Progetto finanziato evolution

09-05-2017 1
Innovative advanced lightweight materials for the next
generation of environmentally-friendly electric vehicles
EVolution FP7 funded project - body structure design strategies
using new composite and Al materials and enabled technologies
Progetto finanziato Evolution – una soluzione multimateriale per scocche di
autoveicoli utilizzando tecnologie e materiali innovativi
Ing. Elena Cischino
Engineering Manager Funded Projects
Pininfarina SpA, Italy

09-05-2017 2
EVolution project context
EVolution at a glance
Project approach, challenges and constraints
CONTENTS:
Focus on Evolution demonstrators
Significant results

09-05-2017 3
2020 Target:
attractive cars with CO2 emission < 95 g/km
EVolution project context:
Why LIGHTENING?
LIGHTWEIGHTING is a key factor
✓ Secondary or spiral effects (powertrain
and brakes downsizing, lower rolling
resistence)
✓ Improved vehicle performances (vehicle
dynamics, gradeability, EV range…)
✓ CO2 reduction and improved fuel
economy
✓ For E-powertrain, battery size and cost
reduction (with the same car authonomy)
The energy required for moving a vehicle is, except for aerodynamic resistance, directly
proportional to its mass. Reducing the mass implies a series of benefits:
Considering the same authonomy)

09-05-2017 4
EVolution project context:
Where LIGHTENING?
The Body in White is a prime
target for lightweighting
The OEMs are moving towards a greater differentiation in materials, as can be seen
in the different multi-materials vehicle bodies recently introduced.
But while mixing materials may contribute to a good compromise between weight
reduction and vehicle cost, it also propose a number of challenges.

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The challenge: introduction of high performance composites on structural parts to
consistently reduce the weight
IT IS A MATTER OF ADAPTATION
• THE NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS ARE READY TO
GO
• FORMING/FORGING STANDARDS AVAILABLE
• INDUSTRIAL TOOLS IS PRESERVED (INVESTMENTS
COSTS)
IT IS A REVOLUTION
• CREATION OF CONCEPTION/VALIDATION
STANDARDS AND THE DEDICATED TECHNIQUES
• CONCEPTION IS A CO-CONCEPTION PRODUCT
PRODUCT-PROCESS ON THE PERIMETER OF THE
VEHICLE STRUCTURE
• COMPATIBILITY OF THE INDUSTRIAL TOOLING
(FABRICATION, CONTROL, ASSEMBLING,
PAINTING)
STEEL ALUMINIUM
STEEL
ADVANCED
COMPOSITES
Weight reduction strategies:
Moderate or Extreme?

09-05-2017 6
Materials specifications: the 4 chapters
PROCESSABILITY
FUNCTIONAL
PERFORMANCES
END OF LIFE
RECYCLING
REPAIRABILITY
INDUSTRIAL FORMING CAPABILITY
POSSIBILITY TO RE-USE, TO RECYCLE
OR TO VALORISE POSSIBILITY TO REPAIR AND TO MAKE
THE MAINTENANCE IN THE DEALER
NETWORK
DURABILITY PERFORMANCE
ON THE VEHICLE, SAFETY

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LIGHTWEIGHT highlights
✓ Lightweighting is important, but it is not the resolutive solution for achieving
CO2 targets: it complements other technologies, especially powertrain
electrification
✓ Affordability is a key: OEMs currently targeting 3 €/kg-saved for high volume
production (~100,000 units/year) and 6 €/kg-saved for medium volume
production (~50,000 units/year), according to the most recent H2020 topics
✓ Pace of vehicle weight reduction expected to increase as lightweight material
costs become more competitive to powertrain technologies
✓ Advanced composite materials will impact mass production cars in next 10
years.
✓ It is important to consider both mass drivers and enablers

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How to lighten car weight?
Trade-off between mass driver and mass reduction

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Focus on Evolution materials and demonstrators
Significant results

