Tech Forum

ThyssenKrupp
techforum December I 2004

Cover
Exceptional challenges call for exceptional solutions – a fitting comment
on the principles applied by ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik to the design
of spreaders with long boom lengths. The cover photo shows the
207 m long discharge boom of the 6,000 m3/h capacity XPS® Cross
Pit Spreader in Fairfield/Texas. For equipment like this, systematic
lightweighting is the only way to achieve a cost-effective overall solu-
tion. As the picture shows, this approach resulted in an exceptionally
fine boom structure compared with conventional open-pit mining
equipment. Its capacity and stability are provided by the interaction
of tubular trusses and cable guying.
PUBLISHER
ThyssenKrupp AG, Corporate Technology, August-Thyssen-Strasse 1, 40211 Düsseldorf, Germany,
Telephone: +49 (0)211/824-36291, Fax: +49 (0)211/824-36285
“ThyssenKrupp techforum” appears once or twice a year in German and English. Reprints with the permission of the publisher only.
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maintained using an automated data processing system.
ISSN 1612-2771
Foreword | 3
PROF. DR.-ING. DR. H.C. EKKEHARD D. SCHULZ Chairman of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp AG
Dear readers,
As economic and ecological demands grow and statutory requirements over the entire product lifecycle
become more stringent, ever greater importance is being attached to weight reduction. With a wide range
of products and customers in the automotive, mechanical engineering and plant construction sectors in
particular, ThyssenKrupp is confronted with this trend in many areas and is utilizing the opportunities it offers.
But lightweighting is not simply a question of using suitable materials; optimizing processing methods
and adapting engineering methods and joining technologies are just as important.
In this issue we would like to present some of the lightweighting activities in the ThyssenKrupp Group.
In the field of automotive construction we report on a modular door concept designed using high-strength
steel grades and tailored blanks. We show you a new manufacturing route and potential applications for
magnesium and present other lightweight materials used in the production of twist beam axles and shock
absorbers. Tubular high stressed stabilizer bars and steering shafts permit design-based significant weight
reductions. For specific high-quality automotive components such as floor panels and wheel arches, steel
sandwich panel designs offer lower weight, higher stiffness and noise and heat insulation properties.
Different body construction methods such as stampings, spaceframes and hybrids can be used to find
the right balance between minimum weight and required component properties. Other examples of weight
optimization include the assembled camshaft and the COMMONALITY adapter for engine assembly. Light-
weight solutions are also acquiring greater importance in elevator construction. The range of materials
in this area extends from new types of high-performance steels to aluminum, plastics and ultralight glass-
fiber reinforced plastics. We present a joint project to develop a new elevator cab in modular hybrid light-
weight design using new textile-reinforced plastics. Achieving low weight while at least maintaining existing
levels of quality and stability is also a major optimization task in the field of materials handling and open-pit
mining equipment construction. The material titanium aluminide is presented as an alternative to steel for
lightweight aeroengines. Polycarbonate sheets offer an attractive alternative to conventional materials for
transparent roof and wall structures in industrial buildings or sport and leisure facilities.
We are confident that with our lightweighting expertise we can offer our customers solutions which
reduce the conflict between economic benefit and ecological common sense.
I hope you will find this issue an interesting and enlightening read.
Yours,
ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

4 | Contents
10 | 14 | 22 |
28 | 34 | 38 |
10 | Lightweight steel construction in vehicle doors

DIPL.-ING. ERIK HILFRICH Auto Division – Project Manager, Vehicle Technology, Dept. Sales/Engineering | ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG, Duisburg
DR.-ING. LOTHAR PATBERG Auto Division – Head of Vehicle Technology, Dept. Sales/Engineering | ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG, Duisburg
ThyssenKrupp Stahl’s Auto Division is pursuing a number of paths in its quest to offer innovative ideas and products with
technical and economic advantages to automotive industry manufacturers of passenger car doors. High-strength steel
grades suitable for outer-skin applications, Tailored Blanks and innovative door concepts such as the “Modular Door”
are the main approaches being followed. ThyssenKrupp Stahl has – partly with partners within the ThyssenKrupp Group
– established and analyzed the potential inherent in these approaches and implemented it in the form of components:
As a material, steel offers the optimal starting point for meeting requirements in terms of stiffness, crash performance
and acoustics at the lowest possible weight and with low costs by means of innovative solutions.
14 | A new manufacturing process and potential applications for magnesium sheet

DR.-ING. BERNHARD ENGL Managing Director | MgF Magnesium Flachprodukte GmbH, Freiberg/Saxony
Thanks to its low density and comparatively high potential for applications, magnesium is an important material for
reducing weight. The use of magnesium in sheet form will increase the market significance of this metal. One manu-
facturing method that offers some important economic and technical advantages over conventional sheet manufacturing
is the casting-rolling process. This has been demonstrated on a 700 mm wide pilot line belonging to MgF Magnesium
Flachprodukte GmbH in Freiberg/Saxony. The properties of the material manufactured using this technology represent
an improvement on the current state of the art. The development of this interesting new technology is not yet completed
and promises further potential.

Contents I 5
22 | Materials and manufacturing technologies for lightweight construction in the development

of passenger car axle components
DIPL.-ING. KLAUS RUNTE R&D Coordination | ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik GmbH, Bielefeld-Brackwede
In terms of performance and economy, rear twist beam axles will remain an attractive solution in the development of
suspensions for smaller compact cars. But components for more modern, more comfortable multi-link suspensions
also make high demands on design and manufacturing precision. Requirements for the coming generation of axles
show a trend toward lower weights and higher stresses with a simultaneous reduction in the available packaging
space. Specific development work must take in new materials and manufacturing methods in order to guarantee the
levels of performance required.
28 | Weight saving through high stressed tubular stabilizer bars

DR. RER. NAT. LUTZ MANKE Senior Manager Advanced Engineering | ThyssenKrupp Federn, Hagen
DIPL.-ING. HANS DZIEMBALLA Head of Research & Development | ThyssenKrupp Federn, Hagen
One of the functions of vehicle stabilizers is to reduce body roll when cornering. Reducing weight is one of the key
objectives of vehicle development. Weight saving is one of the key objectives of vehicle development. The development
of high stressed tubular stabilizer bars has resulted in a 45% reduction in component weight. To achieve this, tech-
nologies such as carburization, heat treatment under inert gas and internal shot peening were further developed for
this product.
34 | Lightweight aluminum shock absorbers

DIPL.-ING. RALF KUSCHE Team Manager Production Design & Development | ThyssenKrupp Bilstein GmbH, Ennepetal
One way in which the automotive industry is striving to reduce costs and environmental impact is by continuously
lowering the fuel consumption of vehicles. To achieve this objective, lightweight materials are increasingly being used
in automotive design. Increasing demands are also being made on shock absorber suppliers to reduce weight.
38 | Product and process engineering as a key to lightweight construction

DIPL.-ING. ULRICH HOCHER Managing Director | ThyssenKrupp Drauz, Heilbronn
DIPL.-ING. MICHAEL HAGE Head of Development and Design | ThyssenKrupp Drauz, Heilbronn
DIPL.-ING. (FH) THOMAS KELLER Project Planning | ThyssenKrupp Drauz, Heilbronn
Developments in modern autobody structures – stamped, spaceframe or hybrid – focus both on design requirements
and on optimizing weight and strength. Innovative materials and semi-finished products are used to meet these objec-
tives. However, these call for advancements in joining processes – riveting, laser welding and adhesive bonding. To
satisfy the definition of lightweight construction in every respect, developers must strike an optimum balance with
respect to requirements for functionality, costs and weight.

6 | Contents
44 | 50 | 56 |
60 | 64 |
44 | Sandwich panel construction for lightweight vehicle designs

BRUCE N. GREVE (MENG) Manager, Product Technology | ThyssenKrupp Budd Technology and Innovation Center, Auburn Hills/USA
The high strength of steel can be utilized to best advantage by using it in a composite sandwich configuration. Sand-
wich panels are among the most efficient constructions based on a stiffness per unit weight basis. Using thin (0.3 mm)
steel skins and a lightweight core material, sandwich panels can be made that have greater stiffness than aluminum
at less weight. A unique forming process is described for producing the steel/composite sandwich structures. The notable
feature of this process is the ability to form contoured panels with variable thickness in one step. Steel/Composite
sandwich panels are sound deadening and heat insulating. This offers the potential to reduce part count in auto-
motive assembly by reducing or eliminating heat shields and sound deadening appliqués.
50 | The camshaft as an example of lightweight design in engine construction

DR. TECHN. PETER MEUSBURGER Head of Development | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
ThyssenKrupp Presta has been manufacturing assembled camshafts on a large scale since 1993. In the last fiscal year
the company produced over twelve million units, making it the leader in the world market. One important reason for
this success is the cost-effectiveness of the product and, in particular, its lower weight in comparison with conventional
camshafts. With optimal design, it is possible to realize weight reductions of 30% and higher in comparison with cast
or forged camshafts. The growing trend toward lightweight design in engine construction has contributed substantially
to the market penetration of the assembled camshaft.

Contents | 7
56 | Lightweight construction for steering shafts – tube-in-tube solutions

DR. SC. TECHN. ETH CHRISTOPH KLUKOWSKI Head of Steering Systems Development | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
DIPL.-ING. ETH RONY MEIER Deputy Head of Steering Systems Development | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
DIPL.-ING. (FH) JOSEF BOERSMA Head of Steering Shafts Development | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
DIPL.-ING. CARSTEN MANNECK Head of Numerical Simulation | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
ThyssenKrupp Presta is one of the leading suppliers of steering columns and steering shafts for the automotive industry.
New areas of application such as the mechatronics-based EPS (Electric Power Steering) and AFS (Active Front Steering)
steering systems, as well as higher temperatures in the engine compartment due to increased power densities and
more stringent emission standards, have significantly increased the demands on the mechanical and thermal properties
of the steering train for the new generation of steering shafts. In order to further reduce the amount of energy the vehicles
consume, the weight of individual components has been optimized. Driven by the latest market needs, the innovative
tube-in-tube solution presented offers unique customer benefits. innovative Rohr-in-Rohr-
Lösung einen in sich einzigartigen Kundennutzen dar.
60 | Use of textile-reinforced plastics in lightweight elevator cars
DIPL.-ING. (FH) GERHARD THUMM Head of Research Center | ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge GmbH, Stuttgart-Vaihingen
Solutions incorporating lightweight design and the use of innovative materials are also gaining in importance in elevator
construction. The range of materials in this area extends from new types of high-performance steels to aluminum,
plastics and the ultralight glass-fiber reinforced plastics (GRP) which have already established themselves in the aero-
space and automobile industries. Especially in the case of rope elevators, solutions must be found that adress the total
system taking also into account the entire value chain from design through production, installation and service till
recycling. The new materials offer the platform from which development teams can take the next innovation steps toward
future new systems with self-propelled elevator cars.
64 | Weight- and cost optimized engine adapter for the COMMONALITY engine assembly system
DIPL.-ING. KARL-HEINZ GERTJEGERDES Head of Development /Technology | Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Bremen
DIPL.-ING. (FH) CHRISTIAN PUNDT Supervisor Research & Development | Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Bremen
DIPL.-ING. (FH) MICHAEL SCHMIDT Designer Research & Development | Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Bremen
Johann A. Krause developed and realized the COMMONALITY engine assembly system for a major carmaker. The
system makes it possible to assemble a variety of engines on standardized equipment that can be deployed flexibly
worldwide. The link between the engine, base pallet and assembly station is the engine adapter, which transports
and positions a variety of engine types, using uniform operating equipment, and calibrates tools. To improve manual
handling, FEM (Finite Element Method) and topology optimization were used to reduce the weight of the original ductile
cast iron adapter by 50 percent. A continuous process chain was thereby developed for the design of light weight, rigid
and durable products that can nevertheless be produced cost-effectively.

8 | Contents
70 | 76 |
80 |
70 | Lightweight construction for heavy machinery

DR.-ING. JÖRG HARTLEB Head of Research & Development | ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik GmbH, Rohrbach
DIPL.-ING. CHRISTIAN PLISCHKE Senior Design Engineer – Cable Cranes | ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik GmbH, Rohrbach
DR.-ING. FRANK SCHNEIDER Product Development/Marketing | ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik GmbH, Essen
PETER WAGNER (BENG) Leader Operating Group | ThyssenKrupp Engineering (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Belmont/Australia
Achieving low service weights while keeping up with the minimum claim to maintain existing levels of quality and stability
has always represented a major optimization task. This also applies to the materials handling and open-pit mining
equipment designed by ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik. Reductions in weight are achieved by varying a wide range of
parameters such as material, shaping and number of individual components, among others. The paper illustrates this
variety using three characteristic product examples. In addition, it shows how the technological and economical balance
between the optimization of one parameter and the simultaneous worsening of another is maintained. The light-weight
design methods applied make a decisive contribution to the resolution of this conflict.
Die vorgestellten Leichtbauweisen liefern einen entscheidenden Beitrag zur Lösung dieses Konfliktes.
76 | Titanium aluminide – a new class of materials for lightweight construction in aeroengines
and high-performance engines
DIPL.-ING. PETER JANSCHEK Head of Technology Development | ThyssenKrupp Turbinenkomponenten GmbH, Remscheid
A new material is available that displays the high temperature mechanical properties of nickel and steel alloys at half
the density – the intermetallic titanium aluminide. These extraordinary properties give it great potential for lightweight
construction in aeroengines and combustion engines. However, its high temperature strength presents a challenge in
terms of forming. ThyssenKrupp Turbinenkomponenten in Remscheid has developed a method that makes it possible
to manufacture compressor blades and engine valves using isothermal forging at high temperatures with a low strain rate.

Contents | 9
80 | Transparent safety: polycarbonate protective glazing for roofs, walls and machines
PETER DIEKMANN Public Relation | ThyssenKrupp Services AG, Düsseldorf
MICHAEL HORLÄNDER Product Management Plastics | ThyssenKrupp Schulte GmbH, Düsseldorf
The increasing design requirements of architects and the growing cost pressure on processors call for innovative
solutions in the area of transparent roof and wall structures. Such solutions must conform to building codes and
regulations, provide long-term resistance to weathering, meet optical standards and be easy and fast to process.
Polycarbonate sheets from ThyssenKrupp Schulte and Thyssen Röhm Kunststoffe offer an interesting alternative in
this area. Architects working in high-rise construction and mechanical engineers both value the unbeatable advan-
tages of polycarbonate to an equal extent, including its 50% lower weight and 250 times higher impact strength
versus glass, its high transparency and brilliant looks.

10 |
DIPL.-ING. ERIK HILFRICH Auto Division – Project Manager, Vehicle Technology, Dept. Sales/Engineering | ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG, Duisburg
DR.-ING. LOTHAR PATBERG Auto Division – Head of Vehicle Technology, Dept. Sales/Engineering | ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG, Duisburg
Lightweight steel construction in vehicle doors
| Use of high-strength steel grades suitable for outer-skin applications and Tailored Blanks for innovative door concepts

Lightweight steel construction in vehicle doors | 11
Introduction Tailored Blanks in doors

The development of doors for passenger cars is defined by the con- The reduction and integration of components is another approach to
flicting requirements of weight reduction, safety and costs. Employees economical lightweight construction. Tailored or Patchwork Blanks –
at ThyssenKrupp Stahl’s Auto Division are pursuing a number of paths sheet blanks composed of different thicknesses or materials, enabling
in their quest to offer their customers from the automotive industry one component to be tailored to the stresses to which it will be sub-
innovative ideas and products with technical and economic advan- jected – are suitable here. Additional reinforcing sheets are then no
tages. High-strength steel grades suitable for outer-skin applications, longer needed. Patchwork blanks are frequently advantageous when
Tailored Blanks and innovative door concepts are the main approaches the areas to be reinforced are small, are not located at the edge of
they are following. ThyssenKrupp Stahl has, partially in collaboration the sheet, or when multiple areas have to be reinforced. The product
with partners within the ThyssenKrupp Group, established and analyzed spectrum of Tailored Blanks is continually being further enhanced, so
the potential available in this area in various projects and implemented that new component concepts demonstrating even higher levels of
it in the form of components. integration are becoming possible. Applications with Tailored Blanks
are already widely used in production | Fig. 1 |.
High-strength steel suitable for outer-skin applications
The challenge facing developers of doors is to implement the require- The “Modular Door”
ments regarding stiffness, crash behavior and acoustics with the mini- Modular door concepts have been pursued for some time, in con-
mum possible weight and at the lowest possible cost. From an eco- junction with inner paneling and mounts. Together with the company
nomic point of view, the material steel offers the ideal starting point Nothelfer, ThyssenKrupp Stahl’s Auto Division has developed a com-
for attaining this objective by means of innovative solutions. pletely new solution which, thanks to the modularity of its body-in-white
ThyssenKrupp Stahl has developed a dual-phase steel that displays structure, promises to be more effective in terms of cost-efficiency
high strength, is suitable for use in outer-skin applications and can and rigidity. The complete process chain from conception, design,
be treated with all commonly used surface coatings. The high strength structural calculations, manufacturing studies and cost analyses
provides potential that enables sheet thicknesses to be reduced, thus through to the production of prototypes | Fig. 2 | was illustrated in
saving weight and costs. The decisive factor in the realization of thin an exemplary project. The rear door of a production vehicle served as
outer-skin components is to compensate the loss of dent resistance by a benchmark with respect to stiffness and packaging space. The door
means of intelligent design. This can be accomplished by supporting is designed on the basis of typical stress types: door lowering, window-
the sheet with an internal structure or by partial reinforcement, e.g. frame stiffness, torsion, eigen modes and dent resistance. Ideas
using polymer foams. Successful forming tests were carried out on concerning innovative materials, production, assembly and door sealing
several parts to ensure that the forming technology was suitable for concepts were also taken up. The key and new idea of this door con-
this application. cept is the division of the door into two modules | Fig. 3 |. Each of the
Fig. 1 | BMW 5 Series with door inner panel as a Tailored Blank

