7/13/2015Car Bonnet

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Process Selection Case Study

Car Bonnet
As weightsaving assumes greater importance in automobile design, the replacement of steel
parts with polymercomposite substitutes becomes increasingly attractive. This case study
explores the competition between steel and thermosetting composites for manufacturing a
bonnet hood of a passenger car Dieffenbach [1]. The weight of the bonnet depends on the
car model: a typical weight is about 8 kg. The shape is a dishedsheet and the requirements
on tolerance and roughness are 0.2 mm and 2 m, respectively. The design requirements for
the car bonnet are listed in Table 1.

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Selection of manufacturing processes

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Figure 1. A Car Bonnet

Material Class
steel or thermosettingcomposite
Process Class
primary, discrete
Shape Class
sheetdishednonaxisymmetricshallow
Mass
8 kg
Surface Finish Roughness2
m or better
Tolerance
0.2 mm
Batch Size

200,000

Table 1. Car bonnet: design requirements

The Selection

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Figures 25 show the selection. Figure 2 shows the first of the selection stages: a bar chart of
mass range against material class. 'Ferrous' and 'thermosets' and 'polymer matrix composites'
were selected from the material class menu, causing the chart to be divided into three
sections, one for each class of material. The selection box for the bonnet is placed at a mass
of about 8 kg. Many processes pass this stage.

Figure 2. A chart of mass range against material class. The box isolates processes which can shape
both ferrous metals and thermosetting composites and can handle the desired mass range.

The second selection stage is shown in Figure 3, where 'primary shaping processes' is selected
from the process class menu for the xaxis. Surface roughness is plotted as the yaxis. The
boxselection isolates processes which are capable of achieving roughness levels of 2 m or
better.

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Figure 3. A chart of roughness range against process class. The chart identifies primary processes
capable of achieving roughness levels of 2 m or better.

We next seek the subset of processes which can produce the shape of the bonnet. 'Sheet
dished nonaxisymmetricshallow' is selected from the shape class menu. Tolerance is chosen
as the yaxis. The corresponding chart is presented in Figure 4. The selection box specifies the
requirement of a tolerance of 0.2 mm or better. Some of the composite processes hand lay
up, sprayup, etc. cannot satisfy the tolerance requirement, and fail. Machining processes fail
for a different reason: they are not primary processes for making sheet shapes.

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Figure 4. A chart of tolerance against shape class. Processes which can make the desired shape are
plotted and the box isolates processes which can produce tolerances of 0.2 mm or better.

The specifications for the car bonnet, so far, have caused many processes to fail the selection
stages. Only two processes survived: one for ferrous metals and one for thermosetting
composites. These are press forming for a metal bonnet and SMC molding for a composite
bonnet. The results are listed in Table 2.
The choice between these depends on the batch size. In Figure 5, a batch size of 200,000 is
represented by the selection box. Both press forming and SMC molding are competitive for the
desired batch size, according to our chart.

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Figure 5. A chart of economic batch size against process class

Press forming

SMC molding

Table 2. Processes for making the car bonnet

Conclusions and Postscript

Two processes out of 131 are capable of making the bonnet. Most other processes failed
because they cannot handle the material or make the shape. A batch size of 200,000 was
chosen, at which both press forming of steel and SMC molding for a composite bonnet
emerged as the successful processes. More detailed cost analysis is needed before a final
selection is made. Commercially, press forming is used for making bonnets out of steel
which is the material commonly used for production volumes of 200,000.

References

Dieffenbach, J.R. 1992, 'Technical Cost Modelling', Boothroyd and Dewhurst Design For
Manufacture Assembly Forum, June 1992.

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