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‘EVolution’ stands for “The Electric Vehicle revOLUTION enabled by advanced
materials highly hybridized into lightweight components for easy integration and
dismantling providing a reduced life cycle cost logic”.
EVolution project targets urban electric vehicles;
their specific peculiarities in several areas make
necessary to study new solutions specifically
designed for them.
Pininfarina Nido concept, fully in Aluminium, has
been taken as baseline for the activities.
The EVolution project started in November 2012 with a duration of 4 years. The
research leading to these results received funding from the European Union Seventh
Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 314744.
It involves 24 partners from 11 different EU countries; eight partners are European
SMEs operating in different fields of the automotive sectors: materials, equipment,
part production.
The case study: EVolution project

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EVolution CONSORTIUM
Project Coordinator: AALBORG UNIVERSITET (DK); Technical Coordinator: PININFARINA SpA (IT)

09-05-2017 12
EVolution is focused on some specific body areas, named demonstrators, to be
redesigned and lightweighted (50% weight reduction with respect to the equivalent steel
solution) through an innovative mix of design strategies, materials and processing
technologies, to achieve the project goals in terms of weight reduction.
Selected demonstrators have been:
• the underbody
• the side door
• the front crossbeam
• the structural node (shotgun system)
• the front mechanical subframe
EVolution focus
Selection of materials and enabled technologies has been done in terms of use, potential
for further development, cost effectiveness and environmental impact.
The followed approach has been: to lighten everywhere reinforcing only where it is
necessary. With this perspective the BiW too has been redesigned to be a media to
integrate the demonstrators, assuring the compliance of structural performances and
crashworthiness.
The overall EVolution target is a Full Vehicle, battery included, with a weight of 600 kg.

09-05-2017 13
• Pininfarina NIDO concept: Body in White fully in Aluminium
• Full vehicle weight: 850 kg
• Body in White weight: 160 kg
• NO CRASH ANALISYS PERFORMED!!!!
EVolution
• EVolution: multimaterial BiW
• Full vehicle weight: 600 kg
• Demonstrators weight: 50%
respect to equivalent steel
solution
• Compliance to EU crash std
UNDERBODY
STRUCTURAL NODE
SIDE DOOR
SUBFRAME
FRONT CROSSMEMBER
BiW

09-05-2017 14
Significant results

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Pininfarina NIDO style, ergonomy and PWT/vehicle
suspensions architectures
Limited Budget (funded research project)
Carry-over of some solutions from other funded projects
Pre-defined groups of materials/technologies in some
demonstrators
EVolution constraints and challenges
Lightening starting from a fully Aluminium structure
BiW target weight identification
Reliable CAE prediction representing brand new materials
CHALLENGES
CONSTRAINTS
New materials upscaling and potential industrial viability
Structure compliant with European crash stds

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All specifically developed in EVolution
Cost evaluation (remark: no
target cost has been requested)
EVolution approach

09-05-2017 17
Significant results

09-05-2017 18
• Materials generation and
characterization @ LAB level
• CAE modeling
• Material upscaling to
produce demonstrators
• Material upscaled
characterization
• CAE model updating
EVolution materials development

09-05-2017 19
The 5 Demonstrators
FRONT CROSSMEMBER
ORGANOSHEET BASED ON PP OVERMOULDED
WITH A NANOREINFORCED PP (PNC); BIO-
BASED POLYURETHANE FOAMS (BIO-PUR
FOAMS) TO REINFORCE SELECTED AREAS
MECHANICAL SUBFRAME
POLYAMIDE COMPOSITES (PA)
BASED ON CARBON FIBRE
FABRICS
DOOR SKINS
ADVANCED PP-BIOBASED MATERIAL
WITH HIGH STRENGHT CAPABILITIES
REAR FLOR REINFORCEMENT
POLYAMIDE COMPOSITES (PA) BASED ON
GLASS FIBRE FABRICS
UNDERBODY
ONE-STEP-FORMING ALUMINIUM
TECHNOLOGIES WITH AL-5XXX ALLOYS
STRUCTURAL NODE
“GREEN SAND MOULD” TECHNIQUE
ALLOWING CO-CASTED JOINTS AMONG
ELEMENTS PRODUCED WITH DIFFERENT
ALUMINIUM MANUFACTURING PROCESSES.