12 | Lightweight steel construction in vehicle doors
two modules consists of just two individual parts: The outer module is quality, measures are required to enable zinc degassing, for example
composed of the outer panel and the connecting part. The connecting by means of degassing beads. Alternatively, a sheet steel with a thin
part integrates a hinge reinforcement, beltline reinforcement and zinc-magnesium coating ZE-Mg (see report in ThyssenKrupp techforum,
side impact protection in a single, high-strength sheet metal part. July 2003 issue) can be used instead of conventional, galvanized
These unusual requirements necessitated a high-strength material sheet. The reduced thickness of this new coating, which is being devel-
that was simultaneously easy to form. A Tailored Blank made from a oped by ThyssenKrupp Stahl’s DOC® Dortmunder OberflächenCentrum
residual austenite steel RA-K® 40/70 (TRIP) in 1.0 mm thickness and (surface engineering center), enables a significant improvement in weld
a microalloyed steel MHZ 260 in 1.6 mm thickness was used. The quality with a comparable level of corrosion protection | Fig. 4 |.
dual-phase steel DP-K® 30/50 in 0.48 mm thickness was used for The modular approach also makes it possible to separate door
the outer panel. The free sheet metal areas are made smaller and production and door assembly. The outer module is assembled to the
the required dent resistance of the outer panel is ensured by additional body in the body-in-white shop, adjusted, and painted together with
support beams with the connecting part. the body. It is disassembled as usual at the beginning of vehicle
The inner module is composed of the inner panel and the lock plate. assembly. The inner module can be manufactured by a supplier, who
It includes the window frame and carries all internal components such pre-assembles it with all internal components and delivers it just-
as window opener, lock, etc. One special feature is the use of a channel in-time. It is painted in a neutral color to avoid color matching problems.
to accommodate the door seal without the need for adhesive. Further Both modules are bolted together in an automated assembly cell.
advantages of this special door seal solution are the option of using The door seal is then fitted to cover the bolts. | Fig. 5 | compares the
dirt-repelling paints and lower costs. assembly process for a “Modular Door” with that for a conventional
As the modules are separated in the plane of the window guide, one. Forming simulations were carried out as part of the production
the design of the components is considerably simplified, as they do studies and the individual components’ suitability for production was
not have to be led around the glass. The modified assembly of the demonstrated | Fig. 6 |.
door internal components allows the hole pattern of the inner panel to The “Modular Door” from ThyssenKrupp Stahl and Nothelfer is a
be optimized to better resist stresses, which leads to a considerable completely new concept with many advantages. Thanks to component
improvement in performance in some areas. The sheet metal parts integration and the use of thinner, higher strength steel grades, the
of the inner module are welded using laser stitch welding – a highlight weight of the door has been reduced by 1.2 kg and, at the same time,
of manufacturing technology which promises higher stiffness than the manufacturing and assembly costs have been cut by 8.51 euros
conventional resistance spot welding. To ensure optimum laser weld per door while delivering the same stiffness properties.
ZE 75/75 ZE-Mg 35/35
Fig. 2 | The prototype “Modular Door” Fig. 3 | Inner and outer module of the “Modular Door” Fig. 4 | Improved weld quality thanks
to the use of ZE-Mg

“Modular Door” Body-in-white Assembly and Painting Disassembly by Interior Fitting complete
adjustment outer module body separating hinges assembly door
Outer module
Automated
Assembly assembly Application of
Inner module inner module
+ door seal
(by supplier if required)
Conventional door Body-in-white Assembly and Painting Disassembly by Interior Fitting complete
adjustment body separating hinges assembly door
Outer panel Door-in-white Fitting interior Application of

components door seal
Inner panel
Fig. 5 | Assembly process for the “Modular Door” compared with that for a conventional door
Conclusion already being demonstrated in many production vehicles. The use

The use of modern steel materials makes it possible to exploit a wide of innovative concepts such as the “Modular Door” could not only bring
range of potential in the area of closures. Several successful studies savings in both weight and costs, but also additional advantages
from ThyssenKrupp Stahl demonstrate the potential for lightweight over the entire process chain, for example, by considerably simpli-
construction and the fundamental feasibility of using extremely thin, fying assembly.
high-strength steel sheets. The advantages of Tailored Blanks are
Danger
Formability of cracks
optimal Wrinkling
Fig. 6 | Forming simulation of the connecting part of the “Modular Door”

14 |
DR.-ING. BERNHARD ENGL Managing Director | MgF Magnesium Flachprodukte GmbH, Freiberg/Saxony
A new manufacturing process and potential applications

for magnesium sheet
| Pilot line at MgF Magnesium Flachprodukte put into operation in September 2002

A new manufacturing process and potential applications for magnesium sheet | 15
Introduction Components made from magnesium are shown in | Fig. 1 |, where

Alongside the further development of body-in-white, design and they are set out according to their weight reduction benefits and their
manufacturing technologies, the correct choice of material plays an costs. In terms of cost, a position as far to the left of the diagram as
important role in reducing weight by the application of new, holistic is possible is the objective. The highest efficiency is represented by
concepts. as high a positioning as possible, and in this respect, magnesium sheet
Among the most important of the competing materials in automo- is very well placed. Further improving the cost-attractiveness of mag-
tive construction are high-strength steels, aluminum and magnesium. nesium sheet will require particular efforts in future.
Magnesium has enjoyed a kind of renaissance as a weight-saving
material in recent years, as lightweight construction concepts can be Development of a casting-rolling concept for operational
excellently realized with the metal. Cast magnesium alone is expected applications
to show annual growth rates of approximately 15% for the next decade. In 2001, ThyssenKrupp Stahl established the company MgF Magne-
But magnesium sheet too, has aroused intense interest recently. sium Flachprodukte GmbH in Freiberg/Saxony with the objective of
Magnesium is the lightest metallic construction material. It has now technically and economically optimizing the application of magnesium.
also been added to the materials capabilities of ThyssenKrupp Stahl. MgF cooperates intensively with the Technical University Bergakademie
Magnesium from ThyssenKrupp is intended to supplement the possi- Freiberg in the area of magnesium technology. The development pro-
bilities offered by steel in lightweight construction by satisfying require- cess is supported by the federal state of Saxony via the Sächsische
ments that can no longer be met by steel. Aufbaubank.
Cost advantages Additional costs
Steering wheel Mg wheels

Seat, MPV (Multi-Purpose-Vehicle) Mg sheet bonnet
Light weight benefit
Intake manifold Gearbox housing
Instrumental panel carrier
Uniform shift mechanism Seats Niche cars Series car

Door inner section
Size of ellipse = Measure of weight reduction Direct customer benefit Indirect customer benefit
Source: S. Schumann, H. Friedrich auf der 60th World Magnesium Conf., May 2003, Stuttgart
Fig. 1 | Light weight benefit and cost

One of the main areas of activity of MgF is the development of advances result from the manufacture of strips and coils instead of
casting-rolling technology for magnesium strip and sheet | Fig. 2 |. individual slabs.
The metallurgical advantages of near-net-shape casting are: Pass schedules were realized for comparison purposes on the basis
rapid solidification, of numerical simulation calculations using the system MagRollSi. This
reduced segregation, system was developed together with the Institute for Metal Forming
in-line strip treatment and of the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg. MgF has, with the
short line layout. help of renowned companies, developed a pilot casting-rolling line
Vertical casting presents the most obvious method for the manufacture and built it within the Casting and Metal Forming Competence Center
of strips. Light metals such as aluminum and magnesium, however, of the Technical University of Freiberg | Figs 4 and 5 |. The line com-
gain advantages from the use of horizontal casting technology for ponents necessary for the melting and casting-rolling are illustrated
the following reasons: in | Fig. 5 |. The tundish is shown in the right-hand picture with the
Molten metal pool and thermal balance are easier to control in the casting nozzle, which is also called the tip. This new line went into
horizontal configuration. operation in September 2002, producing strips up to 700 mm wide
The balance between the outward flow of the melt out of the nozzle and 4.5 to 7 mm thick. Individual casting trials were extended up to
and rolling force constraints is easier to maintain. a duration of approximately six hours in order to test the long-term
Side sealing and width variation are easier to design. operating characteristics of the system. The result was production
The strip deflection is easier to manage. weights of more than 4 t from a single casting. The surfaces and
The objective is to use this new process to manufacture magnesium the other properties were already of such a good quality that it
flat products for industrial applications at competitive prices. The ex- was possible to roll the material to thicknesses of less than 1 mm.
ploitable cost potential is essentially derived from the use of lower-cost Special rolling tests on in-house rolling mills enabled the production
ingots as starting material instead of continuous-cast material, the of sheets in widths of up to 2,000 mm and with a minimum thickness
near-net-shape production method and the related reduction in manu- of 0.55 mm. In the meantime, a coiler has also been added to the
facturing steps, and the improvement in yield compared with con- pilot line. It is used to wind coils for further processing into finished
ventional casting processes | Fig. 3 |. Further economic and quality strips and sheets | Fig. 6 |.
Fig. 2 | Near-net-shape casting

Conventional rolling New technology
Starting thickness min. 120 mm
Slabs Ingots
Homogenizing
Heating
Rolling
Saved by casting-rolling technology
Sheets Strips
Final thickness 2 mm
Fig. 3 | Comparison between Mg sheet manufactured by conventional and the new method
Melting Casting-rolling Driver Shears Sheet table
Fig. 4 | Principle of the casting-rolling pilot line, product: sheets

Fig. 5 | Entry section of the pilot line, right: tundish with casting nozzle
Materials properties Potential of magnesium for lightweight construction

Magnesium is distinguished by its comparatively low density, which Magnesium holds potential for weight saving in many areas of industry.
is approximately 25% that of steel and approximately 60% that of There is a trend in the electrical industry toward lightweight equipment
aluminum. This property imparts magnesium with great potential for for mobile use, e.g. for notebooks and mobile phones. The weight
lightweight construction. savings that could be achieved by the use of magnesium are also the
The mechanical properties of the cast-rolled material fall comfort- subject of a current debate in the civil aviation industry. The greatest in-
ably within accepted standards. The microstructure has a smaller grain crease in the use of magnesium is expected in the automobile industry.
size than conventionally manufactured products. Further improvements The need here is to fulfill more stringent weight requirements due to
result when the chemical analysis is optimized in conjunction with legislation concerning emissions and energy consumption. Although
the process parameters. The special circumstances due to the rapid weight reductions are sought for the entire vehicle, there are specific
cooling in the roll gap in conjunction with the forming on the casting- areas where weight saving measures can be especially efficient. This
rolling line make it possible to exert a positive influence on the devel- is particularly true of the front part and the roof area. Greater efforts
opment of the structure. The direction of sampling only has a minor are being made in these areas, and higher costs are being accepted.
influence on the properties of the rolled sheet. Tensile tests carried out As a result, they offer wide-ranging potential for the use of magnesium.
on sheets made from the cast-rolled material demonstrated a hard-
ening of up to approximately 20% when the strain rate was increased
| Fig. 7 |. This property can be utilized in crash-relevant components.

Potential applications turing technologies. The possibility of using magnesium for large com-
Magnesium is already used in many vehicles, but exclusively in the form ponents such as doors, hoods and tailgates will pave the way for even
of cast parts. Examples are to be found in the drive train, primarily in greater weight savings.
transmission housings, in steering system components, in the chassis, Promising as the weight-saving potential appears, the question of
brakes and internal structures. Such applications have proved suc- the producibility of magnesium components and their usage character-
cessful and led to significant weight savings. The question now arises istics remains to be addressed. Magnesium is less formable at room
as to whether flat-rolled magnesium can also be used for light-weight temperature than other materials. Increasing the temperature, however,
construction. The advantages of this can be assessed as follows: increases its formability considerably, as has been demonstrated in
better and more consistent properties in comparison to castings, deep-drawing and stretch-forming operations. The temperature in-
large and thin components can be manufactured, crease leads to higher plain strain values, which make the realization
weight and price advantages, of even complex components appear feasible. It proved possible to
improved suitability for testing and manufacture a relatively complex model component using a deep-
corrosion protection by pre-coating the strip or sheet product. drawing process | Fig. 9 |. The mechanical properties of this part were
The criteria for preferring magnesium sheet to steel and aluminum extremely close to those of the initial sheet. The door interior rein-
are shown in | Fig. 8 |. The values given in this context are related to forcement shown in | Fig. 10 | was manufactured on a temperature-
density. Magnesium compares particularly well with respect to flexural controlled drawing line using a pneumatic hydroforming process. The
strength, dent rigidity, torsional rigidity and buckling. This was used as drawing depth is 110 mm. Tests on the joining properties of magne-
the basis for a suitability evaluation for body-specific applications: sium have shown that extremely good results can be achieved using
magnesium appears to be especially suitable for flat components and laser welding. Deep penetration laser welding carried out at Thyssen
for exterior parts. However, the potential use of magnesium sheet for Lasertechnik GmbH yielded extremely positive results, providing the
outer panels still poses a major challenge for materials and manufac- required weld seam sinking and avoiding cracking. Laser cutting
Strain rate [1/s] σmax [MPa] εmax [%] Emax [J]
1 271 16 15
10 272 18 16
100 311 16 18
500 326 17 22
Fig. 7 | Effect of the strain rate on the properties of the MgF DDQ sheet
Fig. 6 | Cast-rolled Mg alloy strip, coiled at the exit from the casting-rolling line

Property Criterion Steel Al Mg

high-strength
2.7
3
Sheet flexural strength √E /ρ 1.0 2.0
Dent rigidity √E /ρ 1.0 1.7 2.1
Tensile/compressive rigidity E /ρ 1.0 1.0 1.0
Torsional rigidity G /ρ 1) 1.0 1.0 1.0
2.7
3
√G /ρ 2) 1.0 2.0
Tensile/compressive strength Rp /ρ 1.0 1.1 1.1
Dent strength √Rp /ρ 1.0 1.8 2.3
Crash (bending) Rm /ρ 1.0 1.2 1.1
2.1
5 3
Crash (buckling) √E √Rp /ρ 1.0 1.7
1) closed profile 2) open profile
Fig. 8 | Density-related lightweighting values (related to steel)
operations can also be carried out without problems; behavior simi- Conclusions
lar to that experienced during the laser beam cutting of steel is to be The advantages of the casting-rolling process for magnesium can be
expected. As part of a study for the manufacture of large tailgates summarized as follows:
¡
using the alloy AZ31, it immediately proved possible to apply laser
cutting with the parameters for aluminum | Fig. 11 |. Economic point of view:
The corrosion protection of magnesium sheet is also the subject fewer manufacturing steps,
of intensive research and development work. Magnesium is well down lower manufacturing costs,
the electrochemical series and, unlike aluminum, does not form a strip/coils can be manufactured and
covering layer. Chemical or plasma-chemical corrosion protection meas- lower investment costs.
ures known as conversion treatment or anodizing have already been Initial forecasts drawn up by ThyssenKrupp indicate a positive market
successfully applied. Further, innovative coating methods are being development for this new generation of magnesium sheet.
developed.
Rp0,2 [MPa] Rm [MPa] Ag [%] A80 [%]
Longitudinal 178 261 12 19
Transverse 189 264 13 18

Source: ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik
Fig. 9 | Mechanical properties of a stamped component made from MgF DDQ

970 mm
530 mm
110 mm
Source: IfU Stuttgart
Fig. 10 | Door interior reinforcement, Material: MgF DDQ 31, Sheet thickness: 3 mm, Forming temperature: 400°C
" Technical point of view: " The technical advantages result in:
improved properties due to faster solidification, improved properties for rolling,
better homogeneity, improved manufacturing characteristics,
finer microstructure, consistent properties and
reduced segregation, superplasticity is now possible.
improved solubility and
improvement of precipitation.
First prognoses set up by ThyssenKrupp Stahl point at a positive
market tendency for magnesium sheets.
Fig. 11 | Study of a laser-cut tailgate made from AZ31

22 |
DIPL.-ING. KLAUS RUNTE R&D-Coordination | ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik GmbH, Bielefeld-Brackwede
Materials and manufacturing technologies

for lightweight construction in the development
of passenger car axle components
| Passenger car twist beam axle made of aluminum

Materials and manufacturing technologies for lightweight construction in the development of passenger car axle components | 23
Structure and function of a twist beam axle The design of twist beam axles requires an excellent command of
The term twist beam axle | Fig. 1 | is applied to a rear axle developed the abstract modeling needed to engineer the required characteristics
in the 1950s for front-wheel drive passenger cars. As a semi-rigid axle under load. At the same time, the elastic-kinematic requirements of
consisting of two rigid trailing links connected by a beam with low different driving situations and comfort characteristics also have to
torsional stiffness, it possesses properties of earlier rigid axles (e.g. be taken into account. The torsion profile forms the central element
with leaf springs) while also delivering the comfort properties of an of a twist beam axle. Under load, the torsion profile acts like an elastic
independent suspension thanks to the torsion profile. In the course of beam. Requirements regarding directional and camber stability and
continued further development, the twist beam axle became the defi- secure attachment to the trailing link can only be ensured by means
nitive rear axle assembly for almost all small passenger cars. It was not of a specially engineered cross section. This means that every torsion
until the advent of the vehicle generations starting in 1997 that lower profile represents an individual solution, even for different versions of
mid-class cars (compact class) started to use multi-link suspensions. the same car. The trend toward increased stresses on the rear axle
These designs deliver better wheel guidance properties with greater therefore calls for twist beam axles of greater stiffness, which in turn
safety margins and improved ride comfort to meet increased expec- means that the dimensions and cross section have to be adapted
tations. Nonetheless, the twist beam axle still commands respect today. and increased accordingly.
Its outstanding properties are its low packaging space, favorable
weight and low manufacturing costs. In conjunction with the latest Roll-formed torsion profiles
shock absorber, stabilizer and brake technologies, it can hold its own The requirements for low weight and limited packaging space can
against a basic multi-link suspension in everyday driving use. be met by various solutions. The solution chosen by ThyssenKrupp
Fig. 1 | Principle of a twist beam axle (left), ready-to-fit twist beam axle (right)

24 | Materials and manufacturing technologies for lightweight construction in the development of passenger car axle components
6 mm thick 1.5 mm thick
Fig. 2 | Cross section of a conventional torsion profile Fig. 3 | Cross section of a lightweight torsion profile
Umformtechnik offers the opportunity to vary roll stiffness without chang- ceeded in reducing the weight of the twist beam axle by approx. 20%
ing the cross section. Roll stiffness is an important parameter for the compared with conventional designs.
function of the torsion profile and is therefore key to the vehicle’s ride Trials with prototypes | Fig. 5 | showed a warping of the adjacent
comfort. Whereas conventional torsion profiles | Fig. 2 | consist of a torsion profile walls under load. An appropriate joining technology
solid U section with a sheet thickness of approximately 6 mm, the light- must be used to prevent this. Both spot and resistance seam welding
weight profile | Fig. 3 | is a roll-formed double-U section of 2 x 1.5 mm or punched rivets can be used here. Bonding the walls also leads to
thick steel with a cavity. By altering the rolling profile it is possible to better results.
vary the design of the cavity and thus influence roll stiffness. Suitable materials are all weldable steels up to high-strength
grades such as the dual-phase steel DP-W and the complex-phase
Rolled torsion profiles – process steel CP-W with wall thicknesses between 1.5 and 2.0 mm. The
In the roll forming process, metal strips are formed into open or closed inner sides of the profile should be galvanized to protect against
profiles by pairs of rolls arranged in sequence | Fig. 4 |. The shape of corrosion.
the gap between the upper and lower rolls changes from one roll pair These material grades can also be used for the other individual
to another, from the cross section of the strip to that of the finished components of the twist beam axle. Chassis components made of
profile. Using this process, ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik has suc- grades such as DP-W 600 or CP-W 800 are already in production use.

