The present paper investigates the crashing behavior and energy absorption characteristics of thin-walled (tubular) structures with different cross-sections made from tailor welded blanks (TWB) which were subject of axial quasistatic loadings. Resulted data were obtained by using explicit nonlinear finite element code LS_Dyna V971. Implementing the TWB into the auto industry was an efficient method to decrease the general weight of different structures. By far, these kind of bimetallic structures are largely utilized in auto and naval industries because it led to important decrease of scarp quantities and general manufacturing costs, improved material use and probably the most important, great fuel efficiency. After reviewing the literature it was concluded that proper combination between mechanical characteristics of sheet metals, different thicknesses and cross-section shapes into the same thin-walled structure is far too little researched and understood. The aims of this study are better understandings of the crashing behavior regarding thin-walled structure with various cross-sections made from TWB blanks subject to quasistatic loadings. The non-linear finite element platform LS_Dyna V971 was used for the numerical analysis of the crushing behavior regarding the thin-walled structures. Having two materials constituting the thin-walled structures, the crashing behavior changed during the quasistatic loading. Thus, the crashing inertia of the structure is somehow limited and controlled. It is noted that material ratio should not be randomly chosen due to the unexpected crashing mode which could aggravate the prediction and control of the crashing behavior of the thin-walled structure.
DESIGN OPTIMIZATION OF THIN WALLED STRUCTURES UNDER IMPACT LOADING USING THE RESPONSE SURFACE METHOD
