Abstract
Technological advances in body and exterior materials and manufacturing methods are at the forefront of the industry' s efforts to meet increasingly stringent CO2 and safety regulations. These two key drivers, together with the ever present need for cost control, have led to significant changes in the way that today' s vehicles are constructed. Although powertrain and other aspects are important In the increasingly difficult battle to reduce CO2 output, the automotive industry has come to recognize that lightweighting is not only desirable, but an absolutely necessary part of the required technology effort. Meanwhile, safety legislation and consumer desires continue to push for the inclusion of more systems in more crashworthy vehicles.
This first editon report gives a comprehensive overview of the market and its technologies and also includes profiles of all the major players in the industry.
Table of Contents
Introduction
- Vehicle body concepts
- Design and technology drivers
- The global marketplace
CO2 emissions reduction
- US CAFE standards
- European regulations
- Vehicle lightweighting
Safety considerations
- Impact absorption
- Compatibility
- Rear-end collisions
- Pedestrian safety
Materials
- Steel
- Aluminium
- Magnesium
- Hybrid construction
- Glass
- Plastics
- SMC
- Nanocomposites
- Hybrid plastic materials technology
Modules
- Body assemblies
- Roof modules and systems
- Door modules
- Tailgate modules
- Bumper or fender modules
Joining technology
- Adhesives
- Welding
- Laser welding
- Magnetic pulse welding
- Plasma arc welding
- Deformation resistance welding
- Ultrasonic aluminium welding
- Friction stir welding
Paints and coatings
- Types of paint
- Rust-proofing
- Paint layers
- Electrocoat
- Primer
- Powder coatings
- Basecoat
- Clearcoat