Aluminum as a lightweight material for twist beam axles Targeted developments in multi-link suspension components
Aluminum as a material for chassis components tends to be used | Fig. 8 | shows multi-link rear axle components developed on the
more in high-end and sports cars. In this context, important objectives basis of corresponding specifications and packaging space require-
include weight savings and vibration damping. This was also the ob- ments. During the theoretical and process-oriented development work,
jective of a project to develop a twist beam axle of formed and welded every component goes through a series of steps that are determined
extruded aluminum sections | Figs 6 and 7 | with stamped aluminum in a team with the customer. Key milestones in this are:
sheet parts. Based on the load requirements of a compact car, the prototype production go-ahead after conclusion of the theoretical
cross section of the torsion profile – the basic element of a twist beam development,
axle – was designed specifically for use in a passenger car with low component production go-ahead after conclusion of all the tests, and
fuel consumption. production go-ahead after approval of the manufacturing process.
With the support of a partner from the aluminum processing sector
and using extrusion know-how and the new generations of materials, Advantages of the use of high-strength steels
an axle was developed with approximately 40% lower weight. This For some time now, the development of many suspension components
axle has been developed over several generations of prototypes, taking has been deliberately focused on smaller packaging spaces and reduc-
into account the requirements of volume production. The unfavorable tions in weight and costs compared with predecessor parts. The use
ratio of cost to weight savings means that to date no decision has of high-strength materials is the only way in which the increased
been made on production use. requirements of the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) in
Fig. 4 | Principle of roll forming

26 | Materials and manufacturing technologies for lightweight construction in the development of passenger car axle components
Fig. 5 | Half twist beam axle with torsion profile, viewed from top (left) and bottom (right)
some areas can be met. This is made possible by the availability of Conclusion
the corresponding CAD (Computer Aided Design) and FEM (Finite Direct competition between the materials steel and aluminum is also
Element Method) development programs, experience in the process evident in the development of suspension components. The design
chain with regard to the design and manufacture of press tooling and of the components must take the fullest possible account of the special
experience with the applicable joining processes. Of key importance properties and processing principles of the different materials, other-
in this are maximum automation of the manufacturing processes wise substitution will not succeed. A trend toward the use of steel
and the move toward a zero-defect program. Joint development materials can be observed at present due to the possibility of using
programs are conducted between the development departments of high-strength materials. However, the potential can only be utilized
the steel producers and the steel processors prior to the use of new when the best manufacturing processes are used and these are sub-
materials. jected to targeted optimization.
Fig. 6 | Half twist beam axle of aluminum, viewed from top (left) and bottom (right)

Fig. 7 | Cross section of the aluminum torsion profile
Fig. 8 | Multi-link rear axle components: Spring control arm (above left), trailing arm (below center), control arm (above right)

28 |
DR. RER. NAT. LUTZ MANKE Senior Manager Advanced Engineering | ThyssenKrupp Federn, Hagen
DIPL.-ING. HANS DZIEMBALLA Head of Research & Development | ThyssenKrupp Federn, Hagen
Weight saving through high stressed tubular stabilizer bars
| High stressed tubular stabilizer bar with variable cross sections

Weight saving through high stressed tubular stabilizer bars | 29
Introduction condition and remain unloaded during equal wheel deflection. When
The function of vehicle stabilizers is to reduce body roll when cornering. the body tilts due to the action of lateral centrifugal forces, the sides
Due to the resulting shift in wheel load and change in the camber of the suspension react in opposite ways. The suspension springs to
angle, body roll has a decisive effect on steering behavior. Stabilizers the outside of the curve compress and the inside springs extend. As
can be designed to counter this effect through understeer or oversteer. a result, the stabilizer arms are pulled in opposing directions and the
They thus enhance ride comfort and, to a great extent, driving safety. central section is twisted.
Stabilizers for vehicle suspensions are generally made from spring When cornering, body tilt could be reduced by selecting stiffer rates
steel bars with circular or ring-shaped cross sections bent into a of the suspension springs, but this would have a negative effect on
U-shape to form a bracket with a central section and two arms. Stabi- ride comfort. Stabilizers therefore considerably improve vehicle com-
lizers generally do not lie a single plane, but are bent, offset and fort. The tuning of vertical and roll stiffness on the one hand, and
cranked in sometimes remarkable fashion in order to fit around other stabilization of the front and rear axle on the other, depends on the
chassis components | Fig. 1 |. individual carmaker’s philosophy.
How stabilizers work Dimensioning

Stabilizers are suspension components linking axle to body and wheel Curb weight of passenger cars has continually increased over the
to wheel. The location of the stabilizers is chosen so that the roll stiff- years because of higher demand for safety and comfort | Fig. 2 |.
ness becomes stiffer – making it more difficult for the body to roll Components with significant potential for weight savings have been
around the roll axis – without any influence on the vertical suspension. identified in order to combat this trend. Loading examination of stabi-
To accomplish this, the stabilizer is arranged in such a way in the axle lizers show that maximum stress is located in the surface of the bar
assembly that the central section comes to rest approximately on a diameter. Towards the center, stress decreases until the combined
level with the wheel centers and transverse to the direction of travel. stress σvm equals zero. Theoretically, solid stabilizers could be hollowed
The bearings of the stabilizer bar are connected to the body, while out without adversely affecting their function. In practice, there are
the arms are linked directly to the struts or the control arms. As a result, restrictions on this course of action. These are considered in more
stabilizers have no contribution on vehicle weight support in static detail below.
Stabilizer
Stabilizer
Fig. 1 | Front axle (left) and rear axle (right) with stabilizers

The required roll stabilization results from the maximum permitted the tube. This warpage has an extremely negative effect on the lifespan
body tilt, the shape of the stabilizer and its hard points. Neither the of the component. The outer and inner diameters can be calculated
shape of the stabilizer nor the hard points can be altered. Therefore, using the following equation:
2 2
the component weight can only be reduced by the material (shear di,tube = dmassive x √ 1-k and do,tube = dmassive x √1+k
2k 2k
modulus G) or by using hollow semi-finished products such as tubes. (di,o,tube = inner (i) and outer (o) diameter of the tube; dmassive = diameter
Since durability must also be met, the stress limit must be observed. of the solid stabilizer; k= weight proportion of the tube, e.g. k = 0.6).
Theoretically, the highest stresses occur at the bearing points of When using tubes, the fact that the inner surface can only be processed
the central section of the stabilizer. Theory and practice agree in and protected against corrosion to a limited extent must also be taken
the case of solid stabilizers. Tubes, however, tend to form oval cross into account.
sections when bending because the outer fibers are stretched and Should the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) design | Fig. 3 | result
the inner fibers compressed. These oval cross sections lead to higher in the permissible stress being exceeded, the critical area must be
stresses in the region of the bending radii. In order to prevent constant relieved of stress without altering the stiffness of the stabilizer. As
body tilt caused by plastic deformation of the stabilizer the maximum bending stresses decline in the central section between the bearing
combined stress σvmax has to remain below the yield point Rp0.2 of points, rigidity can be relocated from the central section to the more
the used material. The yield point depends on the tensile strength Rm. stress-critical areas. The reduction of the cross section between the
When designing tubular stabilizer bars, it must be ensured that a center section bearing points can be reached by machining or by
reduction in weight is not accomplished at the expense of component material displacement with a hammering operation. It is important
stiffness, which can be roughly calculated according to the equation to reduce the diameter along with the wall thickness.
R = Gmod x J x 1 η (R = stiffness, Gmod = shear modulus, J = area
moment of inertia, η = geometry matrix) Material selection
It is also important that the targeted reduction in weight should not Solid stabilizers are manufactured from heat treatable steel corre-
exceed 40 to 45% of the weight of a comparable solid stabilizer. Weight sponding to DIN 17200 and 17221. The main materials used for tubu-
savings that go beyond this range lead to unacceptable wall thick- lar stabilizers are microalloyed steels such as 26MnB5 and 34MnB5,
nesses and so to additional stresses which are caused by warpage of which are suitable for both hot and cold processing.
Vehicle weights
[MPa]
Curb weight [%]
700
125
640
580
120
520
460
115
400
340
110
280
220
105
160
10
40
100
1978 1980 1985 1990 1995 2002
Fig. 2 | Trend in vehicle weight Fig. 3 | FEA design of a tubular stabilizer

Material 34MnB5
Strength [MPa]
1,900 Carburized
Non-carburized
1,800
1,700
1,600
1,500
1,400
1,300 Tempering temperature [°C]
180 220 260 300 340 380
Fig. 4 | Tempering curves for material 34MnB5; carburized/non-carburized
Residual stress profile, external peening
Residual stress [ MPa]

0 Outside curve
-100
-200
-300
-400 Outside curve
-500
-600
-700
-800
-900
-1.000 Depth [ mm]
0 0.05 0.1 0.15
Residual stress profile, internal peening
Residual stress [ MPa]

0 Outside curve
-100 Inside curve
-200
-300 Inside curve
-400 Outside curve
-500
-600
-700
-800
-900
-1,000 Depth [ mm]
0 0.05 0.1 0.15
Fig. 5 | Residual stress profiles after shot peening

The maximum permissible strength and thus the stress is first that the peening effect is greatest at those points where the combined
approximated by the carbon content. For welded tubes, the maximum stress reaches its maximum, i.e. on the upper and lower sides of the
carbon content is limited by the welding process. If the carbon con- stabilizer in the area of the bends between central section and arms
tent of an alloy is insufficient to allow a desired strength, the tubular and on the bearing points. The residual compressive stresses in the
semi-finished product must undergo a carburizing process before inner surface layer of the stabilizer created by internal shot peening
production of the stabilizer | Fig. 4 |. are substantially lower – in the range of 400 to 500 MPa – due to the
nature of the process.
Surface treatment and dynamic stress
Stabilizers are subject to cyclic loading during driving, i.e. a dynamic Manufacturing
load with a mean stress of σvm = 0. Therefore stabilizers cannot be The first step in the production of a solid stabilizer is forming the
preset in operating direction to prolong their service life. The service ends. The rods are then austenitized in a suitable gas furnace or by
life of solid stabilizers can be increased by machining and shot peening, conductive heating. The workpiece is bent in the austenitized condi-
whereas the service life of tubular stabilizers can only be improved tion on bending machines with direct quenching in oil and tempering
by peening the outer surface. In the event of premature failure and to the specified strength. Heat treatment is followed, if necessary,
fractures starting from the inner surface of the stabilizer, the critical by a straightening process with subsequent shot peening. If neces-
areas can be peened from the inside. The shot peening process creates sary, fixing rings are then mounted. The workpiece is then painted
residual compressive stresses of the order of 800 to 900 MPa in the | Fig. 6 |. If solid stabilizers are alternatively manufactured from pre-
outer surface layer of the bar | Fig. 5 |. These residual stresses must hardened and tempered material, the bending is done on a CNC
first be exceeded by the loading of the stabilizer in driving operation bending machine.
before tensile stresses that could lead to the initial formation of cracks High stressed tubular stabilizers are always bent on CNC bending
can take effect. Special attention must therefore be paid to ensuring machines. If necessary, the semi-finished product is carburized before
4. Hardening
1. Processing ends 2. Heating 3. Bending
and tempering
2. Erwärmen 3. Biegen
Shipping 1. Endbearbeitung
Routes of transport
and receiving
Transportwege
7. Painting 7. Aussenstrahlen
6. Peening 5. Straightening
5. Innenstrahlen
Fig. 6 | Process for conventional stabilizers
2. Kneading 4. Hardening
1. Carburizing 3. Bending
and checking and tempering
Shipping
Routes of transport
and receiving
8. Painting 7. External peening 6. Flattening and drilling 5. Internal peening
Fig. 7 | Process for heavy-duty tubular stabilizersRohrstabilisatoren

Component lifetime
Development steps
13
Objective
12
11
10
0
0 30,000 60,000 90,000 120,000 150,000 180,000
Service life (load changes)
Fig. 8 | Service life test rig Fig. 9 | Component lifetime during development loops
bending. Hardening and tempering is carried out under an inert gas Development of the high stressed tubular stabilizer bar required
atmosphere, followed by the forming of the ends. If internal shot several development loops | Fig. 9 | as technologies such as carbu-
peening is specified, this takes place before end forming. Straight- rizing, internal shot peening and inert gas hardening and tempering
ening should not be carried out when manufacturing tubular stabilizers. had to be developed further for this product.
Forming the ends is followed by external peening and subsequent
painting. If necessary, fixing rings are mounted | Fig. 7 |. Summary and outlook
The development of high stressed tubular stabilizers has reduced com-
Service life testing ponent weight by approximately 45%. As vehicles are becoming ever
The service life of stabilizers is normally tested by single-stage heavier due to increased demands for safety and comfort, the trend
fatigue testing, for which the test rig | Fig. 8 | must be equipped with a toward tubular stabilizers will continue. The share of tubular stabilizers
force control unit (load cell). When tubular stabilizers fail, they merely in total production was approximately 11% in fiscal 2003/2004. A share
lose stiffness and strength. This would not be noticed using only a of 21% is already forecast for fiscal 2004/2005.
distance control.

34 |
DIPL.-ING. RALF KUSCHE Team Manager Production Design & Development | ThyssenKrupp Bilstein GmbH, Ennepetal
Lightweight aluminum shock absorbers
| Lightweight DampTronic® active shock absorber

Lightweight aluminum shock absorbers | 35
Introduction the standards of the steel shock absorber tube, provides for an appro-
Aluminum first made its appearance as a material in the auto industry priate fork mount and simultaneously reduces the weight of the tube
in 1934, the era of the Daimler Benz “Silver Arrow”. In large-scale assembly by at least 40%. At the same time, the additional costs
production, it is currently being used in the Audi A2, to name one resulting from the use of aluminum instead of steel were to be kept
example. The focus is now increasingly on reducing the weight not as low as possible.
only of the body and engine but other areas of the vehicle as well. The tube assembly has to meet the following requirements:
One step in this direction is the use of aluminum as a low-density tube must be gas tight up to an internal pressure of 100 bar
alloy in the suspension area. Using aluminum also helps increase high surface quality and resistance to wear in the interior to ensure
passenger comfort and, by reducing unsprung masses, optimize tightness where the working piston separates the two working
handling dynamics. chambers and to allow separation of the gas and oil chambers by
a piston
Monotube aluminum shock absorber must support the forces transmitted from the chassis
For several years now, ThyssenKrupp Bilstein has been using alu- durable connection between the tube and mounting element.
minum-based lightweight designs in connection with the production In terms of design, and especially in view of the manufacturing process
of special high-end vehicles. For shock absorbers, cold extruded to be used, retaining the steel design and simply substituting alu-
aluminum tubes have typically been used | Fig. 1 |. The disadvantage minum for steel is not appropriate. The different material character-
of this design is the limited variability of the lower mounting, which istics of steel and aluminum alloys alone make changes to the design
in the cold extrusion process can only be executed to accommodate inevitable. It is therefore essential to adapt the design to the alumi-
spherical plain bearings or bushings. Customer requests for other num material at the concept phase. CAE (computer-aided engineering)
designs, e.g. for fork mounts, have so far been realized with steel systems are a vital tool in achieving the objectives if optimized weight
designs. and durability. The use of the finite-element method (FEM), in partic-
Working to meet the needs of a large-scale manufacturer, ular, has made it possible to optimize the design at an early stage of
ThyssenKrupp Bilstein has for the first time developed a special development before the production of the first prototype tools. This has
aluminum tube assembly for a monotube shock absorber that meets played a major part in reducing development costs.
Fig. 1 | Aluminum tube cold extruded from solid material

36 | Lightweight aluminum shock absorbers
Aluminum tube Aluminum tube
Tension [MPa] Tension [MPa]

131.853 131.853
41.993
118.913 118.913
37.983
105.974 105.974
33.973
∆ ∆
z 93.034 z 93.034
29.964
Fork Fork
80.094 80.094
25.954
67.154 67.154
21.945
54.214 54.214
17.935
∆
∆
x 41.275 x 41.275
13.925
28.335 28.335
9.916
15.395 15.395
5.906
2.455 2.455
1.897
Fig. 2 | Welded aluminum fork structure/hot formed tube Fig. 3 | Optimized fork design
| Fig. 2 | shows the initial design with an extruded fork and a hot- industry, friction welding is considered an accepted procedure for
formed aluminum tube welded together in the area of the tube bottom safety-relevant components and is used for aluminum wheels.
pin. The material used is AlMgSi1, as in the earlier applications. In the In consultation with the welding engineers, the fork contour and
area of the contact points, the calculated load results in stresses of the contact surfaces between fork and tube were optimized for work-
up to approximately σ = 140 MPa, which are near the critical yield point piece handling in the welding equipment. Based on the results of the
of aluminum (Rp0.2 = 180–200 MPa). These result from the introduction FEM computations, initial test components were manufactured on
of high bending moments in the area of the tube pin attachment. prototype tools. | Fig. 4 | shows the formation of the weld seam. It is
In a first iterative step aimed at improving the structure of the com- not absolutely necessary to remove the weld beads if they are inside
ponent, an additional weld seam was made in the outer area between the tube and not in the path of the dividing piston.
the fork and tube. This significantly reduced the maximum stress in To guarantee the required wear resistance inside the aluminum
the area of the tube pin, but the additional weld seam had the effect tube, i.e. on the contact surfaces for the working piston and dividing
of shifting the critical region to the tube bottom/tube wall junction. In piston, and to provide protection against corrosion, the aluminum
the next step, the fork was redesigned to make transmission of force tubes are hard anodized. This process is used especially for highly
from the fork to the tube as linear as possible | Fig. 3 |. The stresses stressed parts. The hard anodization process causes a chemical trans-
in the part were reduced by about 70% to approximately σ = 45 MPa formation of the original aluminum surface. This occurs through the
under this particular load. However, the forged fork structure also made absorption of atomic oxygen, which forms at the anode, reacts with
it necessary to redesign the tube and opt for a different welding tech- the aluminum and then attaches itself to the metal surface as alumi-
nique. In this preferred solution, a cut-to-length aluminum tube is num oxide (Al2O3). Hard anodization creates coatings with pore diam-
butt welded onto the fork by means of friction welding. In the auto eters far smaller than in conventional anodic coatings, which have

pore sizes of up to 0.02 µm. Furthermore, the material can be made Conclusion
much harder. When designing the tube blank, care must be taken to Major weight reductions can be achieved in shock absorber design
ensure that approx. 50% of the oxide coating resulting from the hard through the use of aluminum. In addition to lightweight designs for
anodization process grows into the original metal surface and approx. individual components, a lightweight tube assembly provides the
50% grows outward from the original metal surface. Coatings are greatest reduction in weight. For the first time at ThyssenKrupp Bilstein,
typically applied to thicknesses of about 30–35 µm in order to satisfy friction welding was used to create a complete, gastight aluminum
the durability requirements of the auto industry. assembly consisting of a fork and cut-to-length tube.
The component-specific testing included static and dynamic load In addition to use in the conventional shock absorber sector, this
analyses on the test rig as well as testing in the vehicle under extreme lightweight design is also used for electronically adjustable shock ab-
conditions. All of these tests were completed successfully in the first sorbers. Automakers thus have access to an exclusive product that
development stage, leaving the way free for this design to be used in enables agile, sporty and comfortable handling with ample wheel grip.
production | Fig. 5 |. The weight of the part was approximately 48%
lower than that of the corresponding steel design.
Fig. 4 | Formation of the weld seam Fig. 5 | Production design tube assembly