09-05-2017 20
Front Crossmember demonstrator (1/2)
7.5 kg
(steel)
2.81 kg
(fully composite)
Weight red. > 50%
Energy absorbed during ECE R94 Front Crash 56 kph 40%ODB (Europe homologation
front crash): ~ 4600 Joule, as the equivalent NIDO fully Aluminum system
Further room to reduce weight
removing the design constraints (this
demonstrator is lied to an existing
mould

09-05-2017 21
A hybrid technology that combines in
one step press moulding, employing
continuous fibre reinforced
thermoplastic (based on PP), and
injection moulding, using long fibre
reinforced thermoplastic (PPGF50).
The IMC (Injection
Moulding Compounder)
technology is a combination
of the continuous process of
extrusion with the
discontinuous operation of
injection moulding
Specific materials developed:
✓ New polymer composed by a nanosilicate embedded into a thermoplastic
elastomer matrix  +300% impact resistance respect to std PP with same
stiffness and strenght
✓ Rigid PUR foams based on recycled resources
Injected
rigid PUR
foam cores
Front Crossmember demonstrator (2/2)

09-05-2017 22
Mechanical Subframe demonstrator (1/3)
A solid component without hollows with variable thickness, characterized by a lower
tooling cost, has been selected as concept solution.
A high-performance raw material has been specifically developed.
Fatigue and strength have been the main performance driver: APA6 has been
selected as matrix due to its toughness and low cost, and CF has been considered
as reinforcement because it is superior to GF in fatigue as well as specific strength.
6.8 kg
(steel, 5 elements)
3.48 kg
(APA6/CF, 1 element)
Weight red. 50%
The Wohler curve of the APA6/CF material has been defined through a set of test on
specimens, still ongoing.
A durability test on component has been successfully performed.

09-05-2017 23
Mechanical Subframe demonstrator (1/2)
In order to achieve a high percentage of CF with a good fibre/ matrix adhesion, an
innovative patented process has been selected.
CAPROlactam CASTing (CAPROCAST) is a reactive process of in-situ
polymerization consisting of Polyamide 6 (APA6) casting from its monomer, -
caprolactam.
It is an advanced Thermoplastic-Resin Transfer Moulding (TP-RTM) technology,
enabling the obtaining of structural and complex 3D geometries, reinforced with
fibres, having these advantages respect to competitor technologies:
Technology Raw material Design
Process
consumption
Tool
cost
Recyclability
Weldability
Thermo-
forming
Organosheet laminate
semiproduct
(commercial
materials)
Multi-thickness,
depth shapes and
complex angles not
feasible.
3 times more
30%
higher
Yes
HP-RTM Epoxi + CF fabrics Similar 4 times more
20%
higher
No
Current cost/kg-saved in line with current reference
values for medium production volumes

09-05-2017 24
The underbody was conceived and processed through Al technologies enabling complex
geometries with reduced thickness and a consistent part count reduction using Al 5xxx alloys:
• Gas forming, a plastic deformation process taking advantage from the higher elongation
capabilities of the Al at high temperature;
• Hot forming applied to multithickness raw Al sheet to obtain high strength and complex
shapes parts with reduced springback effects, thanks to the hot working temperature range;
• CAPROCAST technology, applied to an underbody component selecting a specifically
developed thermoplastic composite APA6-based reinforced with GF.
Central Floor Firewall
Front Reinforcement
Rear Reinforcement
(composite)
Rear Suspension Crossmember
Rear Crossmember
Underbody demonstrator (1/2)

09-05-2017 25
Underbody demonstrator (2/2)
As final result, EVolution underbody weight is about 20 kg lightened respect to Nido
underbody, fully in aluminium, and it is composed by six parts only (17 referring to
Nido).
Weight reduction 50% from Al to Al
About 30% of tooling cost saving due to parts merging (referring to traditional stamping process)
Consistent cost saving of assembly plant due to part count reduction

09-05-2017 26
Structural node demonstrator (1/2)
The structural node demonstrator is the assembly of the front shotgun system
(shotgun + front rail + reinforcement); it has the relevant function to absorb the
energy in the case of a frontal collision.
The shot gun has been manufactured through Aluminium sand casting process,
allowing to perform complex and hollow sections when a core is placed into the sand
mould before the aluminium flows inside. This particularity has been used to include
solid parts of aluminium as inserts to form a multicomponent part after casting.
Shot gun and front rail are joined together during the casting process: extruded
profiles are placed as inserts in sand moulds and then the filling of the mould with
molten aluminium covers them, and solidification shrinkage produces a constraint
that fixed extruded profiles with casting component.
A specific Al alloys have been optimized for the process and for this demonstrator.

