VEHICLE BODY ENGINEERING

Automobile Engg - Prof. Vinit Katira 1

 IMPORTANCE OF VEHICLE BODY:

• Vehicle body contributes to 40-60% of the total weight of the vehicle

• High load carrying vehicles can have upto 70% of total weight

• Reducing body weight increases vehicle responsiveness and fuel efficiency

• Aerodynamics of vehicle body affects high speed characteristics

• Safety aspects are integral part of body design (Safety ratings)

Automobile Engg - Prof. Vinit Katira 2
 REQUIREMENTS OF VEHICLE BODY:
• Must be strong enough to withstand all types of forces i.e. weight of vehicle,
acceleration, braking, cornering, terrain etc

• Induced stresses must be evenly distributed

• Should have high fatigue life

• Must have high torsional rigidity (stiffness)

• Resist corrosion and must be streamlined

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LOADS ON VEHICLE BODY:

1. Short duration Load : Road undulations, speed bumps causes body to twist

2. Momentary duration Load : While negotiating a curve causes bending of

vehicle body

3. Impact Loads : Due to the collision of the vehicle, body may collapse

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4. Inertia Load : While applying brakes, vehicle body can bend & pitch

5. Static Loads : Loads due to components such as engine, gearbox act

constantly on vehicle body

6. Loads due to wheel impact: Due to road obstacles, the particular wheel
slows down, distorting the vehicle body

7. Over Loads : Loads beyond design capacity

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TYPES OF VEHICLE BODY:

[Link] [Link]
 Hatchback [Link]
 Sedan [Link] up truck
 Coupe
[Link]
 Convertible
 SUV
 MUV
 Limousine
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HATCHBACK

• 2 row of seats without any partition

• 5 door vehicle

• Fixed roof and small space for luggage

with a rear door

• Drag coefficient in between 0.3 & 0.5

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 SEDAN
• 2 row of seats without any
partition

• 5 door vehicle

• Fixed roof and large space for

luggage with a rear door

• Drag coefficient in between 0.3 &

0.4
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 COUPE

• A passenger car with 2 doors and

sloping roofline

• Only 1 row of seats that can

accommodate only 2 passengers

• Most of sports cars are coupe

• Low drag coefficient

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 CONVERTIBLE

• Essentially a Coupe with 2 doors

and soft folding roof

• Only 1 row of seats that can

accommodate only 2 passengers

• Low drag coefficient

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 SPORTS UTILITY VEHICLE (SUV)
• 5 door vehicle with high ground
clearance

• Designed for off-roading purposes

• May have 4 wheel drive

• Longer wheelbase with wide tyres

• Large luggage space

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 MUV

• 5 door vehicle intended to carry large no of

passengers

• 2 or 3 rows of seats

• Possibility of carrying large cargo

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LIMOUSINE

• Luxury car with long wheel base

• Focussed on passenger comfort

• High roofline

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 VEHICLE LAYOUTS:

a: Transverse front engine front wheel drive

b: Longitudinal front engine front wheel drive
c: Longitudinal front engine rear wheel drive
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d: Transverse rear engine rear wheel drive
e: Longitudinal front engine all wheel drive
f: ??
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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS OF VEHICLE BODY:

• Strength (Withstand weight, forces, impacts)

• Stiffness (Torsional rigidity)

• Space availability

• Accident protection (Crumple zones)

• Corrosion resistance (Material selection)

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MATERIALS USED TO CONSTRUCT VEHICLE BODY:

++ Strong, corrosion resistance, energy absorption, ease of manufacturing

• Steel -- Heavy

++ Light weight, corrosion resistance, ease of recycling

• Aluminium -- Soft metal

• Plastic ++ Light weight, cheap, mouldable

-- Low on strength

++ Light weight, strong and corrosion resistance

• Carbon fiber -- Expensive and difficult to manufacture

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Automobile Engg - Prof. Vinit Katira 18
CRUMPLE ZONE

• A tough safety shell around the passenger cabin

• It protects the passengers in the event of an accident

• It is designed to absorb impact energy during a collision so that most energy is

dissipated across these zones, and not in the passenger compartment

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• Front and rear crumple zones are designed to collapse at a force which transmits
a 20G horizontal deceleration to the rigid passenger cage

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VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION

A vehicle body is made out of 3 sub sections:

1. Inner Structure (Chassis)

2. Outer Panels

3. Body trims

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1. INNER STRUCTURE

• These are the load carrying elements that withstand various forces

• A, B & C pillars, cross members, sub-frames, door sill

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2. OUTER PANELS

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3. BODY TRIMS

• Non-structural components which do not take loads

• Hold only aesthetic value

• Dashboard components, door panels, roof lining, handles etc

• Made from plastic or metal

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VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION TYPES:

1. OPEN / CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURE

• Vehicle body & Chassis are a separate unit

• Body is placed over the Chassis and bolted

• Engine, gearbox, axles etc. are mounted on Chassis

• All loads (Static & Dynamic) are taken by Chassis alone

• Rubber vibration insulator are used

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Automobile Engg - Prof. Vinit Katira 26
ADVANTAGES:

