mm width[2].
● Test is conducted at DUTECH LABORATORY,PUNE
Fig3.7: Compression Test on Specimen

Fig3.8: Compression Test on Specimen
Fig3.9 : Compression Testing of Sandwich structure-I

3.4 compression and tensile testing result of composite sandwich structure:
From above graph we can calculate mechanical properties of composite sandwich
beam which required for further analysis
Table3.2: Mechanical Properties of SW-I
Tensile Compressive Laminate
Youngs Poissons
Laminate strength strength thickness
modulus ratio
configuration (MPa) (MPa) (mm)
(GPa)
composite
sandwich 8.2 0.3 86 130 4.0
strusture1

3.5 Impact Testing:
● Charpy test specimens normally measure 55*10*6mm and have a notch machined
across one of the larger faces. The notch dimensions are v-shaped notch, 2mm deep,
with 450 angle and 0.25mm radius along the base
Fig3.10.Charpy Test Specimen Specification
● The charpy impact test, also known as the charpy v-notch test, is a standardized high
strain rate test which determines the amount of energy absorbed by a material during
fracture. This absorbed energy is a measure of a given materials toughness and acts as
a tool to study temperature-dependent brittle-ductile transition. It is widely applied in
industry, it is easy to prepare and conduct and result can be obtained quickly and
cheaply. But major disadvantage is that all results are only comparative

Fig:3.11 Impact Specimen
3.5.1 IMPACT TEST RESULT

Table 3.3: Impact Energy absorption Result
COMPOSITE SANDWICH STEEL AISI

DISCRIBTION
STRUCTURE 1 4000
CROSS SECTIONAL AREA

40 40
IN(mm2)
IMPACT ENERGY (J/mm2) 8.5 3.4
3.6 Automotive Bumper Material Testing ( Spectrometry Test)

For study impact analysis we have chosen Tata indica because it is most purchased
so most probability of accident so we are try to suggest composite material for weight
reduction and high impact strength

Material Testing: car bumper beam specimen was collected from accidental car in car
garage
Test Method: IS 8811-1998
Method for emission spectrometric analysis of plain carbon and low alloy steels point to
plane technique
Testing laboratory: NDT METAL SOLUTION LABORATORY, Pimpri, Pune-411018
Result:
Table3.4: Chemical Composition after Spectrometry Test
Element C Mn Si S P
%of element 0.12 0.5 0.18 0.035 0.040
From above % of element we get steel AISI4000 steel having following mechanical
properties
Table 3.5: Mechanical Properties of AISI 4000 Steel
Impact
Density Young Tensile Compressive Poisson's
Property Energy
(Ρ) Mod (E) Strength(Mpa) Strength(Mpa) Ratio(µ)
Absorbed (J)
Value 7.85g/cc 196 Gpa 275 Mpa 1650 Mpa 0.27 9 joules

CHAPTER 4
RESULT
Table 4.2: Result comparisons of Composite and AISI 4000 Steel impact bumper beam
composite Impact
DESCRIPTION Steel Impact Beam % change
Bumper Beam
Weight(Kg) 7.559 4.65 38.52%
Cost 3600 1500 58.33%
Impact Strength(J/mm2) 3.45 8.5 59.41%
Equivalent 45.89 47.826 4.72%

Strength(N/mm2)
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION
This experimental investigation of mechanical behavior of composite sandwich structure

with chopped glass fiber, core mat reinforced in epoxy resin leads to the following
conclusions:
● Existing Bumper Impact beam is made up of steel can be replaced by composite
sandwich structure bumper beam with increase in thickness having same strength but
less weight (38 % weight is reduced)
● Cost of Impact Bumper beam made up of composite is can be reduced up to 58.33%
● If we use composite sandwich structure material instead of steel impact factor is
increases.

● Impact energy absorption due to use of core mat is maximum as compared to steel
material
● Due to use of chopped strand mat in composite tensile strength is reduced but impact
energy absorption is increased.
CHAPTER 6
SCOPE FOR FUTURE WORK
There is a very wide scope for future scholars to explore this area of research. This
work can be further extended to study other aspects of such composites sandwich structure
with woven raven mat reinforced in epoxy resin and study effect of fiber type, fiber
orientation, loading pattern, fiber treatment in finding mechanical properties for new
applications.