09-05-2017 27
Structural node demonstrator (2/2)
About 3 times cheaper respect to LPDC technology (used for Nido), obtaining a
lightweighted part, even with technological constraints of part thickness (5.5 mm
min) and feasible overall dimensions
7.96 kg
(Al)
6.10 kg
(Al)
Weight red. 23%

09-05-2017 28
Side Door demonstrator (1/2)
The door concept consists of two semistructural composite skins (inner and outer)
including a structural Al frame. The main idea has been to propose an unconventional
concept, assuring the main structural and functional performances, cheaper and light
weighted respect to baseline Aluminium NIDO door (about 30% estimated).
The door skins have been conceived using a commercial PP/bio-based material, a
thermoplastic commingled balanced 2x2 twill textile made from natural flax fibre and
PP, suitable for rapid processing and reduced weight. Both panels are characterized
by low values of thickness (≤ 2 mm).
One challenge is to assure the A-class surface quality on the exterior panel.
The selected manufacturing process is the compression moulding: the advanced
composite material sheet is preheated and then formed through a hydraulic moulding
press, featured with matched metal dies.

09-05-2017 29
DOOR SAG
DOOR FLEXURAL STIFFNESS
CAE forecast confirmed by test
Target satisfied
CAE forecast confirmed by test
Target satisfied
DOOR DURABILITY IN
CLIMATIC CHAMBER
(35000 cycles)
Target satisfied
Side Door demonstrator (2/2)
QUASI STATIC CYLINDER
INTRUSION BASED ON
FMVSS214 std
Target satisfied

09-05-2017 30
Technological Mock-Up
The demonstrators have been integrated into a technological mock-up, representing
the EVolution full vehicle environment.

09-05-2017 31
Significant results

09-05-2017 32
Significant results
✓ Front Crossmember: more than 50% of weight reduction respect to steel solution, with further
potential of reduction removing design and mould constraints derived from a previous FP7 project
 potential viability of a full-composite front safety module for high production volumes (costs
under finalization)
✓ Mechanical Subframe: 50% of weight reduction respect to steel solution; new process to obtain
high-performance components with complex geometries and customized fibre layers/orientation,
cost/kg-saved in line with new trends  viable solution of a full-composite vehicle suspension
module for high production volumes
✓ Underbody: 50% of weight reduction respect to equivalent Aluminium solution, capability to obtain
complex geometries with reduced thickness consistently reducing the part count  viable solution
for high production volumes, to be explored for other body areas (eg the body side assembly)
✓ Structural Node: 23% of weight reduction respect to equivalent Aluminium solution, consistent
process cost reduction respect to traditional LPDC process  viable solution for casted parts having
dimensions in line with proposed technology constraints
✓ Side Door: 30% of weight reduction respect to equivalent Aluminium solution, usage of a technology
to manufacture the skins directly derived from aerospace but with a process time suitable for
automotive, to obtain parts with reduced thickness respect to standard process. Opportunity to
integrate into inner panel the function of the inner trim, too, saving further cost. Cost analysis under
definition.
✓ Full vehicle weight target achieved

09-05-2017 33
EVolution CONTACT INFORMATION
Project Coordinator:
Prof. Jesper de Claville Christiansen
Aalborg University – Dept. of Production
Fibigerstræde 16
9220 Aalborg E
Denmark
Phone: +45 9940 8970
E-mail: jc@m-tech.aau.dk
Technical Coordinator:
Ing. Elena Cischino
Pininfarina S.P.A
Via Nazionale 30
10020 Torino
Italy
Phone: +39 011 9438175
E-mail: e.cischino@pininfarina.it
Website: http://evolutionproject.eu/

09-05-2017 34
Thank you

Progetto finanziato evolution

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