38 |
DIPL.-ING. ULRICH HOCHER Managing Director | ThyssenKrupp Drauz, Heilbronn

DIPL.-ING. MICHAEL HAGE Head of Development and Design | ThyssenKrupp Drauz, Heilbronn
DIPL.-ING. (FH) THOMAS KELLER Project Planning | ThyssenKrupp Drauz, Heilbronn
Product and process engineering as a key

to lightweight construction
| Lamborghini Gallardo in aluminum spaceframe design

Product and process engineering as a key to lightweight construction | 39
Introduction of 10–15% castings, 20–30% extrusions and 60–70% stampings. As

The development of modern autobody structures is characterized by an aluminum lightweight construction enables the use of different
design requirements as well as the conflicting objectives of optimizing semi-finished products to those used in steel stamping designs, it is
both weight and strength. When developing body structures, the focus also governed by different rules.
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is on both the implementation of the design and the task of finding
the balance between a minimum operating weight of the components Hybrids
and the strengths that must be achieved. When an optimum balance Hybrid designs use a combination of stampings and spaceframe
is achieved, the objectives of lightweight construction have been met. elements in one body structure, with cast, extruded or sheet compo-
nents integrated into the body structure as modules or individual
Body structures components.
There are three design concepts for auto body structures:
Design trends in lightweight construction
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stamping design,
spaceframes and Castings
hybrids. Castings can be designed to match component geometry to the forces
and moments to which they are subjected, thus avoiding concen-
Stamping design trations of stress. For multifunctional castings | Fig. 1 |, the targeted
This design consists of steel sheets formed into structural elements component design integrates several fastenings for attached parts,
which are joined together with other structural elements to form a closed rendering additional adapter plates superfluous.
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cross section. These closed cross sections essentially represent the
load-bearing structure of the body. Ideally, tubes can be used in some Extrusions
areas after forming to match the body structure. They account for 5%, Extrusions can be used straight or bent and can be produced with
with the remaining 95% of the body being made from stampings. almost any cross section. This means that they already provide a
Concept studies show that it will be possible to utilize a much higher strength-optimized, closed cross section as individual components.
proportion of tubes in the future. Furthermore, the cross section can be optimally matched to the differ-
Potential for saving weight can be exploited by using innovative ent load situations in different areas by the use of modern hydro-
materials such as high-strength and ultrahigh-strength steels, tailored forming processes | Fig. 2 |.
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blanks and tailored tubes and sandwich materials, to name but a few.
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Aluminum sheet
Spaceframes The material-specific properties of aluminum sheet, in particular its low
Modern body structures also make use of aluminum materials, en- density and low modulus of elasticity (modulus of elasticityaluminum = 1/3 x
abling fundamentally different designs. An aluminum structure consists modulus of elasticitysteel) require an increase in the material thickness

Stampings
Extruded sections
Cast sections
Ribs in direction of force
Integration of additional functionality
Fig. 1 | Lamborghini Gallardo spaceframe, detail: wheel arch side member
A-A
B-B
C-C
Fig. 2 | Extruded roof rail with variable cross section

in order to achieve the same strength values as a corresponding steel ¡ Riveting

component. Further developments in joining technology are necessary In modern lightweight body manufacture, riveting technology is now as
to allow the individual stamped, extruded and cast components to be important as spot welding in the production of traditional steel bodies.
joined into a body component by frictional and/or form-fit connections. Punched riveting using riveting tongs is the current state of the art,
The use of different joining techniques and aluminum components providing controlled joining procedures in body manufacture. The
enabled a weight saving of 30% in the design of a sliding door | Fig. 3 |. main limits on this technology are the forces involved and the need for
This made opening and closing the door significantly easier for a stable frame to accommodate them. This calls for large and heavy
customers. riveting tongs which severely restrict accessibility to the joint locations.
In particular, jobs involving large throat depths require bulky tongs
Joining technologies which push standard robots to their kinematic limits. The maximum
The use of a wide variety of combinations of semi-finished products possible throat depth for robot-guided tongs is about 600 mm. Only
in the spaceframe concept urgently requires both improved and new statically mounted tongs with a throat depth of approximately 800 mm
joining technologies. The individual material concepts referred to above to max. 1,000 mm can be built with the requisite rigidity.
make use of conventional thermal, frictional and form-fit mechanical At ThyssenKrupp Drauz, these limitations led to the development of
joining processes as well as both classic and modified adhesive bond- the new pulse riveting head “ImpulsDRAUZ” | Fig. 4 | which eliminates
ing. However, non-weldable hybrid material combinations require the aforementioned limitations on robot-guided riveting equipment.
the increased use of non-thermal joining processes to satisfy weight The new device does not carry out the joining process “slowly” by
reduction requirements. the conventional, quasi-static, hydraulically or electromechanically
Weight-saving potential 30%
Stampings
Extrusions
Castings
Fig. 3 | Sliding door, left: steel design, right: aluminum design

powered process. Instead, it drives the rivet into the joining point in consisting of several joined parts has the appearance of being a single
milli-seconds | Fig. 5 |, with controlled absorption of recoil in the device. piece and is more attractive as a result. The following basic types are
All the robot requires for this process is a pulse riveter including rivet distinguished:
feed unit weighing 12–15 kg. The dies for rivet placement are mounted high-strength adhesive,
in a fixed and stable position within the device, i.e. there is a die for support adhesive,
each rivet point. Rivets are fed automatically by conventional sorting adhesive finish,
and separating. The introduction of the “ImpulsDRAUZ” pulse riveting adhesive sealant and
system has opened up a new area of application for punched riveting window adhesive.
technology in modern body manufacture. However, the use of adhesive bonding in body production is limited by
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process-specific variables such as application and curing times. The
Adhesive bonding associated properties prevent the sole use of adhesives in particular
Except when attaching plastic parts, adhesive bonding is often com- for joints that could be affected during the overall assembly process
bined with riveting in automotive lightweight construction. This mainly (e.g. line dynamics, inadequate stability in subsequent joining steps).
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serves to increase rigidity, but also to prevent electrochemical corrosion.
The so-called “adhesive finish” represents a modified process. Here, Laser welding
visible joints in the outer skin area as specified in the design are The use of laser welding opens up further potential for weight savings
smoothed in such a way that, for example, an aluminum component by reducing the flange width of the parts to be joined. A reduction of
Fig. 4 | Pulse riveting system „ImpulsDRAUZ” Fig. 5 | Riveted joint

Front view Rear view
Fig. 6 | Aluminum front end of the BMW E60, gray: aluminum, blue: steel
up to 40% in the flange geometry can be achieved by the use of a One example of this is a lightweight design making use of hybrid
laser welding head developed by ThyssenKrupp Drauz, which requires materials which has been implemented in the production of the BMW
considerably less space for the join than resistance spot welding or E60 | Fig. 6 |. In order to achieve the right balance between weight,
riveting. A defined degassing gap between the coated sheets to be rigidity and costs, only the front end was manufactured from aluminum.
joined is essential for achieving a high-quality weld. The newly devel- In order to exploit the advantages of lightweight construction, the
oped laser welding head allows precision localized clamping of the parameters for product and process design must be differentiated
components at the joint while enabling defined degassing. This makes more strongly in the future. To achieve ideal results in terms of weight
it possible to weld coated sheets without pore formation or the ejection reduction, developers must strike an optimum balance with respect
of melted material. The laser welding head developed by ThyssenKrupp to requirements for functionality, costs and weight.
Drauz can be used for both steel and aluminum.
Trends in lightweight construction

In the future, technical and economic considerations will lead to the
increasing substitution of stamped and spaceframe designs by mixed
(hybrid) designs. Advances in joining processes and the use of adhe-
sives to prevent corrosion are making the combination of different
materials increasingly feasible.

44 |
BRUCE N. GREVE (MENG) Manager, Product Technology | ThyssenKrupp Budd Technology and Innovation Center, Auburn Hills/USA
Sandwich panel construction for lightweight

vehicle designs
| Target applications for sandwich panels in automotive body construction

Sandwich panel construction for lightweight vehicle designs | 45
Introduction Sandwich panels

Making cars lighter offers the possibility of reduced consumption of A structural sandwich panel is an assembly consisting of a lightweight
energy and materials. The car designer’s challenge is to ensure that core securely laminated between two relatively thin, strong facings
the functional and performance requirements are not unknowingly | Fig. 1 |. Such assemblies offer high strength and insulating qualities,
compromised in the quest for lightweight dsign. There are in principle with light weight.
two methods for reducing the weight of a car – changing the design, Sandwich construction is an extremely effective method of pro-
and substituting materials. This article will examine the potential bene- ducing stiff, light, and economic structures when used in the right
fits of using sandwich materials as a substitute for traditional single manner. When loaded with lateral loads only, or with axial loads only,
layer steel or aluminum in automotive body components. Stressed skin they can be designed by recognized formulas. However, the analysis
sandwich panels are among the most efficient constructions based becomes much more complex when bending loads are applied. Axial
on a stiffness per unit weight basis. For automotive bodies, most of forces in a structural sandwich panel are carried by compression in
the design depends on stiffness requirements rather than strength. the facings, stabilized by the core material against buckling. Bending
Combined with the natural sound dampening and thermal attenuation moments are resisted by a couple composed of forces in the facings;
properties, sandwich panels can offer significant improvements in shearing forces are resisted by the core. The entire assembly produces
reducing vehicle weight, reducing parts and streamlining the body a unit of surprising strength and stiffness with very low weight. The
assembly process. effect is apparent as seen in | Fig. 2 |. The greater the thickness in the
Weight Bending strength Flexural rigidity
48
Core Skins
12 12
1 1 1 1 1
Single skin (t) Sandwich (2 t) Sandwich (4 t)
Fig. 1 | Basic sandwich panel Fig. 2 | Comparative flexural rigidity for various sandwich panel core thicknesses

core material, the greater the increases in bending/flexural strength Composite sandwich materials
and especially stiffness. Doubling the thickness (at the same weight Up to this point the discussion has centered on sandwich structures
as the monolayer material) will give a 6-fold increase in strength and in general, with little reference to specific core or face skin materials.
a 12-fold increase in stiffness. If the thickness is doubled again, still Some core properties are critical to overall sandwich structure perform-
maintaining the same weight, the increase in strength doubles 12-fold ance; other core properties are not as critical but might be a bonus
over the monolayer, and the stiffness increases to 48 times the stiff- in the choice of material for some specific applications. The most
ness of the non-sandwich. common core materials can be divided into four general types: balsa
Structural engineers have long known that increases in thickness wood, foams, honey combs and stitched/compressed materials. Within
will provide large increases in strength and stiffness. This is the prin- each category there are specific types which are also quite distinct in
ciple on which I-beams work. As illustrated in | Fig. 3 |, the face plates properties. Each has inherent advantages and disadvantages.
of the I-beam are the upper and lower surfaces. Note that the web of The nature of the core is important in determining the crush
the I-beam is relatively thin and, therefore, lightweight. Likewise, the strength of the sandwich structure. Clearly the core material must
core materials are generally much lighter weight than the face plate be able to withstand the force applied in the z-direction. Hence, it is
materials. The increase in stiffness of the I-beam and of the sandwich important that the core materials be strong and stiff in the z-direction.
composite is principally a function of the distance between the face The common core materials are generally acceptable in stiffness
plates and not of the nature of the web provided certain overall par- and strength, but a reasonable designer would make up sandwich
ameters are maintained. structures for testing and subject them to the anticipated maximum
There is an important difference between I-beams and sandwich z-directional loading.
structures. When the sandwich is subjected to a z-direction force, that Another critical structural property is the ability of the core material
force tends to be spread all across the surface of the core, thus dimin- to withstand x- and y-direction loads. Because the entire sandwich
ishing the force in any single location. The I-beam is far less capable structure is bonded together, forces from the x- and y-directions will
of spreading the force. Moreover, because the force is spread, the core place the core into potential shear and buckling failure modes. These
material need not be as rigid or strong as required in an I-beam. In generally become worse as the core material is increased in thickness.
other words, the combination of the face skins and the core material, Clearly the core material must perform many functions well. It has
if bonded properly together, will have much greater stiffness and structural requirements and a myriad of other properties required by
strength than would either material by itself. Truly this is a synergistic the conditions of each particular use. Some have described the core
hybrid structure. material in sports terms. In addition to the properties mentioned, the
The design question becomes, therefore, what materials to use for following environmental conditions must be considered when selec-
the face skins and what type and how much core to use. Assuming ting the core material:
that a constant overall thickness in the z-direction is required, then Water absorption: Some core materials have a tendency to absorb
clearly using more thickness of core material will reduce weight. In water. A related problem is entrapment of water, even when the core
general, the use of more core material in place of face sheet will reduce material itself does not absorb water. The water can adversely affect
costs since cores are usually less costly on a thickness basis than are performance by adding weight and may diminish strength.
the face skins. However, at constant overall thickness, increasing core Temperature: Thermal degradation of the core over time is a possi-
thickness and reducing face skin sheet thickness will result in less bility that must be considered whenever high thermal conditions
strength and stiffness in the x- and y-directions. The optimization of exist. Thermal stability and toughness are often difficult to achieve
these component thicknesses is clearly a compromise that must be at the same time. The advantages of most core materials are their
decided anew for each application. thermal insulative capabilities. Consequently, sandwich structures
are widely used when thermal insulation is required.

Flammability: Some automotive applications have strict flammability ever, the traditional manufacturing methods are typically low volume
requirements. These often include requirements on smoke genera- and expensive in terms of labor and material. In most processes, the
tion and toxicity. Some of the core materials are especially good in face skins and core are made separately and then bonded together.
resisting burning and smoke generation. This is done with an adhesive film that is placed between the face
Sound and vibration damping: Most core materials are excellent skins and the core. The adhesive must be strong enough to transfer
sound absorbers. Within the automotive world, NVH (Noise, Vibra- the load from side forces onto the face sheets and to resist debonding
tion and Harshness) is one of the major customer issues. Consumer with the surface of the core. Experience has shown that tough adhe-
surveys have shown that unwanted noise from the engine and road sives work best because they can elongate slightly to accept small
is one of the top complaints received from customers. Since the displacements without cracking. The adhesive film must be thick
performance of an engine and customer’s satisfaction with the enough to give a good bond over the entire surface but not so thick
powertrain are such a large part of their overall satisfaction with that it becomes a point of failure. A sound uniform bond is the most
the total vehicle, making improvements in NVH is critical. The natural critical requirement in the manufacture of a traditional sandwich
frequency of the core is a key component in absorbing vibrations, structure. A poor bond can result in reduced strength of the structure
but the entire structure also has natural frequencies that must be or worse, failure in use. In general, the traditional methods for pro-
determined. Testing of the entire structure is usually required. ducing sandwich structures for cars are too costly, slow, or impractical
Unlike the core, the design requirements for the face skins are much for all but the most exotic applications.
simpler. Other than corrosion resistance, the skins must have high The ThyssenKrupp Budd Technology and Innovation Center has
strength to handle the tensile and compressive loads that are trans- been investigating methods for adapting the lightweight sandwich
ferred to them. materials for use in high volume automotive applications. Typically,
for this industry, cost is the main driving force. Therefore, materials
Manufacturing the sandwich structure must be inexpensive, and the processes must be efficient, robust, and
The many desirable properties of sandwich structures have made their easily automated. | Fig. 4 | shows a sandwich panel consisting of a
presence in marine and aerospace applications quite common. How- lightweight core with thin steel face skins which has the same flexural
Face plates
0.3 mm Steel
Web Core Aluminum –

0.94 mm 1.1 mm 0.5 mm Foam core
typical sheet
thickness
0.3 mm Steel
Stahl
Face plates
ä
1.00 Weight 0.87
X
ä
Fig. 3 | I-Beam compared to sandwich construction Fig. 4 | Steel/foam core sandwich construction with flexural rigidity comparable to aluminum sheet

Glas microsphere composite
Two 0.3 mm
steel skins
Heated die
Fig. 5 | Step 1: Two 0.3 mm steel blanks are positioned in the forming tool. Fig. 6 | Step 2: The liquefied lightweight core material is injected into the space
between the steel blanks.
rigidity as a solid aluminum sheet, but being 13% lighter than the alu- The natural NVH and thermal attenuation characteristics of sand-
minum sheet. With the proper density of core material and with the wich panels eliminate the hassle and weight of costly sound dead-
right thickness of steel skins, it is possible to specify a steel skinned ening measures and streamline the underbody appearance by
sandwich panel that is at least as light as an aluminum panel with reducing the need for exhaust and engine heat shields. The benefits
greater rigidity. Thus, sandwich materials offer the possibility to design – lower weight, lower system cost and reduced assembly time.
components that have the light weight of aluminum but with greater The large open space of trunks and rear luggage areas of vans
stiffness. Potential applications for automobiles include: and SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) can be prone to booming loud,
front and rear floor panels, low frequency resonances caused by the excitation of large body
cowl plenums, panels. Sandwich panels can make significant improvements in
front panels, these areas.
wheel wells,
trunk and spare tire tubs, Process development
roof panels as well as The key to producing the aforementioned components is the forming
door and hood inner panels. process. Departing from the traditional sandwich manufacturing pro-
cesses, the ThyssenKrupp Budd Technology and Innovation Center
Added benefits of sandwich construction has suggested that improved economics can be realized if the forming
Sandwich panels can be spot welded and painted like any other of the skins and bonding of the core take place simultaneously in the
steel. This makes it an ideal lightweight choice for exterior body same tool. To accomplish this task, a process was developed based
panels. Outside noise does not get into the inside. on the twin sheet hydroforming principle. The essentials of this pro-
For resonance-prone applications, sandwich materials can create cess are described as follows:
engine sound quality that matches the character of the vehicle Two thin steel blanks are positioned in the mold. The mold is closed
itself, further enhancing the feeling of quality. using a standard hydraulic press clamping and partially forming the
thin steel skins | Fig. 5 |.

