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New applications of topology optimisation in automotive industry

Article in International Journal of Vehicle Design · January 2000

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2000.001878

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 New Applications of Topology Optimization in Automotive Industry1

R. J. Yang, Ching-Hung Chuang, Xiangdong Che, and Ciro Soto

MD 2115, P. O. Box 2053

Ford Motor Company
Dearborn, Michigan 48121
e-mail: ryang@ford.com

Abstract
Topology optimization is used for obtaining the best layout of vehicle structural components to
achieve predetermined performance goals. In this research, the structural topology optimization
based on density formulation is employed. The topology design problem is formulated as a
general optimization problem and is solved by mathematical programming methods so that the
objective and the constraint functions can be any structural performance measure. Design
variables for this formulation parameterize the material of each element. NASTRAN-based finite
element codes are employed for the response analyses. Traditionally, the opology optimization is
used in body and chassis structures for determining optimal structural layouts. In this research,
new applications including weight reduction, manufacturing process selection, weld and bead
pattern designs for three-dimensional automotive examples are presented and discussed.
Keywords: topology optimization, density method, bead pattern, weld pattern, adhesive pattern
automotive applications, weight reduction, commercial finite element codes

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International Journal of Vehicle Design, Vol. 23, Nos. ½, 2000

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1 Introduction
Structural topology optimization methods are found in the literature dated back in 1904 (Michell,
1994). Bendsoe and Kikuchi (1988) who introduced the Homogenization Based Topology
Optimization (HBTO) method revived recent interest. Since then, the HBTO method has become
a common approach for determining structural layout (Bendsoe and Kikuchi, 1988; Rozvany et
al., 1995; Diaz and Kikuchi, 1992; Diaz and Bendsoe, 1992; Jog et al., 1994). The HBTO
method is based on the assumption of a composite material with the microstructure whose
properties are homogenized by a rigorous mathematical procedure. Another approach that has
become very popular recently is based on the density formulation (Rozvany et al., 1992; Mlejnek
and Schirrmacher, 1993; Yang and Chuang, 1994; Yang and Chahande, 1995; Yang et al., 1996a;
Jiang et al., 1996; Yang et al., 1996b, Yang and Chen, 1996; Wang et al., 1996; Chuang and
Huang, 1997; Soto and Yang, 1998; Gea, 1996). In this approach, the material density in every
finite element of the structure is selected as the design variable and the intermediate density is
penalized during the optimization iterations. Unlike the well-known homogenization method,
individual elements are considered to be of isotropic material and the density approach only
requires one design variable for each element to characterize the optimization problem.
Most efforts of topology optimization applications in the past have been focused on
providing a conceptual structural layout with an emphasis on global structural responses, such as
stiffness, displacement, and frequency. Recent studies from engineering applications show that
using topology optimization concept with different problem formulations can also be a powerful
tool in automotive design. It can be used for designing an optimal weld/adhesive pattern (Yang et
al., 1996a; Jiang et al., 1996), an optimal bead pattern (Yang et al., 1996b; Soto and Yang, 1998)
or reinforcement patches for improving structural performance, and designing lightening holes
for weight reduction. It can also be used to provide insight information for selecting a better
manufacturing process.
In the present study, layout optimization is performed using topology optimization based on
a density formulation, as the microstructure of structural component is not a concern. A
procedure has been developed to provide the best layout of a structural component. This
procedure uses a general, nonlinear constrained optimization formulation for solving the design
problem. The material density of the structure is treated as the design variable, as opposed to the
size and the orientation of the micro-void as in the HBTO method. Multidisciplinary constraints
including the compliances, displacements, and frequencies are imposed. This procedure assists
the engineer in the placement (number & location) of holes or reinforcements and thus greatly
enhances the effectiveness of upfront engineering. In the next section, the methodology is briefly
discussed. Three automotive applications are presented to demonstrate the use of this technology.
Finally, conclusions are made based on the observations in this research.
2 Methodology
The structural weight and responses such as the compliance, displacement, and natural frequency
can be treated as either the objective function or one of the constraints. Topology optimization is
applied to determine the best structural layouts while meeting the constraints.
The density approach parameterizes the density of each element and penalizes intermediate
densities. The design variable for the optimization problem is the normalized material density ρ
for each element. The relationship between the normalized material density and Young's modulus
is assumed as:

