A Parametric Study of Sheet Metal Denting Using a Simplified Design Approach

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Achieving significant weight reductions in automotive body panels will normally require reducing the panel thickness or using alternative materials such as aluminum alloy sheet. In this study, the correlation between panel size, curvature, thickness, material properties and dent resistance is investigated. A parametric approach is adopted, utilizing a "design software" tool incorporating empirical equations to predict denting and panel stiffness for simplified panels. This design program can be used to minimize panel thickness or compare different materials, while maintaining adequate panel performance.