The liquefied core material is injected into the space between 450 mm x 3 mm. It was formed by injecting a 0.5 kg/m3 density syn-
the steel blanks using conventional injection molding or RRIM tactic foam between 0.3 mm thick steel skins in a test mold built at the
(Reinforced Reaction Injection Molding) equipment. The pressure ThyssenKrupp Budd Technology and Innovation Center. This test part
generated by the injection of the core material causes the steel demonstrates the feasibility of the concept and the ability to produce
skins to conform to the contours of the molding tool. In predeter- shaped detail on a contoured surface.
mined areas, the two steel skins are pressed into contact using
slides in the tool. These areas will be used for spot welding later on Conclusion
| Fig. 6 |. Sandwich construction offers high stiffness and low weight. In addition,
The heated mold accelerates a chemical reaction which causes the it is an inherent sound and heat insulator. Combining these benefits
core material to cure into a solid. After curing, the mold is opened, with a one-step forming process makes this an ideal system for adding
the formed sandwich panel is removed and trimmed in a conven- engineering value to specific automotive components. Future work
tional trimming die | Fig. 7 |. will be focused on developing the syntactic foam core material and in
A small scale example of a component using the twin sheet forming characterizing the physical and mechanical properties as well as the
process is shown in | Fig. 8 |. This part is approximately 300 mm x durability of steel sandwich panels.
Fig. 7 | 3: Following the heated cure of the core material, the formed panel is removed Fig. 8 | Test panel and cross-sectional view
and trimmed to final size.

50 |
DR. TECHN. PETER MEUSBURGER Head of Development | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
The camshaft as an example of lightweight design

in engine construction
| The assembled camshaft from ThyssenKrupp Presta

The camshaft as an example of lightweight design in engine construction | 51
Introduction means less wear and therefore a longer service life. The use of less
Lightweight design has long been a priority for vehicle and engine material, compared with the solid design, also leads to significant
developers, and its importance has increased steadily in recent years. cost advantages in view of current steel prices.
It plays a paramount role in every set of specifications, and it is one of
the overriding concerns in the development of drive systems, along with Measures to lower weight in the assembled camshaft
fuel consumption and emissions. In passenger cars, automakers have Although the assembled camshaft already features a markedly lower
shown that a 100-kilogram reduction in vehicle mass leads to notice- weight than the cast or forged variant, there is still room for further
able fuel savings of several tenths of a liter per 100 km, depending on optimization. The following approaches may be considered in the effort
the type of car. And where the mass is reduced in the vehicle plays a to realize a lightweight design:
crucial role. The impact of lightweight design is more pronounced for shapes and profiles that minimize weight,
rotating masses and high rotational speeds than for non-moving parts. miniaturization,
The systematic realization of lightweight design in the auto industry use of alternative, low-density materials and
has facilitated the introduction and increasing market penetration of simplification/elimination of parts.
the assembled camshaft from ThyssenKrupp Presta. In the assembled Potential for optimization can be found first and foremost in the design
variant, the cams are mounted on the shaft by means of a joining tech- and shaping of the parts. In this case, attention focuses on the shaft
nique patented by ThyssenKrupp Presta. With optimal design, it is tube and cam, which are invariably components of any camshaft.
possible to achieve weight reductions of more than 30% compared with
conventional cast or forged camshafts. When the camshaft was first Optimization of the shaft tube wall thickness
marketed ten years ago, designers attained a 3.2-kilogram reduction Reducing the thickness of the tube wall is not as trivial as it first
in the overall mass of the production engine used, a Ford Duratec appears. The wall thickness of the shaft tube is decisive for the over-
V6-engine with four overhead camshafts. all stiffness and the dynamic behavior of the camshaft. It cannot be
Because of the higher manufacturing precision of the assembled reduced by any arbitrary amount. Instead, multiple details must be
camshaft, the lower weight is not solely a consequence of the hollow considered in advance. It is essential to have precise knowledge of the
shaft. The width of the cam faces can also be tailored more exactly to assembly and manufacturing process as well as the operating loads
the required minimum, so that the cam is no thicker than needed and no in the engine.
material reserves have to be provided. All the other camshaft compo- First, the limits of the manufacturing technology must be examined
nents are treated in the same way: sensor ring, end piece, sprocket, etc. in terms of reducing tube wall thickness. When the cams and other
In addition to the reduction in weight, decreasing the rotating masses components are joined to the tube, it experiences an axial force which
entails other benefits as well. Because of the lower frictional losses subjects the shaft to buckling stress. The thickness of the tube wall
and reduced inertia, the assembled camshaft requires a lower drive must be such that pressing forces of over 30 kN can be absorbed with
torque, which helps reduce fuel consumption. Furthermore, less friction sufficient safety.

Cam segment
Positioning the cam
Tube segment
Cut edges of shaft and hub with rotationally

symmetrical boundary conditions
Front face of shaft X

mounted in y-axis Z
Y
Fig. 1 | Simulation of the joining process
During the mounting of the cams – when the tube is roller-knurled to slower cycle times and additional costs. However, the measures
and the cams are placed in position – a frictional and keyed connection for lightweight design must at least be cost-neutral in large-scale
is created in the joint zone. The force-fit component is based on the production and preferably lower in cost.
joint pressing between tube and cam. The tube can absorb these In addition to the stresses arising during the production of a cam-
radial stresses only if it is sufficiently rigid. The radial constriction of shaft with a thin-walled shaft tube, the end product must also be capable
the tube along the joint zone may therefore not exceed a certain thresh- of withstanding the operating conditions in the engine. Here it is neces-
old value during the assembly process | Fig. 1 |. sary to do more than merely demonstrate the strength of the individual
After assembly, the camshaft is ground at the journals and cams. components. Designers must also conduct a functional analysis of
The removal of the grinding stock produces heat, some of which is the camshaft in its interaction with the whole valve train. Among other
transmitted to the workpiece. To prevent an accumulation of heat and things, they must identify the natural frequency characteristics of the
thus geometrical distortion and undesirable residual stress in the camshaft and analyze and assess the effects that any deformations
camshaft, the thermal energy must be conducted away as quickly as and vibrations of the shaft may have on neighboring parts | Fig. 2 |.
possible. Because steel absorbs and conducts heat far better than air, | Fig. 3 | shows the flowchart of this procedure – the combination of theo-
a sufficient quantity of material must be on hand for this process. If retical calculations and empirical tests, and the feedback of measure-
not, the stock removal would have to be reduced, which would give rise ments into the simulation model. The simulation model created through

extensive testing and calculation can be adapted to other valve train | Fig. 4 | shows how material and weight can be saved by reducing
systems. This greatly reduces the time and money required for empirical the width of the cam web. The flow of force from the contact force F
trials and tests on other camshafts. does not present any problems in this design. Although the narrower
cam web reduces the joint face between the cam bore and tube, the
Modification of the cam shape dynamic torsional reliability of the cam under operating loads is still
In the past, ThyssenKrupp Presta has manufactured the cams as solid more than sufficient.
parts by the hot extrusion process. An alternative is a sintered cam with In the case of sintered cams, even “leaner” designs (level 2) are
bucket tappet actuation (sliding friction) that can withstand Hertzian possible because of the manufacturing process used | Fig. 5 |. The lobe
stresses of up to approximately 900 MPa. face first remains constant in width in the lift area and then tapers
When defining the shape of the cam, designers have to consider toward the base circle. The effective width/working surface is smallest
the demands on the part as well as the potential for economical and at the base circle, where the mechanical stresses are the lowest.
reliable production processes. The cam experiences its maximum load Even more material can be saved when the lobe width tapers contin-
in the “lift area”, i.e., where the valve is opened and closed again. The uously from the nose to the base circle. Depending on the type of cam,
force is generally introduced by the tappet (roller or bucket) at a central material volume could be reduced by an additional 8 to 12 percent com-
spot in the middle of the cam lobe face. At the base circle of the cam, pared with level 2. This variant is problematic, however, because of
where the valve is not moved, the stresses are considerably lower, the narrowing of the cam face that already occurs in the highly stressed
almost zero in fact. flank of the cam.
Comparison of models
Practice Theory
Measurement of relevant input parameters

on the cylinder head test
Finite Element camshaft model Multi-body valve train model

ä Strength analysis ä Functional analysis
Construction of limit sample prototypes
Test valve train dynamics

demonstrate strength and functionality
Fatigue test
Fig. 2 | Test/measurement set-up: cylinder head with weight-optimized Fig. 3 | Schematic flow diagram of the strength and functional analysis
camshaft

At ThyssenKrupp Presta, new cam materials and shapes are tested Use of lighter materials
under worst-case conditions on “single cam test rigs” | Fig. 6 | . Engi- Aluminum and magnesium are increasingly being used in the auto-
neers must guarantee that the production article is based on a robust, motive industry as alternatives to steel. Their greatest advantage is their
reliable design despite its lightweight construction, and that it neither lower density. But they also have a number of disadvantages. In terms
causes nor incurs damage under even the most extreme operating of their mechanical properties, such as modulus of elasticity and tensile
conditions. strength, they are inferior to steel. In respect of hardness and resist-
ance to wear, journal and cam faces must meet high standards, but
Miniaturization this is difficult or impossible with these two materials. It therefore makes
Decreasing the journal diameter of the camshaft as well as the cam sense to use aluminum and magnesium only for components that are
base circle makes it possible to reduce both the weight and the over- subjected to lower stress, or are subjected to stress in a different way.
all height of the engine. In modern engines there is a trend not only Furthermore, it must be noted that very large quantities of energy are
toward lightweight design but also, increasingly, toward compactness. required in the primary production of aluminum. From an economic
Packaging space is an important criterion for assessing engine design. and ecological point of view, this is another advantage of steel.
When the journal diameter is reduced, however, it must be borne in In recent times, considerable resources have been invested in the
mind that the torsional and flexural strengths of the shaft tube are development of synthetic materials. Fiber-reinforced materials are being
directly proportional to the fourth power of the diameter. The potential considered as a possible substitute for steel in automotive design.
for optimizing weight is therefore exhausted extremely rapidly. However, conditions do not favor the use of synthetic materials in the
Cam web
Z Z
Y Y
X X
Y
Y
Z
X Z
X
t t
Fig. 4 | Material saving by narrowing the cam web on both sides (2 x t) Fig. 5 | Lightweight cam – level 2

.
ϕ
Tappet Camshaft technology weight [kg]

. ..
F, x, x, x
(roller/bucket -
replaceable)
conventional cast variant 2.71
Spring
(replaceable)
assembled camshaft 1.96
assembled, weight-optimized camshaft 1.48
Fig. 6 | Basic design of single cam test rig Fig. 7 | Weight reduction potential of a camshaft (length 455 mm, journal diameter 24 mm)
engine compartment. On top of everything else, a fiber-reinforced mate- Bibliography:

rial that proves to be as robust as steel must also remain affordable.
In the case of synthetic materials, one must also address the crucial ThyssenKrupp techforum, December 2003 issue
question of whether a material is durable and whether its physical The ThyssenKrupp Presta joining process, the basis of the assembled
and chemical properties remain constant over the full service life of camshaft; Prof. R. Geiger, H. Weissenhorn Dr. P. Meusburger
the part.
VDI Symposium Fellbach near Stuttgart – Valve train and cylinder
Conclusion head, September 2004
Efficient and cost-effective lightweight design is possible in camshaft Innovation in industrial-scale production – The assembled camshaft
production even without the use of light alloys or synthetic materials. from ThyssenKrupp Presta; C. Nasner, S. Hannig, Dr. P. Meusburger
With the optimal design, it is possible to use less material without
abandoning steel as the base metal. The potential of lightweight design Test report on weight-optimized camshaft, IAV Chemnitz; Dr. M. Berg,
is illustrated in | Fig. 7 |, using the example of an existing camshaft. R. Großmann
Steel remains the most important material; compared with plastics
or ceramics it is competitive in every respect from ecological and eco-
nomic points of view.

56 |
DR. SC. TECHN. ETH CHRISTOPH KLUKOWSKI Head of Steering Systems Development | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
DIPL.-ING. ETH RONY MEIER Deputy Head of Steering Systems Development | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
DIPL.-ING. (FH) JOSEF BOERSMA Head of Steering Shafts Development | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
DIPL.-ING. CARSTEN MANNECK Head of Numerical Simulation | ThyssenKrupp Presta AG, Eschen/Liechtenstein
Lightweight construction for steering shafts –

tube-in-tube solutions
| A new generation of lightweight construction: Steering train (above) and steering shaft (below) from ThyssenKrupp Presta

Lightweight construction for steering shafts – tube-in-tube solutions | 57
Fig. 1 | Conventional steering train with swaged steel spindle
Introduction steering gear. It generally consists of two main components: the upper
Innovative solutions, optimization and further development are the and the lower steering train (lower steering shaft). In a conventional
driving forces in vehicle construction. They serve as the foundation for production solution | Fig. 1 | the upper steering train consists of a
competitiveness and market success. The speed at which automobiles swaged spindle shaft, a cold forged shaft with attached yoke and
are being developed is constantly increasing. The demand for unusual, a plastic profiled sleeve, which is used as a sliding connection. The
customized solutions and top quality – at optimized costs – is growing. lower steering train is formed from a cold forged shaft including yoke,
If energy consumption is to be reduced further, the vehicles of the a crimped exterior tube with calked yoke and a plastic profiled sleeve
future will need to be significantly lighter. However, effective light- as a sliding connection.
weighting is only possible if virtually every component is reduced in The company has already made major efforts to reduce weight
weight. ThyssenKrupp Presta’s aim was to achieve a 5 to 15% reduc- through its very successful development of an aluminum-based steer-
tion in the weight of the steering train at little or no additional cost. ing spindle. Nevertheless, further measures were needed in order to
These requirements were met despite a simultaneous tightening of meet the call for requirements for a further 20 to 30% reduction in the
specifications for torsional rigidity and flexural strength. weight of the steering train. Based on various customer requirements,
The newly developed steering shaft is based on a tube-in-tube the focus in the first phase was placed on constructing a new, light-
solution. It is used in EPS (Electric Power Steering) systems, for exam- weight lower steering train. The set goals were achieved by using
ple. In such steering systems, the individual components are subjected optimized design criteria,
to much higher mechanical stresses. According to the rule of the computer simulation and
weakest link, special attention must be paid to the joining technology new joining technologies.
of the individual components: fixed, secure yoke-tube connections The current development status of the components produced for steer-
and rigid yet easy-action sliding connections are a constantly recurring ing shafts was used to determine the objectives with regard to weight.
major challenge for developers in terms of materials and production Various shafts, outer tubes, yokes and profiled sleeves were analyzed
processes. and compared with one another. Benchmarks were also set and the
current development statuses of the steering shafts currently used in
Measures to lower the weight of a steering train or steering shaft the vehicles were compared. The aim was to gain a comprehensive
The steering shaft of a steering column is used to transfer the steering overview and design an optimum steering shaft for further develop-
angle and torque applied by the driver from the steering wheel to the ment. It was necessary to determine the exact requirements and

58 | Lightweight construction for steering shafts – tube-in-tube solutions
stresses of the individual components to allow the design to be modi- steel. In selecting suitable steel alloys, the focus was not on weight
fied and the materials to be used in a targeted manner. Design and reduction but on options for the yoke connection with regard to strength
engineering work was carried out and prototypes were built for the and degree of forming.
following components:
inner profiled tube, Profiled sleeve as sliding connection on the steering shaft
outer tube, The profiled sleeve forms the connecting element between the outer
profiled sleeve as well as and inner profiled tubes. It has to compensate for play, transmit the
yokes and yoke connections. torque and allow the longitudinal adjustment of the steering column
at a low sliding force. EPS systems in particular place great demands
Inner profiled tube of the steering shaft on torsional rigidity. These demands are, however, in direct contra-
In addition to the yokes, the cold forged shafts have a considerable diction to the desired ease of longitudinal adjustment. In order to
influence on the weight of the steering shaft. Development work was minimize development times and costs, the new profiled sleeve was
thus focused on reducing the weight of the shaft. The solid shaft with developed using state-of-the-art computer aided engineering (CAE)
a core diameter of 13.4 mm was replaced by a hollow-extruded tools. Numerical simulation made it possible to define and reduce the
profiled tube with a core diameter of 17.0 mm and a wall thickness factors influencing tolerance | Fig. 4 |. The wall thickness of the new
of 2 mm | Fig. 2 |. As a result, the weight was significantly reduced sliding sleeve was reduced by 0.2 mm. In addition to using the con-
while torsional rigidity was increased. ventional sleeve material Delrin®, the new sleeve was also designed
to withstand high temperatures. In this temperature range, the mate-
Outer tube of the steering shaft rial PEEK (PolyEtherEther-Ketone) is used.
The conventional outer tubes with an outer diameter of 25 mm and a
wall thickness of 2 mm were replaced by tubes with an outer diameter Yokes and yoke connections on the steering shaft
of 30 mm and the same wall thickness | Fig. 3 |. These weighed Owing to the use of larger tubes and changes to the geometry of the
slightly more and displayed higher torsional rigidity. The manufacturing inner shaft, new yokes had to be manufactured for the new tube-in-
process for the outer tubes remained unchanged. The crimping tools tube lightweight steering shafts. New tools had to be designed to
were adapted to the new profile dimensions. The outer tubes and the connect the inner profiled tube and the correspondingly adapted yoke.
hollow-extruded profiled tubes were made of two different grades of The tube-yoke connection was realized using ThyssenKrupp Presta’s
Fig. 2 | Cold forged shaft (top) and hollow-extruded profile tube (bottom) Fig. 3 | Conventional outer tube (top) and strengthened variant (bottom)

40
Torque 30
10 Nm
20
10
Torque [ Nm]
0
-0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
-10
-20
0 4.373 8.746 13.119 17.492 21.865 26.238 30.611 34.984 39.357

Stress [MPa] -30
-40
Angle of turn [Degree]
0.004484 3.802 15.195 22.791 30.386 0 9.158 18.315 27.473 36.63 Standard sliding shaft connection
7.6 11.398 18.993 26.588 34.184 4.579 13.736 22.894 32.052 41.209
Tube-in-tube sliding shaft connection
Pressure [MPa] Stress [MPa]
Fig. 4 | Pressure distribution and stress diagram when the sleeve is subject to torque load Fig. 5 | Measurement of torsional rigidity – standard sliding shaft
connection compared with new tube-in-tube solution
tried and tested joining technology. Two variants were developed to clear improvements in the mechanical properties of the new light-
connect the outer tube and the yoke in the event of a crash: weight steering shaft when compared to a conventional production
no passage of the inner tube through the tube-yoke connection solution.
guaranteed passage through to the cross of the universal joint in
order to maximize the crash distance. Summary and outlook
The first variant was realized with an existing, slightly modified yoke. The objective of producing a 5 to 15% lighter steering shaft with im-
However, for the second variant with complete passage of the inner proved mechanical properties was met. Substituting the extruded
shaft, it was necessary to design a new yoke with a suitable joining solid shaft with a hollow-extruded profiled tube resulted in a weight
technology. Prototypes were produced and successfully tested. Slight reduction of 35%/mm. Moreover, the torsional rigidity of the sliding
weight increases were recorded in all described cases. connection was increased by 30%. In the future, these improvements
can be transferred to the upper steering train as well.
Complete lightweight steering shaft Existing joining technology was used to connect the inner tube to
Depending on design, the complete assembled steering shaft is the slightly modified production yoke. Development activities now focus
between 5 and 15% lighter while providing approx. 30% higher tor- on the connection between the outer tube and a newly developed
sional rigidity in the sliding connection. The calculated predictions tube yoke. New prospects for the future are being opened up as a
were realized in practice. result of the potential for optimization created by the use of new ma-
In addition, numerous tests were conducted with various steering terials, construction methods and joining techniques.The new light-
shafts. The endurance testing of the tube-yoke connections and weight tube-in-tube steering shaft from ThyssenKrupp Presta is ready
the sliding connections were considered particularly critical. All tests for the challenges of the future: lighter design with higher rigidity for
were successfully completed. The results displayed in | Fig. 5 | show higher temperatures of up to 200°C.