2
 ρi n Ei
ρn = ( ) = (1)
ρ0 E0

where n is an exponent, ρ, ρi, and ρ0 are the normalized, intermediate and real material density,
Ei and E0 are intermediate and real material Young's moduli, respectively. When n > 1,
intermediate density is penalized and as a result the normalized density is forced to 0 or 1. Note
that Equation 1 is only one form of the penalty functions required to drive the design variable to
0 or 1 (Gea, 1996). Different n values can be found in the literature (Rozvany et al., 1992;
Mlejnek and Schirrmacher, 1993).
The topology optimization problem is solved by two methods: either Lagrange multiplier
method or Sequential Linear Programming (SLP) method (Yang and Chuang, 1994). The
Lagrange multiplier method uses a one-term posynomial to approximate the objective function
and then employs the Lagrange multiplier technique to find a search direction (Wang et al.,
1996). The step size is determined by a quadratic approximation of the objective function in the
search direction. The method is very efficient for solving a problem with a large number of
design variables and one constraint when either the compliance or the eigenvalue is chosen as the
objective function. As for multiple constraint problems, the SLP method is employed along with
a simple move limit strategy. The sensitivity information required is obtained by using the
adjoint method of continuum design sensitivity analysis (Haug et al., 1986).
The NASTRAN-compatible finite element codes (e.g., MSC/NASTRAN or
CSA/NASTRAN) are employed for the response analyses. The use of these commercial codes is
significant, because it not only allows engineers to use a well-accepted and widely-used finite
element code with no size limit on the model but also permits developers to concentrate on the
development of rest of the structural topology optimization software.
3 Automotive Applications

3.1 Vehicle Body/Chassis Structures

Topology optimization has been successfully applied to determine the best structural layouts
while meeting the constraints. The most common used objectives for the optimization problems
are compliances and normal frequencies and the design variable is the normalized density
associated with solid and/or shell elements. Some automotive applications are found in Yang and
Chahande (1995).
3.2 Weld Pattern Design
Recently, topology optimization has been applied to determine the best spot weld pattern while
meeting the design criteria (Yang et al, 1996a; Jiang et al., 1996). Either bar/beam elements
(Yang et al, 1996a) or spring elements (Jiang et al., 1996) can be employed for the interfaces to
simulate spot welds. The interface elements connect the shell elements that model the sheet metal
being joined. Unlike the traditional topology optimization problems, the design variables are
placed on the interface elements while keeping the joining parts unchanged. In this research, shell
elements are used to connect two sheet metal parts and thus they are the design variables.
3.3 Bead Pattern Design
The addition of beads to a sheet panel changes the stiffness of the structure without adding mass
by varying the moment of inertia of the sheet panel's cross-section. Optimum topology design of

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beads consists of two parts: optimum distribution (i.e., location) for a predefined amount of
beaded plate area, and optimum orientation, once the distribution is determined. Beads increase
the bending stiffness directionally, that is, while one direction increases its stiffness the other
remains the same or decreases. In Figure 1 for example, bending stiffness around y-axis is higher
than around x-axis, but membrane stiffness along y-axis is smaller than along x-axis. This
directional behavior calls for an orthotropic model for the stiffness properties of the plate.
Yang et al. (1996b) introduced a procedure to solve the topology optimization of embossed ribs
or beads by using beam elements as the design variables. In their approach, a grid of designable
beam elements is overlaid over a shell element mesh by connecting all nodes within each shell
elements in all possible ways. The disadvantage of this approach is the dependency of the beam
mesh on the topology of the shell mesh, which may limit the range of the orientations of the
bead. Recently, Soto and Yang (1998) developed and implemented a new computational
procedure to determine the optimum embossed ribs distribution, orientation, and spacing. The
optimum solution consists of a plate having areas with orthotropic material (the embossed ribs)
and areas with isotropic material (the flat plate). More details can be found in Soto and Yang
(1998) and this new procedure is used in the following applications.
4 New Automotive Applications
Topology optimization technology has been successfully applied to provide the design guidelines
on vehicle engineering applications. It can produce new designs with significant weight
reduction. Three automotive examples including a lower control arm, a chassis bracket, and a
fuel tank are optimized and discussed in the following.
4.1 Lower Control Arm (LCA)
A comprehensive process for designing a lower control arm design is described in this section.
4.1.1 Concept Design
The first objective of this application is to select a manufacturing process. The component can be
fabricated by either stamping or casting process. In general, a cast arm has a better structural
integrity, performance, and weight control than the stamped one. However, the manufacturing
and tooling cost of a cast arm is much more expensive. To evaluate a better manufacturing
process for this lower control arm design, the topology optimization is performed to provide the
optimal structural layout.
First of all, the available design space based on packaging consideration is identified and is
modeled by filling with solid finite elements. The model contains 6909 HEXA and 94 PENTA
finite elements. Loads from road load data that represent the most damage conditions are applied
to one end of the arm and the other ends are fixed, as shown in Figure 2. The topology
optimization problem is formulated to minimize the structural compliance that is equivalent to
maximize the structural stiffness. The design constraint is to use 25% of the design space.
The optimal topology results are shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is the material density
distribution plot. A high material density (in black) indicates the need for a structure while a low
density (in white) is the candidate for material removal. Figure 3 shows the structural layout after
removing the elements with low material density. It is noted that the result is much closer to a
stamped arm design than a cast one. To confirm this, a finite element model of the stamped arm
shown in Figure 4 was built. This model contains 3392 QUAD and 72 TRIA finite elements.
After the stress and stiffness analyses were performed, it was shown that the stamped arm meets