CHAPTER 7
REFERENCES
[1]S Prabhakaran, K. Chinnarasu, M. Senthil Kumar

Design and Fabrication of Composite Bumper for Light Passenger Vehicles, International
Journal of Modern Engineering Research (IJMER) Vol.2,
Issue.4, July-Aug. 2012 pp-2552-2556
[2] Emad S. Al-Hasani, Study of Tensile Strength and Hardness Property forpoxy Reinforced
With Glass Fiber Layers, Eng. & Technology, Vol.25, No.8, 2007
[3]M.M. Davoodi , S.M. Sapuan , D. Ahmad , A. Aidy, A. Khalina , Mehdi Jonoobi, Concept
selection of car bumper beam with developed hybrid bio-composite material, Materials and
Design 32 (2011) 48574865 ,Elsevier
[4] K. Naresh Kumar, M. Prasanth kumar, V. Krishna, D. Srinivasa Rao, Experimental
Investigation on Mechanical Properties of Coal Ash Reinforced Glass Fiber Polymer Matrix
Composites, International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering, ISO
9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 3, Issue 8, August 2013
[5] Lisa Grauers,Thesis For Master Degree, Failure Analysis of A Short Fibre Composite
Bumper Beam,Chalmers University of Technology Göteborg, Sweden 2010
[6] Mr. Nitin S. Motgi, Prof. S. B. Naik, Prof.P.R.Kulkarni, Impact Analysis of Front
Bumper, International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) Volume 6
Number 5- Dec 2013.
[7] Mohamad Khairul Azwan B. Shahbudin, Thesis for Master degree, Glass Fiber
Reinforced-Fire Retardant Composites For Offshore Platforms Application. University
Teknologi PETRONAS.
[8] Saad Jawad."Smart Structures for Frontal Collision Mitigation" SAE TECHNICAL
PAPER SERIES 2002-01-0247 SAE 2002 World Congress Detroit, Michigan March 4-7,
2007.

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Design and Analysis of Composite Sandwich Structure for Automotive Application

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 1

Fig 1.1: Idealized Load Vs Displacement Graph of Different Energy Absorber

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 2

Fig 1.2: Volvo’s distribution of serious-to-fatal crashes

Fig1.3:Vehicle crashes by crash type

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 3

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 4

1.2 NEED OF PROJECT:

To achieve following Aims:

● To reduce weight of bumper.

● Introduce new energy absorbing bumper.

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 7

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT

The project work is outlined as below.

● Selecting car model for study impact analysis.

Epoxy resin, core mat composites by hand layup method.

● Evaluation of mechanical properties such as: tensile strength, compressive strength,

tensile modulus, impact strength, poisons ratio, density.

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 8

1.4 SCOPE OF PROJECT:

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 9

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 10

Fig 2.1: Illustration of Composite Materials

2.2 Glass-Fiber Reinforced Plastics (GFRP):

2.2.1 Fiber Reinforcements:

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 11

2.2.2 Chopped Strand Mat:

2.2.3 Matrix Material:

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 12

2.3 Fiberglass Hand Lay-Up Operation:

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 13

Fig 2.3: Hand Lay Up Method

2.3.2 Limitations of Hand Lay-Up Process:

3. Because of its open mold nature.

4. Styrene emission is major concern.

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 14

2.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Composite Materials:

Low Relative Investment:

2.4.2 Disadvantages of composites:

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 15

Composites are heterogeneous:

Composites are highly anisotropic:

2.5 Automotive Bumper:

2.5.1 Problem Definition:

Main parts of the conventional bumper systems:

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 17

Fig 2.4: Configuration of common Bumper Type

a. Fascia: bumper fascias must be aerodynamic, lightweight and aesthetically

Mech Engg. Dpt., ICOER, Wagholi, PunePage 18

The main elements of advanced bumper are as follows:

2.6 Purpose of Bumper:

2.6.1 What happens to an automobile in an accident? :

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Fig 2.5: Crash Test for Car

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Fig 2.6: Collision of steel block and cement wall