VEHICLE BODY ENGINEERING

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 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)

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 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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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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GLOBAL NCAP RATINGS

1. [Link]

2. [Link]
017b746234915afcd01/1615810586137/[Link]

3. [Link]

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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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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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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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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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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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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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AERODYNAMICS OF VEHICLE BODY

The resistances that a vehicle experiences are summarized as follows:

1. Rolling resistance

2. Gradient resistance

3. Inertia

4. Air resistance / Aerodynamic drag

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 AIR RESISTANCE / AERODYNAMIC DRAG

• A vehicle travelling at high speeds experience a resisting force

• This forces is the drag which increases with the vehicle speed

• The aerodynamic drag depends on:

1. Size of the vehicle
2. Shape of the vehicle
3. Speed of the vehicle
4. Wind velocity

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DRAG FORCE

• The drag force can be calculated by the following equation:

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The main causes of drag force are:

1. Shape drag:

• Resistive force that vehicle experiences due to its shape

• Forward motion pushes the air in front of it

• It increases the air pressure at the front of the vehicle

• This high pressure zone opposes the motion of vehicle

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• A low pressure zone is also created at the rear of the vehicle

• This low pressure tends to pull the vehicle and slow it down

• Hence 2 pressure zones are created when the vehicle travels at high speed

• The overall shape of the vehicle affects the high speed performance

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2. Skin friction drag:

• Air closer to the vehicle body moves with almost similar velocity

• Air farther away from body is a lot slower (Boundary layer)

• This difference in speeds of air creates friction

• A smooth body surface with lesser projections ensures skin friction is low

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FORMULA 1 CAR AERODYNAMICS – A HIGHLY COMPLEX PROBLEM

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[Link]
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 IMPORTANCE OF DOWNFORCE IN FORMULA 1

• During 1960s , the focus was only on making the

bodywork streamlined

• At turns, there is hardly any downforce

• With access to computer simulations, F1 cars

started adding basic aerodynamic wings to
increase downforce

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• Aerodynamics influences high speed stability as

well has high cornering speeds

• A balance is to be struck between too little

downforce and too much downforce

• CFD simulations and wind tunnel tests crucial

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APPROXIMATE CONTRIBUTION TO DRAG IN PASSENGER VEHICLES:

1. Profile Drag = 50 – 60 %

2. Induced Drag = 8 – 10 %

3. Skin Friction Drag = 10%

4. Interference Drag = 10 – 15 %

5. Cooling System Drag = 10%

6. Rotating Wheel Drag = 2–5%

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THANK YOU

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