60 |
DIPL.-ING. (FH) GERHARD THUMM Head of Research Center | ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge GmbH, Stuttgart-Vaihingen
Use of textile-reinforced plastics in lightweight

elevator cars
| Transparency and new lightweight materials are gaining in importance in elevator construction

Use of textile-reinforced plastics in lightweight elevator cars | 61
Introduction this example system are reduced by 3.6 t. However, this simplified
Modern elevators have to satisfy a wide range of requirements. They consideration must still make allowance for the required traction.
have to provide high passenger capacity, be comfortable and quiet,
satisfy high esthetic demands and use as little energy as possible. In Alternative lightweight construction
order to achieve these challenging objectives, the use of new materials ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge submitted a project under the program “New
is under consideration in the development of new elevator systems, materials for the key technologies of the 21st Century – MaTech”
especially with respect to the design of elevator cars. In addition to funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
construction constraints, additional guidelines must also be taken into This project targeted significant weight reduction in rope elevator
consideration when using new materials in elevator systems. These systems and was accepted for funding. The project, carried out with
include the increased difficulty of installation at extreme temperatures, partners EAST-4D GmbH Lightweight Structures (E4D) and the ILK
the minimum elevator life cycle requirement of 20 years, and the (Institute for Lightweight Construction and Plastics Technology) of
question of recycling. the Technical University of Dresden, aims to develop extremely light-
From the point of view of the elevator drive design, and thus of weight cars for high-speed, high-performance elevators. The inten-
all energy considerations, minimizing the masses to be moved in an tion is to develop and study an elevator car making use of new types
elevator shaft is an undisputed advantage. Lightweight modules are of textile-reinforced plastics in a modular hybrid lightweight structure
also advantageous when it comes to erecting elevators in the shaft. On with properties tailored to the specific loads involved. ILK is responsible
the other hand, heavy elevator cars, stable doors and solid designs are for conception, materials characterization, design, optimization and
normally a guarantee of low noise and quiet ride, which are particularly manufacture of lightweight car components using textile-reinforced
desired in the high-performance (i.e. high-speed) range. Furthermore, composite materials. E4D manufactures the prototypes and carries
weight plays a key role in rope elevators when it comes to the trans- out the required tests on the pre-structures. ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge
mission of power from the drive unit to the ropes (traction). is responsible for coordinating the overall project and integrating the
components in an elevator system. The overall project is divided into
Background five phases:
The basic principle of traction sheave elevators, which are exclusively Phase 1: Definition of a specification profile,
used in the medium and high speed ranges (>1 m/s), is that the weight Phase 2: Characterization of the material mechanics,
of the car and of approximately 50% of the rated load is compensated Phase 3: Preliminary design and manufacture of basic structures,
by the counterweight. These weight ratios will be considered in greater Phase 4: Design and engineering of pilot components,
detail using the example of Europe’s fastest elevator, which is located Phase 5: Production of a technology demonstrator and
in an office building (the DEBIS building at Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, experimental studies.
speed 8.5 m/s). This elevator was put into operation by ThyssenKrupp This report addresses Phase 3, the preliminary design and manufac-
Aufzüge in 2000. The elevator is designed for a rated load of 1,000 kg ture of basic structures, which is currently ongoing.
(F), which corresponds to a capacity of 13 persons. The weight of the
cabin and of the sling (W) is approximately 3,600 kg. This meant that Basic structures of an elevator car
the counterweight was designed with a weight of Initial components in various designs were manufactured on the basis
M = W+F/2 = 4,100 kg of the preliminary design calculations for the basic structures, such as
The ropes, which connect the car to the counterweight, contribute a the cabin floor, ceiling and walls. Sandwich elements with structural
further 700 kg to the weight of the overall system. The total mass to foams and honeycomb material and structured trapezoidal cores were
be accelerated in this installation exceeds 9 t. The tensioner for the examined in particular detail. The basic structures were then tested
compensating ropes required in such elevator systems to compensate to determine their rigidity and strength characteristics using static
for the suspension rope weight also contributes to the total mass, but 4-point flexural loading tests with different bending stresses. | Fig. 1 |
this is not considered further in this article. If the weight of the elevator shows an example of the test setup for the static load tests on the basic
car can be reduced by 50% the total masses to be accelerated in floor components.

62 | Use of textile-reinforced plastics in lightweight elevator cars
4-point bending tests with maximum deflection

Surface layer: 2 mm GRP, Core: 50 mm PU
la = 1,050 mm, ls= 500 mm (= spacing between force effects F1,2,3,4)
Test results Computed results Compensation straight line test
Wmax [mm]
20
ls
15 F1.2 F3.4
10
la
0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Mb,max [Nm]
Fig. 1 | 4-point bending test rig for basic structure tests Fig. 2 | Bending moment-dependent deformation behavior (experimental and computed)
of the sandwich elements
In parallel with the experimental studies, the tests were each com- of action of the ropes and the safety gear pose a particular challenge
pared with the computed mathematical models. There was a good here. | Fig. 4 | shows an initial CAD (Computer Aided Design) draft of
correlation with test and experiment, thus verifying the theoretical an elevator cab in loop design.
mathematical models. | Fig. 2 | shows a selected comparison of the
theoretical and empirical deflection characteristic (Wmax) with respect Consideration of the overall system
to the bending stress Mb,max for a BD-GRP/PU sandwich. As mentioned above, in the case of rope elevators it is not expedient
On the basis of the experimental and theoretical results, a com- to only reduce the weight of the car and consequently the counter-
parison of the elevator cabin floor masses required to satisfy the weight. Parallel to the development objective of a significant reduction
stiffness requirements was carried out | Fig. 3 |. This makes clear of car weight, it is also necessary to ensure an adequate traction
the enormous potential of the sandwich structure. Compared with a in order to be able, for example, to accelerate a fully loaded elevator
contemporary steel variant weighing approximately 130 kg, the use car upward. The TRiAD research center of ThyssenKrupp Elevator,
of textile-reinforced sandwich elements enables weight reductions USA, which is headquartered in San Diego, has already made sub-
of more than 50%, with more stringent geometrical restrictions on stantial progress in this area. In the newly developed elevator system
the permitted floor thicknesses. ISIS (cf. ThyssenKrupp techforum, July 2003), new KEVLAR ® ropes
The objective of the further studies is to transfer the results achieved replace the steel ropes previously used in elevator design. These
to date in the simulations and experiments on the basis of subcom- KEVLAR ® ropes weigh just one third as much as conventional steel
ponents to the complete elevator car. The possible asymmetric appli- ropes of comparable diameter. Optimally matching the rope sheathing
cation of forces into the structure of the elevator car due to the points with the plastic coating of the drive sheave also achieves substantially

higher traction. Further positive features are the significantly quieter plates. These trends indicate that there are many ways of addressing
running of the rope over the traction sheave and the deflection pulleys the area of weight reduction in elevator technology. Taking the exam-
and improved wear performance. This development thus represents ple of an elevator car, textile-fiber reinforced lightweight structures
an ideal and necessary extension of the work on reducing the weight offer the potential to reduce weight by more than 50% with compa-
of the elevator car. rable strength. However, the complete system of a rope elevator must
be optimized with respect to the new weight ratios. However, the
Summary objective of the development team at ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge is to
Electronic components and software are replacing the electromechan- do away with the rope and counterweight completely and to realize a
ical components used to date. Serial data transmission and wireless self-propelled elevator car. For this step, however, the need for ex-
technology are displacing copper wires and cable harnesses. Textile tremely lightweight construction of the vehicle is not just a welcome
fibers are replacing steel ropes, and hybrid sandwich modules and trend but an absolute precondition if such a bold vision is one day to
tailored blanks are being used in place of steel profiles and standard be realized.
Elevator car floor concepts

Roller guides
Increase [ % ]
140 kg 128 kg
120 kg
100 kg
76 kg 69 kg
80 kg
60 kg 53 kg Fiber-reinforced
support loops
40 kg
20 kg
100% 59% 54% 41%
0 kg
Conventional Thermoset 6/60/6 GRP/PF 50/50 PURCycl
4 mm steel sheet foam Nomex honeycomb composite floor
Conventional Bended sheet steel with 4 mm thickness
Easy-to-install
Thermoset foam
lightweight car
Sandwich consisting of 1.5 mm sheet steel upper sheet, 2-component
thermoset foam system, 30 mm and 0.5 mm sheet steel lower sheet
Nomex honeycomb Sandwich consisting of glass fiber surface layers, 6 mm and a Nomex®
honeycomb core, 60 mm
PURCycl composite floor Polyurethane foam pressed with textile short fibers and composite
materials, surface reinforced with 0.2 mm aluminum foil Textile fiber-reinforced floor assembly
Total thickness 25-28 mm
Fig. 3 | Comparison of the elevator car floor concepts Fig. 4 | Elevator car in loop design

64 |
DIPL.-ING. KARL-HEINZ GERTJEGERDES Head of Development /Technology | Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Bremen
DIPL.-ING. (FH) CHRISTIAN PUNDT Supervisor Research & Development | Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Bremen
DIPL.-ING. (FH) MICHAEL SCHMIDT Designer Research & Development | Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Bremen
Weight- and cost-optimized engine adapter

for the COMMONALITY engine assembly system
| Prototype of the weight- and cost-optimized engine adapter

Weight- and cost-optimized engine adapter for the COMMONALITY engine assembly system | 65
Introduction Requirements
Assembly systems in the automobile industry represent a very complex The function of the engine adapter is to create the engine-specific
technology. Customers demand low investment costs, short delivery connections between the
times, high flexibility, and standardized, modular assembly systems. engine block and base pallet | Fig. 1 |,
In response to these requirements, Johann A. Krause Maschinen- engine block and clamping module | Fig. 3 |, and
fabrik developed and realized the COMMONALITY engine assembly engine block and assembly module, e.g. at manual workstations
system for a large carmaker with worldwide operations (see report in | Fig. 4 |.
ThyssenKrupp techforum, July 2003 issue). The system makes it Previous adapters are expensive and complex in production and, fully
possible to assemble a variety of engines, from 3-cylinder in-line to assembled, weigh up to 34 kilograms depending on the engine type.
V12 engines, on standardized equipment that can be deployed flexibly Such heavy adapters are difficult to be handled manually and there-
around the world. The pallet in COMMONALITY is designed as a stand- fore lead to ergonomic disadvantages. To rectify this, the weight and
ard basic unit allowing any engine to be transported | Fig. 1 |. The so- cost of the engine adapter were optimized as part of a continuous
called "engine adapter" | Fig. 2 | forms the link between the engine, improvement process.
base pallet and assembly station. Its job is to transport and position
various engine types using uniform operating equipment and to cali- Defining the shape through topology optimization
brate tools. To improve manual handling of the adapter, designers The manufacturing costs of lightweight products are often viewed
set out to reduce its weight. The target of this project was not only critically. Due to the great responsibility of the product costs of the
the development and design of a lightweight engine adapter but also development department, it is important to use state-of-the-art, inno-
the realization of a continuous process chain for the manufacture of vative tools at the earliest stage possible so that designers can make
lightweight products generally. This involved reviewing the entire product reliable predictions concerning the mechanical properties and produc-
development process in terms of planning, conception and realization. tion costs of the product.
Through the use of FEM (Finite Element Method) and structural opti- In order to obtain a geometry with the maximum structural stability
mization, it was possible to realize lightweight, rigid and durable prod- for the least amount of material, the component was reengineered
ucts that can nevertheless be produced cost-effectively. using “topology optimization”. This analysis serves to identify optimal
Fig. 1 | Pallet in the COMMONALITY engine assembly system

66 | Weight- and cost-optimized engine adapter for the COMMONALITY engine assembly system
Fig. 2 | Conventional, non-optimized engine adapter made of cast iron (orange) with clamping points of cast steel (dark gray)
lightweight structures for a given packaging space. It is modeled on the transmission of forces to the adapter for eight defined types of
nature, which has its own laws of growth and likewise makes efficient load, designers created a model of an engine block and fixed it to the
use of available energies and raw materials. contact surfaces of the adapter | Fig. 6 |.
¡ Geometric constraints ¡ Material selection

The basis for the optimization was a 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) The choice of material has a major impact on the mass of a light-
model, the geometry of which contained the maximum packaging weight product. Precise knowledge of the physical properties of the
space available for the adapter | Fig. 5 |. That space is divided into two material is required for engineering purposes. To optimize weight re-
separate subspaces: regions that have to be preserved unchanged in duction, engineers designed the new adapter in the high-strength cast
the end product (e.g., surfaces for screw-on parts) and regions to be aluminum alloy Alufont 52 (chemical formula: AlCu4Ti) as opposed
optimized. Less material is used for regions that experience little stress. to the ductile cast iron EN-GJS-500-7 used originally. This material
In sections where high stresses occur, material is added. To analyze is particularly suitable for machine parts subject to high stress.
Fig. 3 | Clamping module Fig. 4 | Assembly module

Y Y
ä
ä
ä
ä ä
ä
Z X Z X
Model structure
Fig. 5 | Adapter (optimization region is shaded magenta) Fig. 6 | Complete model with model structure
Y
ä
ä
ä
Z X
Fig. 7 | FEM mesh
¡ Topology optimization and constraints for nonparametric topology and shape optimization
Prior to shape optimization, the model of the adapter plate, including of FEM structures with any number of load types.
the engine block, was analyzed in finite element simulations to ensure An initial analysis was done without regard to any manufacturing
plausibility with respect to stresses and deformations. The finite ele- limitations. To avoid hollow structures that could not be manufactured
ment software ANSYS was used for this. The model was represented economically, a second optimization was done applying one manu-
as a mesh of tetrahedral elements with a quadratic trial function. The facturing restriction (lift-out direction in the z axis). During both analy-
fine mesh of the optimization region of the adapter plate contains ses, the mass of the model, which describes the maximum packaging
nearly 100,000 elements | Fig. 7 |. space, was iteratively reduced in 16 steps | Figs 8, 9 and 10 |. The
The topology of the adapter was optimized for eight defined types FEM models – reduced in volume and optimized with regard to the
of load in an iterative process using the optimization software TOSCA. flow of forces – were smoothed and provided clues as to where less
The TOSCA software is a modular system that builds on existing FEM material could be used without impairing functionality.
software. It enables the definition of a variety of required functions

68 | Weight- and cost-optimized engine adapter for the COMMONALITY engine assembly system
ä ä
ä
ä
Z X Z X
ä
ä
Y Y
Fig. 8 | Adapter after 1st iteration Fig. 9 | Adapter after 2nd iteration
¡ Design review using FEM ¡ Solution approaches for the clamping points
Based on the results of the topology optimization, the casting for a The clamping points, which are mounted on the adapter and designed
new engine adapter was designed taking into account the manufac- as wear parts | Figs 13 and 14 |, provided additional potential for
turing restrictions | Figs 11 and 12 |. The objective in this design was optimization. They represent the contact faces to the pallet and the
a homogeneous distribution of stresses throughout the entire compo- clamping modules of the assembly station. In the existing adapter
nent. Through an iterative optimization of the geometry using FEM, the they are made of the case-hardened cast steel GS-20MnCr5. In the
3D workstation generated a component with a highly homogeneous new design they were replaced by smaller and cheaper milled pieces
distribution of stresses. The finite element analyses were carried of case-hardened steel 16MnCr5. The bolted connection between the
out with the 3D CAD software Unigraphics using the equation solver clamping points and the casting were designed in accordance with
Structures-PE from EDS PLM Solutions. VDI guideline 2230.
Y
ä
X
ä
Z Z ä
ä
Y
X
Fig. 10 | Shape recommendation of the topology optimization

Maximum stress Maximum strain

[MPa] [mm]
55.53 0.1747
49.98 0.1573
45.44 0.1430
40.89 0.1287
36.35 0.1144
31.81 0.1001
27.26 0.8578
22.72 0.7148
18.17 0.5719
13.63 0.4289
Y
ä
Y 90.87 0.2859
ä
45.44 ä
ä
0.1430
X
ä
Z
00.00 0.0000
Z X
Fig. 11 | Stress analysis Fig. 12 | Deformation study
Result
The FEM and topology optimized engine adapter offers the customer erable improvements in the manual handling of the adapters. The cost
the following benefits versus the existing adapter: savings can be passed on to the customers, strengthening the market
approximately 50% weight reduction, position of Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik as a highly competent
roughly 37% increase in rigidity, and innovative partner for engine assembly in the international auto-
approximately 15% reduction of component stresses and motive industry. Adapters optimized in line with the principle described
roughly 35% cost reduction. here will be used in future COMMONALITY orders.
Optimized in terms of weight and cost, the engine adapter represents
an innovative product developed using state-of-the-art technology.
With systematic lightweight design, it was possible to make consid-
Fig. 13 | Clamping points of the conventional engine adapter Fig. 14 | Simplified clamping points of the optimized adapter

70 |
DR.-ING. JÖRG HARTLEB Head of Research & Development | ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik GmbH, Rohrbach
DIPL.-ING. CHRISTIAN PLISCHKE Senior Design Engineer – Cable Cranes | ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik GmbH, Rohrbach
DR.-ING. FRANK SCHNEIDER Product Development /Marketing | ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik GmbH, Essen
PETER WAGNER (BENG) Leader Operating Group | ThyssenKrupp Engineering (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Belmont/Australia
Lightweight construction for heavy machinery
| “Three Gorges” dam project with two cable cranes arranged in parallel from ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik

Lightweight construction for heavy machinery | 71
Introduction There are systematic approaches to the application of lightweight