4
all design criteria. Further design evaluation with manufacturing feasibility and assembly
consideration was conducted and subsequently a final boxed, stamped lower control arm shown
in Figure 5 was proposed. The finite element model contains 6415 QUAD and 437 TRIA finite
elements. The structural performance of the LCA meets all required targets.
4.1.2 Weight Reduction
The second objective of this study is to evaluate the weight and cost reduction opportunities of
the existing lower control arm by optimization techniques. First, the sizing optimization was
conducted, which treats the thickness of the LCA as the design variable. The results showed that
the current panel gauges must be maintained to satisfy both stress and stiffness constraints
(Figure 5). Note that only two thickness design variables are used in this run. It may yield a better
design if more design variables are chosen.
An alternative weight reduction approach is to consider punching lightening holes on the
arm. After performing topology optimization, five lightening holes shown in Figure 6 are
identified and created. Reanalysis results show that the new design meets all stress and stiffness
targets while achieving a 5% weight saving.
4.1.3 Weld Optimization
The last objective is to reduce the total amount of welds during the assembly process for cost
saving. The whole arm was treated as non-design domain except for the weld elements. The weld
elements which connect the upper and the lower parts of the LCA are modeled as shell elements.
The material density distribution plot for weld elements is obtained from the regular topology
optimization. Based on the results, two potential regions without welds are identified: the inboard
flange for about 180 mm length and the forward flange for about 190 mm, as shown in Figure 7.
It is noted that after reanalysis of the welded arm, no degradation of structural performance was
found. As a result, a significant tooling cost and manufacturing timesavings are achieved by this
new design.
From this example, it has been demonstrated that the topology optimization techniques can
be applied at an early design stage for decision-making and can be applied at a detailed
weight/cost reduction stage.
4.2 Chassis Bracket
A chassis bracket, modeled by shell finite element, is used for structural analysis and
optimization study. The initial model has 3 beads, as shown in Figure 8. One is located at the
upper end and the others are at the lower end of the bracket. The finite element model contains
1448 QUADs and 78 TRIAs. This bracket is fixed at two bottom bolt holes and is subjected to
the loads applied at point A. The stress analysis shows that the maximum equivalent stress is 138
MPa at the neck of the upper bead.
A topology optimization study was performed for the improvement of structural
performance and the weight reduction. The results of topology optimization are in Figure 9
where it shows both the material density and bead orientation distributions. The material density
orientation distribution provides insight information to determine the most effective areas to add
beads and the orientation plot provides engineers the directions of the beads. The results from
Figure 9 indicate two opportunities for design improvement. First of all, the less-sensitive
material at the corners and bottom of the bracket can be aggressively removed for weight