1. Used in heavy vehicle & simple in construction

2. Changes of frame length and body design is easy

3. Servicing is easy in case of damage

4. Lesser corrosion

5. Cheaper to manufacture

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DISADVANTAGES:

1. Weight of the frame + body is more

2. Fuel efficiency gets affected

3. Floor height is more hence centre of gravity is also more

4. High speed stability is reduced

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2. INTEGRAL / UNITARY STRUCTURE

• Vehicle body forms the shell of the vehicle

• Engine, gearbox etc are mounted on the shell

• The body itself takes up all the loads

• Body panels are mounted on the shell to give the

shape to the vehicle

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ADVANTAGES:

1. Safer than open type due to its cage-like construction

2. Floor height is lower

3. Aerodynamic shapes can be constructed

4. Good torsional rigidity

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DISADVANTAGES:

1. Manufacturing is expensive

2. Repair is difficult

3. Requires detailed structural analysis for safety of cabin on impact

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TYPES OF CHASSIS:

1. Ladder Frame Chassis

2. Tubular Space Frame Chassis

3. Monocoque Chassis

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1. LADDER FRAME CHASSIS

• It is the simplest and oldest of all chassis designs

• Made out of 2 symmetrical heavy rails

• Supported by cross beams to add rigidity

• Finds application in heavy vehicles and off-roading vehicles

• Provides rigid construction for load carrying & stiffness for off-roading

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MAHINDRA SCORPIO LADDER TOYOTA FORTUNER LADDER
FRAME CHASSIS FRAME CHASSIS

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ADVANTAGES:

1. Designed to taken huge loads (Trucks, SUVs, Pickups)

2. Easy to design and manufacture

3. Tough construction that lasts long

4. Cabin is quieter as road undulations are taken up by suspension and chassis

5. Damaged sections can easily be repaired

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DISADVANTAGES:

1. Poor cornering performance due to increased height

2. Heavier than other type of chassis

3. Slow acceleration of vehicle

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2. TUBULAR SPACE FRAME CHASSIS

• Chassis is constructed using circular cross section tubes in a 3D

arrangement

• These tubes are welded together to form a strong frame

• This design increases the rigidity against forces in all directions

• Load paths help in improvising the design

• Materials: Mild Steel & Chromoly 4130

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38
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ADVANTAGES:

1. Much higher rigidity in comparison to the weight of the chassis

2. Weighs less than ladder frame chassis

3. Modifications are possible even after manufacturing

4. Ease of manufacturing

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DISADVANTAGES:

1. Designing the structure is complicated

2. Time consuming to build

3. Difficult to implement in passenger vehicles

4. Welding of joints is critical

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 3. MONOCOQUE CHASSIS

• Monocoque essentially means “single shell”

• Most of passenger vehicles have monocoque chassis

• It is a structure which defines the overall shape of the car

• Integrates body and chassis to form a single structure

• Materials: Steel, Aluminium alloys (Carbon Fiber, Carbon Titianium Fiber- Sports cars)

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• Multiple sections are welded together to form a shell

• Performance of structure depends on the material and its thickness

• The whole shell acts as a load bearing member

• Body panels are attached to the shell to give the final shape to the vehicle

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Automobile Engg - Prof. Vinit Katira 44
ADVANTAGES:

1. Lighter in construction than ladder frame chassis

2. Better fuel efficiency

3. Stable at high speed turns (Better handling)

4. Much better space efficiency

5. Crash protection benefits

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Automobile Engg - Prof. Vinit Katira 46
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DISADVANTAGES:

1. Not suitable for small volume production

2. Initial set cost for assembly is high

3. Protection from side impact is average

4. Damage from major collision is not repairable

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CLASSIFICATION OF CHASSIS BASED ON LOCATION OF DRIVER AND ENGINE:

• Conventional-forward chassis

• Semi-forward chassis

• Full-forward chassis

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CONVENTIONAL-FORWARD CHASSIS

• Engine is fitted in front of the

driver’s seat in such vehicles

• Almost all passenger cars

have a forward chassis

configuration
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• With conventional forward chassis, the hood length is longer

• Driver’s visibility is limited

• This requires driver to have a fair judgement of the position of the

front wheels

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SEMI-FORWARD CHASSIS

• Half portion of the engine is in the driver cabin & and remaining
half is outside the cabin

• In this, the chassis is utilized for carrying extra passengers or

extra load

• Drivers visibility is better than conventional forward chassis

arrangement
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SEMI-FORWARD CHASSIS

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 FULL-FORWARD CHASSIS

• Whole engine is mounted inside

the driver cabin

• Driver seat is above front wheels

• Provides excellent visibility to

the driver

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FULL-FORWARD CHASSIS

• Higher mounting position of engine

• This provides max. space utilization

• Mostly employed in heavy duty trucks, bus coaches etc.