In almost all areas, mechanical engineers find themselves confronted engineering for specific products as a consequence of their function.
with demands for lightweight construction which are based on eco- There are also tasks in heavy machinery construction that can only
nomic considerations and arise from technological imperatives such as be solved economically by the application of lightweight construction.
the observance of permissible loads for ground, foundations or rails,
and the reduction of the inertia of masses. “Three Gorges” cable crane – China
As in most cases, weight reductions must be obtained while main- The cable crane is used for the horizontal and vertical transport of
taining at least the same levels of quality and stability, they represent material with a weight of up to 30 t over long distances and great
one of the most substantial optimization tasks and are accomplished heights. Making use of the parallel operation of two cranes, it is even
by varying a wide range of parameters such as material, shaping, i.e. possible to move loads of up to 60 t. These properties, which make
selection of the wall thicknesses, profiles, volumes, number of individ- the cable crane unique for specific fields of application, call for out-
ual components, etc. The examples presented in this paper illustrate standing expertise in lightweight construction. The cranes’ main range
both this versatility and the balance to be maintained between the of application lies in the transport of large quantities of material to
optimization of one parameter and the resulting worsening of another. destinations which, when using conventional transport equipment, can
In the manufacture of equipment for materials handling and open- only be rapidly and flexibly reached at great effort and high expense,
pit mining technology, it is mainly the high dynamic loads involved e.g. in dam building. No other, alternative form of transport is suitable
which hinder the consistent application of lightweight construction. for this area of application, which is a typical job for a cable crane.
It is impossible to consistently use lightweight construction due to the Dam construction is complicated by the presence of a slope, which is
requirement for sufficient operational stability which is specified in rele- difficult to drive on, and water, that has to be crossed. This situation
vant standards. Attention must be paid to ensuring that the increased is aggravated by the fact that the dam is constantly growing in height,
design and manufacturing costs of lightweight construction for the so that wheeled, tracked and railborne transport vehicles and cranes
machinery and plant, which are frequently customized and manufac- soon fail to keep up with the demands.
tured as individual components, remain in an economically appropriate After ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik had delivered the cable cranes
and efficient relation to the benefits resulting therefrom. for what was then the largest hydroelectric power station in operation
Length [m] Diameter [mm] Weight [t]
Track rope (span width) 1,416 102 88
Trolley travelling rope 3,450 32 13
Rear stay rope 1 612 110 45
Rear stay rope 2 290 110 21
Luffing rope 8,400 48 72
Hoisting rope 2,550 28 7
Individual crane 1,025
Fig. 1 | Characteristics of the most important ropes
Fig. 2 | Trolley with bottom block on track rope (top) and trolley travelling rope (below)

worldwide – Itaipu in Brazil – the order for the cable crane for the even 270 t. There are numerous forces acting on the masts whose vertical
larger Three Gorges dam on the Yangtze River in China | see title picture components subject the foundations to a maximum load of 800 t.
of the report | was placed in 1997. By the time it is finished in 2009, Exceptional lightweight construction is required to ensure the following
27 million cubic meters of concrete will have gone into the 185 m high properties:
dam. The cable crane system at the Three Gorges dam consists of high carrying capacity without risk of buckling, simultaneously
two cranes arranged in parallel to each other working on the ropeway ensuring
principle which provides for the track rope to be mounted between two relief of the loads acting onto the bearings and the foundations, and
masts. | Fig. 1 | summarizes the characteristics of the most important easy assembly.
ropes. The track rope can be moved up to 25 m in either direction Other requirements for the design using lightweight construction
slewing the masts, a procedure which requires only small slewing result from competitiveness-related considerations: Every metric ton of
angles thanks to the masts’ height. Given that the two cranes are tare weight that can be saved on supported components increases
30 m apart from each other, the resulting working width of the entire the payload capacity of the crane while keeping the loads acting on
system amounts to 80 m. the bearings constant and reducing costs.
The trolley with bottom block to which the load (in this case up to
25 t) or the concrete bucket is suspended is run along the track rope “Finucane Island” shiploader – Australia
by means of the trolley traveling rope | Fig. 2 |. The winches for slewing In 1998 ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik received the contract from BHP
the masts, moving the trolley, as well as lifting and lowering the loads Billiton to replace an existing shiploader on Finucane Island in Western
are located at the base of the masts. Choosing this positioning repre- Australia | Fig. 4 | with a loading capacity of 4,000 t/h of iron ore with
sents a vital and fundamental measure in lightweight construction, since a new shiploader with a capacity of 8,000 t/h | Fig. 5 |. This project
the single load of the winch weight is thus eliminated from the crane was carried out by ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik’s international subsid-
system and replaced by considerably lighter ropes. iary ThyssenKrupp Engineering (Australia) in Perth. One of the cus-
Rear stay ropes which are subjected to a maximum load of 470 t tomer’s main requirements was that there should be no major increase
during operation | Fig. 3 | are installed in line with the track rope to en- in the load exerted on the existing pier by the new unit, as otherwise
sure the rear staying of the 150 m high masts with their weight of only the pier would require extensive reinforcement for its continued use.
Fig. 3 | Schematic representation of parallel tiltable cable cranes Fig. 4 | Original shiploader with 4,000 t/h throughput

“Finucane Island” shiploader
Ship size 20,000 – 164,000 dwt*
Guideway 201.0 m
Shiploader feed 29.5 m
Mass of shiploader (without automatic traveling belt tripper) 520 t
Max. throughput 8,000 t/h
Material density 2.0 – 3.0 t/m3
Belt width 1,500 mm

Speed 5.4 m/s
*deadweight tons
Fig. 5 | Technical data of the required shiploader
Fig. 6 | Delivering the completely assembled new shiploader
This requirement compelled the application of lightweight construction. “Freeport” semi-mobile spreader – Indonesia
On the other hand, the new, conservative standard AS-4324 was In 1997 ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik received an order from P.T.
specified for the dimensioning of the system. During the engineering Freeport Indonesia Company to supply a system for processing and
phase, it became clear that the design approaches that had been transporting overburden at a copper/gold opencast mine. The operation
followed up to that point would not on their own be sufficient to keep site is located in a barely accessible region in central New Guinea – the
the loads on the pier to an acceptable level. For this reason, a collec- mine itself is situated at an altitude of approximately 4,000 m above
tion of lightweight engineering measures were implemented whose sea level. Correspondingly, the geographic and climatic conditions
combined effect was sufficient to meet the requirements. In order to are characterized by high humidity and daily rain, but also by occa-
make possible a lighter design, the mode of operation of the ship- sional occurrences of extremely high wind speeds and earthquakes.
loader and, as a result, the approaches to the design calculations for The system supplied by ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik consists
the structural steelwork were optimized in consultation with the cus- of a crushing station which is fed with overburden by 150 t mining
tomer and an independent expert. Among other steps, the loading trucks and crushes the material down to a size suitable for conveying,
assumptions specified in the standard were adjusted. The use of high- a spreader | Figs 7 and 8 | and a conveyor belt system that transports
strength steel and an innovative design of the secondary supporting the overburden from the crusher to the spreader. All components of
framework also led to a significant reduction in weight. Additional the system are relocatable (semi-mobile) so that they can all follow
reserves were brought into play by the extensive use of finite element the advance of the mining operations and thus keep the distances
analysis in the dimensioning of the structural steelwork. Furthermore, for the cost-intensive discontinuous material transport of the over-
the complete equipment of the system was reviewed with regard to burden to the crusher by mining trucks as short as possible. For
possible weight savings. relocation of the crusher and the spreader, a transport crawler with
The lightweight construction achieved by these means also enabled a load-carrying capacity of 1,250 t | Fig. 9 | was also supplied by
straightforward assembly and fitting on the pier. The shiploader was ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik as a part of the contract. Using this
delivered completely assembled and lifted onto the pier using a ship’s crawler, it is possible to move each of the above-mentioned compo-
crane | Fig. 6 |. nents almost as a whole – i.e. without time-consuming disassembly/
assembly before and after transportation.

“Freeport” spreader
General
Throughput 6,250 m3/h

Material density 1.8 t/m3
Boom length 127 m
Receiving conveyer
Length 20 m
Belt width 1,600 mm

Speed 4.83 m/s
Fig. 7 | Semi-mobile spreader in operation Height of the discharge pulley above ground level
Maximum + 31.5 m
Minimum - 19.0 m
Service weight 1,160 t
Counterweight thereof 280 t
Discharge conveyer
Length 150 m
Belt width 1,400 mm
Speed 8.64 m/s
Fig. 9 | Relocation of the spreader by means of the transport crawler Fig. 8 | Technical data of the spreader
The conditions mentioned above plus a number of further customer The vertical cables (diameters 50 to 68 mm), together with the stiff-
requirements resulted in a series of restrictions to the design of the ening truss and the two masts, primarily support the vertical loading
spreader, and in particular in the requirement to minimize its over- of the boom from its own weight and the weight of the conveyed
all weight. For these reasons, the design principle selected for the material. The horizontal cable system (cable diameters from 40 to
spreader was that of a boom provided with wide-area horizontal and 68 mm) is intended to carry lateral forces and moments, which are
vertical suspensions by cables. mainly produced by wind effects. In order to avoid complete loss
The stiffening truss, which supports the discharge conveyor, is basi- of tension in one or more of the cables – and thus an unwanted redis-
cally a tubular truss made from round tubes with diameters ranging tribution of the loads – the cables must be given a well-defined
from 133 to 244.5 mm and wall thicknesses from 5 to 16 mm | Fig. 10|. pretension. This in turn, together with the vertical loading and the
The individual sections are bolted together using end plate connec- pretension of the conveyor belt, results in immense compressive
tions. The rear mast is also a tubular truss, whereas the front mast forces in the stiffening truss. In order to guarantee the stability of the
consists of a single tube with a diameter of 711 mm. The remaining truss, the flange members of the discharge boom were manufactured
components of the load-carrying structure (pontoons, substructure, from high-strength steel (EStE 690).
counterweight boom, tension and compression masts) are built using It is obvious from the above that adjusting and maintaining the
conventional welded steel-plate design. correct pretension is vital for the safety of the structure. For this

purpose, special cable sockets | Fig. 11 | are used which can be stances either. In this particular case, however, tubular truss design
equipped with hydraulic jacks. By means of these jacks, it is possible and the use of high-strength steels led to an economical solution
to temporarily relieve the loads on the load-transmitting contact because the actual dynamic loads are relatively low.
surfaces in the cable sockets, to read the actual cable forces and to
modify the effective cable lengths and thus the pretension forces by Conclusion
inserting or removing spacers. Nevertheless, adjusting the pretension Lightweight construction for heavy machinery is not a paradox.
is not a trivial task as the system is statically indeterminate – any As the above examples from the field of open-pit mining and mate-
change of the force in one cable will have an effect on all the others. rials handling technology demonstrate, lightweight construction
Tubular trusses are only rarely used in the design of the load- is not only possible in the manufacture of heavy machinery, but
carrying structures of open-pit mining equipment. The reason is that, also even necessary in many cases in order to achieve economic
due to the high and frequently changing loads, fatigue is usually advantages.
the determining criterion for dimensioning the supporting steelwork. Lightweight construction by itself is more expensive due to the
In these cases, tubular designs are at a disadvantage for manufac- additional engineering and the higher material and manufacturing
turing-related reasons. The advantages of high-strength steels com- costs. It is therefore only realized in cases where it helps to produce
pared to conventional steels are not effective under such circum- the most competitive solutions.
Fig. 10 | Spreader discharge boom in tubular truss design Fig. 11 | Cable socket equipped with hydraulic jack

76 |
DIPL.-ING. PETER JANSCHEK Head of Technology Development | ThyssenKrupp Turbinenkomponenten GmbH, Remscheid
Titanium aluminide – a new class of materials

for lightweight construction in aeroengines and
high-performance engines
| High pressure aeroengine compressor blades

Titanium aluminide – a new class of materials for lightweight construction in aeroengines and high-performance engines | 77
Introduction yield stress of 420 MPa at 600°C and

Development programs for vehicle drives are aimed at constantly good corrosion resistance.
improving performance and efficiency. This can be achieved, for ex- The advantage of titanium aluminides over conventional materials
ample, by increasing the efficiency of combustion engines by raising becomes apparent when considering their specific properties relative
the operating temperature and reducing the moving masses. A new to density. For example, at a temperature of 600°C a wire of titanium
material delivering high thermal stability, good mechanical properties aluminide suspended from one end would first show elongation of
and a low specific weight meets both requirements. The material in 0.2% due to its own weight at a total length of 25 km. Under the same
question is the alloy titanium aluminide, which is classified as an conditions, a nickel alloy with the same high temperature strength
intermetallic. However, there is a disadvantage associated with these would already display elongation at a total length of 12 km.
good properties: the material’s behavior corresponds more to that of a
ceramic than a metal. This makes forming extremely difficult – so Application in high pressure aeroengine compressors
much so that it can only be accomplished by means of a special pro- The high pressure compressors of today’s aeroengines normally fea-
cess. Over the past six years, ThyssenKrupp Turbinenkomponenten in ture blades made of nickel alloys | see title picture of the report |. How-
Remscheid has been developing the process of isothermal forging ever, the thermal properties of this material are higher than actually
for titanium aluminide in a project supported by the Federal Ministry needed for the temperature levels involved. Conventional titanium
of Education and Research (BMBF). The first components to be manu- alloys could also be used, but contact between the blades and the
factured were blades for a high pressure aeroengine compressor. housing would cause the titanium to ignite. As titanium aluminide is
Another application for titanium aluminide is in motor sport, where non-flammable, the nickel blades could be substituted with blades
valves made from the material are already in use. of titanium aluminide, thus halving blade weight. As the increase in
centrifugal force relative to weight is a quadratic equation, the forces
Properties of titanium aluminide exerted on the turbine disks by the blades are reduced by a factor of
The strong atomic bonding of intermetallic phases gives them high four compared with the use of conventional blades. Consequently the
strength, even at high temperatures. In the case of titanium aluminide disks could be designed with lower strength, allowing an even greater
in particular, these good mechanical properties are achieved at low weight saving. The reduction in the rotating masses would, in turn,
density. The most important properties include: positively influence the dynamic behavior of the entire engine. The
relatively high melting point of approximately 1,460°C, use of titanium aluminide compressor blades will be an important
low density of 3.9 to 4.2 g/cm3, milestone on the way to further increases in aeroengine efficiency.
high modulus of elasticity of 170 GPa at 600°C,
Fig. 1 | Forging steps of a compressor blade

78 | Titanium aluminide – a new class of materials for lightweight construction in aeroengines and high-performance engines
Use in Formula 1 race car engines i.e. the risk of cracking increases. As a result of these properties, until
In race car engines with a speed approximately of 18,000 rpm, reduc- recently titanium aluminide alloys could only be formed by casting.
ing the moving masses is an important criterion for boosting power. However, the microstructure of the cast material is not suitable for
Compared with the currently used nickel-base alloy valves, the use of applications with high dynamic loads such as turbine blades. Using
titanium aluminide again reduces mass by half while delivering the suitable thermomechanical treatment, the microstructure can be
same high temperature properties. A further advantage of the inter- recrystallized to the fine-grain structure required. This necessitates
metallic compounds over titanium alloys is their good corrosion resist- forming the material, e.g. by forging. The break-through for forging
ance. Inlet and exhaust valves of titanium aluminide are therefore parts of titanium aluminide came with the development of a process
increasingly being used in Formula 1 motor sport engines. Such valves in which the dies are moved extremely slowly at constant high temper-
are already in production at ThyssenKrupp Turbinenkomponenten. ature. In this process, known as isothermal forging, both the die and
A further possible way of boosting performance is by reducing the the workpiece have the same temperature, keeping the forging temper-
moving masses in the crankshaft drive. The standard steel connect- ature within the narrow range required during the long forming periods.
ing rods used in production engines are being replaced by light alloy | Fig. 1 | shows the steps in the manufacture of a compressor blade
designs. However, the creep properties of titanium alloy connecting by isothermal forging. Starting from a round bar extruded from a cast
rods used in Formula 1 engines cause problems. Here, design engi- titanium aluminide ingot, the root portion is first isothermally upset.
neers intend to make use of the higher creep resistance and stiffness The blade is then die forged in two steps. | Fig. 2 | shows the blade
of titanium aluminides. ThyssenKrupp Turbinenkomponenten is cur- preform in the isothermal forging die prior to forging. The finished
rently carrying out development work in this area. forged blade can be seen in | Fig. 3 |. In both cases, both the die
and the workpiece have a temperature of 1,150°C. In order to pre-
Forming by isothermal forging vent cracking, the speed of the press ram must be so slow that the
Due to its properties as an intermetallic, titanium aluminide is relatively forming process between the stages shown in | Figs 2 and 3 | takes
brittle at room temperature. Even at higher temperatures, they display approximately 5 minutes. The forging dies are made of the molyb-
a resistance to forming similar to that of nickel-base alloys. One denum alloy MHC, as this is the only material to display sufficient high
particularity of the material is that as forming rates rise, the yield stress temperature strength under the given conditions. The entire process
increases more strongly than is the case for other metals. Associated has to be carried out in a protective atmosphere to prevent the dies
with this is a reduction in the forming capacity at higher forming rates, from coming into contact with oxygen. The isothermal presses installed
Fig. 2 | Isothermal forging die with blade preform Fig. 3 | Isothermal forging die with forged blade

Fig. 4 | Finished titanium aluminide compressor blades for Rolls Royce
at ThyssenKrupp Turbinenkomponenten in Remscheid with press However, the high price of these components – due to the costly
capacities of 4 and 50 MN are both equipped to allow the entire press manufacturing process – is already presenting a problem. The inad-
including heating furnace to be kept under a nitrogen atmosphere. equate high temperature strength of current molybdenum materials
Blade forging is followed by heat treatment and deburring. Due to makes it impossible to meet the close dimensional tolerances required
the ductility, which despite the now fine-grain microstructure is still for precision forging. To date, it has therefore only been possible to
low, conventional deburring by cutting tool is not possible. The excess forge parts with allowance which requires costly post-processing work.
material is therefore removed using waterjet cutting. Electrochemical The use of new ultrahigh temperature forging die materials such as
machining (ECM) is used to give the blade its final shape, while the graphite or ceramics with improved dimensional stability at high
blade root is finished by milling and grinding. | Fig. 4 | shows finished, temperatures will make precision forging possible for this class of
ready-to-mount blades for Rolls Royce. They will be mounted in an materials.
experimental rig for pre-production testing. Forgeable starting materials are currently extruded from cast ingots.
The isothermal process also requires complicated and expensive
Outlook envelope technology for this step. As a result of advances in precision
The isothermal forging process makes it possible to manufacture casting technology for titanium aluminide, forgeable cast preforms
highly stressed components from titanium aluminide. Following suc- could be used for isothermal forging which would replace not only
cessful trials, this material will soon start to be used in aeroengines the extrusion but also the preforming operations, which themselves
for civil aviation. The potential for lowering the moving masses is so require isothermal forging. Intensive work is being carried out in both
large that the use of titanium aluminide is a precondition for future of these development fields at ThyssenKrupp Turbinenkomponenten.
developments. The use of titanium aluminide could also revolutionize
the crankshaft drive in car engines.

