Variation Simulation for Light Weight Assemblies
- Reference number
- PV08-0045
- Start and end dates
- 080901-131231
- Amount granted
- 0 SEK
- Administrative organization
- Chalmers University of Technology
- Research area
- Other
Summary
New environment requirement and regulations aiming at a sustainable society has a huge impact on future products and product realization. This motivates a strong focus on light weight products based on an increased level of polymer parts, resulting in new challenges during design, verification and production. For virtual product realization this means new demands on simulation and verification capability. The goal of this project is generate new knowledge, tools and methods to perform variation simulations for light weight assemblies including plastic and rubber parts. The project, divided into a number of sub-projects (A-G), further develops and apply results from the ProViking project Robust Design. Specifically, this project will develop knowledge for requirement specification, visualization and verification of optical quality of plastic and rubber parts. Tools for form and size variation simulation of plastic parts will be developed. A new method for locator definition and optimization, based on collision detection, will be developed. New methods and tools for simulating large deformations, where parts are allowed to bend and deflect during assembly, disassembly and joining operations, will be developed. Cases from collaborating companies will be used to define, test and verify research results. A demonstrator, demonstrating the results from all sub-projects will be developed to visualize the gain of the project and allow for easier further implementations.
Popular science description
Increased demands on a sustainable and healthy environment drives development towards light weight products. For the automotive industry, lighter vehicles reduce fuel consumption and C02-levels. The opportunity to virtually verify product and production concepts has reduced the need for physical prototypes and test series which reduces cost, time and resources. Therefore it is important that virtual tools that can handle also new situations in products realization, such as increased use of light weight material. Strategically, this project aims at strengthen Swedish industry, Wingquist Laboratory and its research partners by: 1.Providing new technology: Next-level variation simulation that contributes to development of lighter vehicles with lower fuel consumption and C02-levels. 2.Continuation of strategic collaboration: Continued improvement and development within Virtual Product Realization with new business opportunities for collaborating partners. 3.Educating people: PhD and industrial PhD students will be trained and educated as an integrated part of the project. Research results will be introduced in regular MSc courses at Chalmers. In the project, companies from different segments (automotive, communication and bio-medicine) are collaborating to generate new generic knowledge, useful in many applications.