5
reduction. Secondly, the orientation change of the beads on the lower part of the bracket may
provide better structural performance.
The design is remodeled and analyzed, as shown in Figure 10. Note that the directions of
the beads are identical to the initial design but they are shortened and also widened, based on the
interpretation of the orientation plot in Figure 9. The stress analysis on the revised design shows
that the maximum stress is located at the neck of the upper bead, which is identical to the initial
design. However, the maximum stress is reduced by 12%, i.e., from 138 MPa to 121 MPa and
the weight is substantially reduced by 23.7% (see Table 1).
4.3 Fuel Tank
This example illustrates the use of topology optimization technique to the bead or embossed rib
found in the bottom of a vehicle fuel tank subject to a constant pressure load. The objective is to
minimize the compliance of the structures covering 30% of the shell with embossed ribs. The
finite element model is shown in Figure 11. There are 2646 elements, and 2485 nodes in the
finite element model (only the bottom shell is analyzed). Boundary conditions simulate the
connection with the upper part of the tank by restraining the displacements in the vertical
direction all around the perimeter of the tank. Additional boundary conditions are also included
to simulate the straps that hold the tank in place. The initial design is a uniform thickness non-
ribbed shell. After 6 design iterations, the compliance is reduced to 45% of the initial value. The
optimum pattern and orientation of embossed ribs are shown in Figures 13 and 14.
The next step in the design process is to place embossed ribs based on the locations and the
orientation provided by the methodology. A new finite element model was generated and
analyzed. The result shows that a 40% improvement in stiffness is achieved without weight
penalty. The final design is shown in Figure 15.
5 Conclusions
Topology optimization using density method is applied for obtaining the best layout of vehicle
structures to achieve predetermined performance goals. It has been successfully applied to
vehicle structures in chassis development producing new designs with significant weight
reduction. It has also been successfully applied to optimize spot weld and bead pattern design. In
addition, it can also be used to provide insight information for selecting a better manufacturing
process.
6 Acknowledgment
The authors wish to express appreciation to their colleague Z. Q. Chen for his valuable
discussions and suggestions.
References
Bendsoe, M. P. and Kikuchi, N. (1988) 'Generating Optimal Topologies in Structural Design
Using a Homogenization Method', Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and
Engineering, Vol. 71, pp. 197-224.
Chuang, C. H. and Huang, J. C. (1997) 'The CAE Weight Management Process in Automotive
Components', ASME AMD, Vol. 227, Design Optimization with Application in Industry.
Diaz, A. and Kikuchi, N. (1992) 'Solution to Shape and Topology Eigenvalue Optimization
Problem Using a Homogenization Method', International Journal for Numerical Methods in
Engineering, Vol. 35, pp. 1487-1502.

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Diaz, A. and Bendsoe, M. P. (1992) 'Shape Optimization of Structures for Multiple loading
conditions Using a Homogenization Method', Structural Optimization, Vol. 4, pp. 17-22.
Gea, H. (1996) 'Topology Optimization: A New Microstructure-Based Design Domain Method',
Computers & Structures, Vol. 61, No. 5, pp. 781-788.
Haug, E. J., Choi, K. K., and Komkov, V. (1986) Design Sensitivity Analysis of Structural
System, Academic Press, New York.
Jiang, T. and Chirehdast, M. (1996) 'A Systems Approach to Structural Topology Optimization:
Designing Optimal Connections', Proceedings of ASME Design Engineering Technical
Conferences, Irvine.
Jog, C. S., Haber, R. B., and Bendsoe, M. P. (1994) 'Topology Design with Optimized, Self-
Adaptive Materials', International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol. 37,
pp. 1323-1350.
Michell, A.G.M. (1904) 'The Limits Economy in Frame Structures', Philo. Mag., Sect. 6, Vol. 8,
589-597.
Mlejnek, H. P., and Schirrmacher, R. (1993) 'An Engineer's Approach to Optimal Material
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Appl. Mech. Rev. 48, No. 2, 41-117.
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Soto, C. and Yang, R. J. (1998) 'Optimum Topology of Embossed Ribs in Stamped Plates',
Proceedings of ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences, Atlanta, Georgia.
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Using Density-Dependent material Model', AIAA-96-1627-CP.
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Yang, R. J., and Chahande, A. I. (1995) 'Automotive Applications of Topology Optimization',
Structural Optimization, Vol. 9, pp. 245-249.
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Optimization', Proceedings of ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences, Irvine.
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Table 1 Summary of Bracket Designs

Initial Design Final Design

Weight (Kg) 0.278 0.212 (-23.7%)
Max. Stress (MPa) 138 121 (-12%)

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Figure 1: Embossed Rib

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FFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffff

Figure 2: Material Density Distribution

Figure 3: Topology Optimization Results

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Figure 4: Proposed Design

Figure 5: Final Design

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Figure 6: Alternative Design with Lightening Holes

Figure 7: Final Weld Line Pattern

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A

Figure 8: Initial Design of Bracket

Figure 9: Material Density and Orientation Distribution

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Figure 10: Final Design of Bracket

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Fig 11. Finite Element Models of Fuel Tank

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Figure 13. Optimum Bead Pattern of Fuel Tank Bottom Panel

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 Figure 14. Optimum Bead Orientation

Figure 15. Final Bottom Panel Design

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