80 |
PETER DIEKMANN Public Relation | ThyssenKrupp Services AG, Düsseldorf

MICHAEL HORLÄNDER Product Management Plastics | ThyssenKrupp Schulte GmbH, Düsseldorf
Transparent safety: polycarbonate protective glazing

for roofs, walls and machines
| Filigree roof structure of a bus station with transparent solid polycarbonate sheets

Transparent safety: polycarbonate protective glazing for roofs, walls and machines | 81
Fig. 1 | Stadium wall glazing of polycarbonate sheets as weather protection
Introduction conform to building codes, resist weathering over the long term, satisfy
Polycarbonate (PC) is a thermoplastic belonging to the group of engi- architectural criteria and can be easily, rapidly and economically
neering plastics. Its special properties include its high temperature processed. Industrial buildings or sport and leisure facilities in partic-
range for sustained use (from -40 to +115°C), transparency similar ular require rooms flooded with light. In addition to their own weight,
to that of glass, and the fact that polycarbonate is the plastic with the filigree and transparent roofs for playing areas and stands must be
highest impact strength which neither fractures nor splinters. capable of bearing wind, suction and snow loads in all types of weather
Polycarbonate was first manufactured by H. Schell at Bayer Com- while being as resistant as possible to soiling and offering optimal
pany in May 1953. The process was soon tested on a pilot facility and protection. In this context, polycarbonate offers a genuine alterna-
implemented on an industrial scale as early as 1958. Independently tive to conventional materials | Fig. 1 |.
of Schell, at the same time D.W. Fox at General Electric discovered poly- Transparent polycarbonate sheets, whether solid or hollow (multi-
carbonate by accident as a tough mass in a storage bottle. Here too, wall), offer natural daylight conditions and are extremely light and UV
a wide ranging series of experiments soon led to industrial production. resistant. These are key properties for their use as strip windows in
Today, the plastic is used in a broad spectrum of applications, such the roof and walls of industrial buildings. Multi-wall sheets are partic-
as in the manufacture of CDs, for aircraft windows or as bulletproof ularly suitable for roofing as their hollow structure possesses espe-
glazing for armored vehicles. cially good insulating properties | Fig. 2 |. A great deal of energy can
ThyssenKrupp Schulte and Thyssen Röhm Kunststoffe are among be saved in this way. Multi-wall polycarbonate sheets are used in
Europe’s leading distributors and service providers for semi-finished applications including carports, porticos, balcony roofs and conser-
plastic products. Due to its properties, ThyssenKrupp Schulte offers vatories. Multi-wall sheets are extremely resistant to bending and are
polycarbonate for the construction of roof and wall glazing. Addi- thus especially suitable for glazing large areas. The weight of such an
tional areas of specialization include guards for machinery, lines and application is only a fraction of that of a glass equivalent. As poly-
equipment. carbonate neither fractures nor splinters, there is no danger of falling
shards, even in extreme cases. This is just as advantageous for
Advantages for new forms of construction industrial buildings as it is for applications such as greenhouses.
The increasing design requirements of architects and the growing cost One only has to consider old industrial buildings and their skylights
pressure to which the processors are subjected demand the constant with wired glass glazing. Every one of these panes of glass has cracked
development of new products. Innovative solutions are required which at least once; when it rains, innumerable puddles form under the

Fig. 2 | Cold-bent multi-wall polycarbonate sheets
skylights. Polycarbonate makes all this a thing of the past. What’s Properties of polycarbonate and its various derivatives
more, the heat insulation offered by multi-wall sheets is many times ThyssenKrupp Schulte offers numerous polycarbonate variants:
better than that of conventional wired glass | Fig. 3 |. Standard polycarbonate:
Solid sheets are also available with attractively structured surfaces. is an extremely tough plastic with a wide thermal application range
Their translucent but not transparent properties also make them ideal and extremely good optical properties. Thanks to its good hot and
for applications such as paneling between railings for balconies, cold formability, it is easy to process and, due to its properties,
staircases or partitions. Both solid and multi-wall sheet can be bent it is a favored material for transparent protective covers in industrial
while cold, e.g. to make visually attractive barrel-shaped rows of environments.
skylights for roof areas, for marquees or for roofs for bus/tram stops UV-protected polycarbonate (PC-UVP):
| Fig. 4 |. For most small and medium sized building trade operations, is a plastic that has been specially equipped for exterior applica-
ThyssenKrupp Schulte offers various aluminum mounting profile tions. Its other properties are identical with those of the standard
systems which, depending on the task, may also provide thermal product. This material has a long lifetime with high and long-lasting
separation. Thermal separation means that there is no direct metallic transparency. PC-UVP is used wherever high impact strength and
connection between the outer side of the mounting profile and the resistance to persistent weathering and sunlight are required.
underside of the profile, so that thermal exchange between the heated Abrasion resistant polycarbonate:
interior space and the cold outside air is considerably reduced. is coated on one or both sides to meet extreme abrasion and chem-
Its exceptional break resistance makes the material suitable for ical resistance requirements. The sheet material is given a thin,
special protection systems: polycarbonate has been tested according extremely resistant and highly transparent stress-free protective
to DIN EN 12415 as a material for safety guards in machine tools coating. Sheets of abrasion resistant polycarbonate are ideal for use
| Fig. 5 |. The plastic has also proven itself in fire protection applica- as flat guard panels in industrial environments, where increased
tions. It is classified as flame retardant according to DIN 4102 B1 loads arise, e.g. due to metal swarf, drilling lubricants, cooling fluids
in thicknesses from 1–4 mm for interior use and as normal flammable or cleaning materials.
according to DIN 4102 B2 in thicknesses greater than 4 mm for interior Antistatic polycarbonate (PC-AS):
and exterior applications. is sheet material that has been coated with an antistatic material

offering protection against the buildup of electrostatic charges and layer. Penetration-resistant (attack with an axe) to bullet-resistant
thus preventing the attraction of dust and dirt. PC-AS also offers (large-caliber pistols, machine pistols and hand grenades) compos-
ideal conditions for clean rooms, e.g. for electronics and semicon- ites can be manufactured, depending on structure. Due to the low
ductor manufacturing. Lightning-like electrostatic discharges (ESD) weight, applications are also seen in vehicle construction, in high-
can cause serious damage in the manufacture of electronic com- risk shop areas and in the construction of display cases for mu-
ponents and semiconductors or interfere with the function of meas- seums, etc. In contrast to safety glass, the composites can be cut
urement and control equipment. These effects are undesirable in with a normal saw and do not splinter in the event of their attempted
clean rooms. destruction.
Polycarbonate composites: Further products:
are a special group of material combinations, e.g., a glass/PC e.g. with coatings against condensation water or with the property
composite that unites the low specific weight and the high mechan- of reflecting heat radiation of a particular wavelength.
ical resistance of the plastic with the flawless surface and non-
flammability of the glass. Possible applications include ship interior Focus on services
fittings, shopfitting and vehicle construction. The basis for the rapid availability of all plastic materials at ThyssenKrupp
PC/PC composites: Schulte and Thyssen Röhm Kunststoffe is a sophisticated warehouse
consist of multiple layers of polycarbonate sheets, which are each and logistics system. This enables the materials ordered to be deliv-
bonded with a highly transparent, extremely tough intermediate ered just-in-time to wherever the customer requires. Every customer
Fig. 3 | Heat-insulating, transparent polycarbonate sheets Fig. 4 | Tram stop with cold-bent transparent solid polycarbonate sheets
of a production shop window

also receives his material not only on the desired date, but also in plastic can be drilled, sawn, milled, bent or thermoformed and is
exactly the dimensions required: as individually prefabricated parts or generally an uncomplicated material capable of processing on most
as production run. The sheet material is cut to size at ThyssenKrupp machinery suitable for wood and metal. When cutting to size, however,
Schulte using computer-controlled optimization programs which mini- it is important to use well sharpened tools in order to guarantee opti-
mize offcuts. In addition, numerous additional processing steps are mal cut edges. Compressed air cooling should be used when cutting
available; these are carried out by external specialist operations. or milling at high speeds. Water or cooling emulsions should not be
The service mentality is generally very strong at ThyssenKrupp used. The use of lasers for cutting is not recommended due to the
Schulte. An assortment of more than 600 products is available due formation of visible residues on the cut edges. Drills with two swarf
to the numerous material types: solid sheets or multi-wall sheets with channels and a tip angle of between 90 and 120° are recommended
various internal structures in a variety of thicknesses, colors, formats for drilling. Frequent ventilation of the drill helps when drilling deep
and coatings. Almost all requirements can be met without delay from holes. Both hot and cold bending and hot and cold folding are possible.
stock by ThyssenKrupp Schulte. Computer-controlled saw lines cut Hot folding should be carried out at a temperature of between 145
the sheets to the exact customer format required and a sophisticated and max. 160°C. Polycarbonate must be thoroughly pre-dried when
logistics system brings the goods to the customer in the shortest thermoforming. Heating from both sides is necessary with sheet
time possible. The new vehicle generation is GPS (Global Positioning thicknesses of 3 mm and above.
System) controlled and has special equipment for securing variable During assembly, aluminum rivets with large rivet heads or stain-
loads of plastic sheets. This means that the goods can be delivered less steel screws (no countersunk head screws) should be used for
to the customer safely and with minimum packaging costs. fastening polycarbonate sheets. If the structure is to be repeatedly
ThyssenKrupp Schulte and Thyssen Röhm Kunststoffe are also assembled and disassembled, then metal threads should be used.
available to advise on mechanical processing on site. The thermo- The dimensions of the screw holes should be sufficiently large
Fig. 5 | Machine guards of folded, transparent solid polycarbonate sheets

Fig. 6 | Curved roof combination of multi-wall and solid polycarbonate sheets
(1.5 x screw diameter), so that the sheets can expand during tem- looks are already decisive advantages. Furthermore, the material is
perature variations. The distance between the mounting holes and practically unbreakable and does not shatter. The sheet material can
the sheet edge should be at least 1.5 times the diameter of the holes. be bent and even folded cold. Polycarbonate is physiologically harm-
Ideally, the aluminum profile systems offered by ThyssenKrupp Schulte less and can thus be used in food production or medical applications.
should be used for secure mounting of the plastic sheets. Its performance values remain unchanged over a wide temperature
range from -40 to +115°C. This makes it ideal for use in both cold
Conclusion rooms or in the steam area of power stations. Numerous coatings
Polycarbonate is now an integral part of everyday life. Architects are available that extend the possible applications of polycarbonate.
working in high-rise construction and design engineers in machine They can be used to considerably increase its resistance to chemicals
construction both value the unbeatable advantages of polycarbonate such as solvents, acids and alkalis, or to abrasion und UV radiation.
to an equal extent. Its 50% lower weight and 250 times higher impact Only in existence for around 50 years, polycarbonate today has a
strength versus glass, as well as its high transparency and brilliant more economically interesting future than ever before.

86 | Content Volume 6 | 2004
Issue July | 2004

Page
NSB® NewSteelBody – Auto body weight reduction with steel | 08

DR.-ING. HENRIK ADAM | ThyssenKrupp Stahl
DIPL.-ING. BERNHARD OSBURG | ThyssenKrupp Stahl
DR.-ING. LOTHAR PATBERG | ThyssenKrupp Stahl
DR.-ING. AXEL GRÜNEKLEE | ThyssenKrupp Stahl
DIPL.-ING. THOMAS FLÖTH | ThyssenKrupp Stahl
DIPL.-ING. MARTIN HINZ | ThyssenKrupp Stahl
NIROSTA® exhaust gas recirculation systems for diesel vehicles | 14

DR. RER. NAT. PANICOS PAPAIACOVOU | ThyssenKrupp Nirosta
Direct annealing – a new route in the production cycle of 430 ferritic stainless steel | 18
ING. LAURA ALLEVA | Centro Sviluppo Materiali
ING. ANTONIO BUFALINI | ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni
ING. GUSTAVO BRASCUGLI | ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni
ING. ROCCO SIANO | ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni
Stainless steel water tanks | 24

GERHARD STICKER | ThyssenKrupp Mexinox
JORGE ABASCAL | ThyssenKrupp Mexinox
Presta DeltaValveControl - mechanical continuously variable valve control | 28

DR.-ING. HELMUT SCHÖN | ThyssenKrupp Presta
Introduction of HSC technology in tool and die making | 34

DIPL.-ING. DIETER KOESLING | ThyssenKrupp Gerlach
The CPC process in the production of aluminum chassis parts | 40

DR.-ING. LARS WÜRKER | ThyssenKrupp Fahrzeugguss, Kloth-Senking Metallgießerei
DR.-ING. THOMAS ZEUNER | ThyssenKrupp Fahrzeugguss, Kloth-Senking Metallgießerei
Elevator without traveling cable: Non-contact transmission of power and data | 46

DIPL.-ING. GERHARD THUMM | ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge
DIPL.-ING. (FH) MARKUS JETTER | ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke
Innovative development of a horizontal machining center – BLUESTAR 5 | 52

DIPL.-ING. (FH) HORST SCHMAUDER | Hüller Hille
DIPL.-ING. (FH) JOACHIM KRISCHKE | Hüller Hille

Content Volume 6 | 2004 | 87
Page
Uhde dual-pressure process for large-scale ammonia plants | 56

DR.-ING. DENNIS LIPPMANN | Uhde
JOHN LARSEN, P.E. | Uhde Corporation of America
Development of a multifunctional chucking system | 62

DIPL.-ING. BERND STAKEMEIER | Rothe Erde
DIPL.-ING. KLAUS HENKE | Rothe Erde
Tandem mixing – a new concept revolutionizes a traditional process | 68

PROF. DR.-ING. ANDREAS LIMPER | ThyssenKrupp Elastomertechnik
DR.-ING. HARALD KEUTER | ThyssenKrupp Elastomertechnik

88 | Content Volume 6 | 2004
Issue December | 2004
Page

DIPL.-ING. ERIK HILFRICH | ThyssenKrupp Stahl
DR.-ING. LOTHAR PATBERG | ThyssenKrupp Stahl

DR.-ING. BERNHARD ENGL | MgF Magnesium Flachprodukte
Materials and manufacturing technologies for lightweight construction | 22

in the development of passenger car axle components
DIPL.-ING. KLAUS RUNTE | ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik

DR. RER. NAT. LUTZ MANKE | ThyssenKrupp Federn
DIPL.-ING. HANS DZIEMBALLA | ThyssenKrupp Federn

DIPL.-ING. RALF KUSCHE | ThyssenKrupp Bilstein

DIPL.-ING. ULRICH HOCHER | ThyssenKrupp Drauz
DIPL.-ING. MICHAEL HAGE | ThyssenKrupp Drauz
DIPL.-ING. (FH) THOMAS KELLER | ThyssenKrupp Drauz

BRUCE N. GREVE (MENG) | ThyssenKrupp Budd Technology and Innovation Center

DR. TECHN. PETER MEUSBURGER | ThyssenKrupp Presta

DR. SC. TECHN. CHRISTOPH KLUKOWSKI | ThyssenKrupp Presta
DIPL.-ING. RONY MEIER | ThyssenKrupp Presta
DIPL.-ING. (FH) JOSEF BOERSMA | ThyssenKrupp Presta
DIPL.-ING. CARSTEN MANNECK | ThyssenKrupp Presta

DIPL.-ING. (FH) GERHARD THUMM | ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge

Content Volume 6 | 2004 | 89
Page
Weight- and cost optimized engine adapter for the COMMONALITY engine assembly system | 64
DIPL.-ING. KARL-HEINZ GERTJEGERDES | Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik
DIPL.-ING. (FH) CHRISTIAN PUNDT | Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik
DIPL.-ING. (FH) MICHAEL SCHMIDT | Johann A. Krause Maschinenfabrik

DR.-ING. JÖRG HARTLEB | ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik
DIPL.-ING. CHRISTIAN PLISCHKE | ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik
DR.-ING. FRANK SCHNEIDER | ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik
PETER WAGNER (BENG) | ThyssenKrupp Engineering (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
DIPL.-ING. PETER JANSCHEK | ThyssenKrupp Turbinenkomponenten
PETER DIEKMANN | ThyssenKrupp Services
MICHAEL HORLÄNDER | ThyssenKrupp Schulte

ThyssenKrupp techforum Juli | 2004

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ThyssenKrupp

techforum December I 2004

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

10 | Lightweight steel construction in vehicle doors

14 | A new manufacturing process and potential applications for magnesium sheet

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

22 | Materials and manufacturing technologies for lightweight construction in the development

28 | Weight saving through high stressed tubular stabilizer bars

34 | Lightweight aluminum shock absorbers

38 | Product and process engineering as a key to lightweight construction

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

44 | Sandwich panel construction for lightweight vehicle designs

50 | The camshaft as an example of lightweight design in engine construction

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

56 | Lightweight construction for steering shafts – tube-in-tube solutions

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

70 | Lightweight construction for heavy machinery

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Lightweight steel construction in vehicle doors

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Introduction Tailored Blanks in doors

Fig. 1 | BMW 5 Series with door inner panel as a Tailored Blank

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

ZE 75/75 ZE-Mg 35/35

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Outer panel Door-in-white Fitting interior Application of

Conclusion already being demonstrated in many production vehicles. The use

Fig. 6 | Forming simulation of the connecting part of the “Modular Door”

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

A new manufacturing process and potential applications

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Introduction Components made from magnesium are shown in | Fig. 1 |, where

Cost advantages Additional costs

Steering wheel Mg wheels

Intake manifold Gearbox housing

Instrumental panel carrier

Uniform shift mechanism Seats Niche cars Series car

Fig. 1 | Light weight benefit and cost

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Fig. 2 | Near-net-shape casting

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Conventional rolling New technology

Starting thickness min. 120 mm

Saved by casting-rolling technology

Melting Casting-rolling Driver Shears Sheet table

Fig. 4 | Principle of the casting-rolling pilot line, product: sheets

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Materials properties Potential of magnesium for lightweight construction

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Strain rate [1/s] σmax [MPa] εmax [%] Emax [J]

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Property Criterion Steel Al Mg

Fig. 8 | Density-related lightweighting values (related to steel)

Rp0,2 [MPa] Rm [MPa] Ag [%] A80 [%]

Longitudinal 178 261 12 19

Transverse 189 264 13 18

Fig. 9 | Mechanical properties of a stamped component made from MgF DDQ

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

Source: IfU Stuttgart

Fig. 11 | Study of a laser-cut tailgate made from AZ31

ThyssenKrupp techforum December | 2004

DIPL.-ING. KLAUS RUNTE R&D-Coordination | ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik GmbH, Bielefeld-Brackwede

Materials and manufacturing technologies