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Automobile Engg - Prof. Vinit Katira 56
WHY CRASH TEST?

• To evaluate the deformation of passenger compartment in different

collision scenarios

• Performed in order to ensure safe design standards

• Helps develop safety systems and inform consumers

• Verify correctness of material selection

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• Every car ideally should have both active safety systems & passive
safety systems

• Active safety systems: braking optimization, steering control,

traction control system etc.

• Passive safety systems: Pre-tensioned seat belts, airbags, crumple

zones

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PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS: CRUMPLE ZONES

• Crumple zones or Deformation zones take out the kinetic energy of a

crash in a controlled way

• Specifically designed areas of vehicle that deform and crumple during

an accident to absorb the impact

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• Stiffness of all shock absorbent material is critical:
If too soft, the part of the human body involved will crash right
through it
If too hard, its shock absorption capability will be reduced

• Bumper stiffness is a difficult compromise:

If too stiff it breaks bones
If too soft, it fails to absorb energy

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• Above the bumper, the panels needs be flat and vertical surface,
to support the thigh and hip of the victim

• The radius of front panel to the front edge of the hood should be
large enough to avoid breakage of hip and thigh bones

• Upon impact, the person will move towards the windscreen

(laminated ) which will again absorb impact energy

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 CRASH TESTING OF VEHICLES

• Global NCAP is the testing agency currently valid in India

• Bharat NCAP is almost ready to be implemented

• Dummies with various range of pressure sensors, motion sensors and

accelerometers deployed during crash tests

• Front seat has 2 adult dummies

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• Fuel is removed and replaced with a less volatile liquid to prevent
fire and explosions

• Markings on car enable engineers to measure the vehicle's

deformation at various points post-impact

• Cameras are placed to record the crash both within and outside the
vehicle

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The following factors are monitored during a crash test event:

• Airbag deployment

• Head impact and injury testing

• Seat belt strength and pull testing

• Any unsecured objects that might become dangerous projectiles

• The vehicle's post-collision deformation

• Collisions with belted vs unbelted passengers

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GNCAP conducts three types of crash tests:

• FRONT OFFSET IMPACT

 Head on collisions
• SIDE IMPACT
 Collisions at an intersection
• POLE IMPACT
 Collisions due to loss of traction

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• Depending on the results of the crash test, impact characterization of different
parts of human body can be presented

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Automobile Engg - Prof. Vinit Katira 67
VEHICLE BODY ASSEMBLY PROCESS:

A typical vehicle body is assembled from 6 sub-assemblies:

1. Floor
2. Front end
3. Rear end
4. Left side panels
5. Right side panels
6. Roof

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 VEHICLE BODY ASSEMBLY PROCESS:

• Each sub assembly is made from steel panels which are shaped using
hydroforming

• Every sub assembly component is either seam welded or spot welded

depending on the location

• Automated robots carry out assembly and welding processes to increase the
production rate

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 VEHICLE BODY ASSEMBLY PROCESS:

• The sub-assemblies are welded to the floor and the roof goes in last

• Every welded joint is sealed using a body sealing chemical

• After the body shell is ready, the body panels are attached

• The complete car body then moves to the paint shop

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VEHICLE BODY PAINTING

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 NEED FOR VEHICLE BODY PAINTING

1. Environmental damages:
Temperature fluctuations, rusting due to moisture exposure, UV radiation

2. Chemical damages:
Toxic fluids, Tree sap, Bird excreta & other acidic chemicals

3. Physical damages:
Scratches, stone damage

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 PAINTING PROCESSES

1. PRE-TREATMENT PROCESS

• Vehicle body is degreased to remove oil

and grease

• Any excess stuck metal particles are also

removed

• Prepares the vehicle body for next step of

electrodeposition
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2. CATHODIC ELECTRO-DEPOSITION

• Coating of zinc phosphate is applied

• Forms a bond with metal surface

• This gives anti-corrosion properties

• Improves paint adhesion

• 20 - 35 m. thickness of coat

• Dipped for 5 - 15 minutes

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3. BAKING

• After E-coat, car body is baked in an

oven at 160 oC for 20 - 60 minutes

• This dries the coat and cures it

forming a strong bond with the

substrate material

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4. PVC BODY SEALING

• The welded joints are sealed using PVC

material

• Inside of doors, hood, boot, dashboard

area, engine bay & other joints

• They also help in isolating noise and

vibration
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5. PRIMER APPLICATION

• A primer layer is added for smooth

surface and external damage

protection

• Hard and elastic epoxy or polyester is

the preferred material

• Thickness of 25-35 m, requires curing

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5. TOP COAT APPLICATION

• Made up of base coat and clear coat

• Base coat is the colouring pigment

• Clear coat provides external

protection and gloss

• Cured at 125 - 150oC for 30 - 45

minutes

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THANK YOU

Automobile Engg - Prof. Vinit Katira 81