The application of roll forming for automotive structural parts

Abstract

In the automotive industry today, structural body parts are generally made of steel via stamping or hydroforming. The structural and complexity potential of such parts is very high but investments and variable costs are significant. A process offering an economic and flexible alternative is roll forming. In this paper, the continuous manufacturing operation is investigated and rated as per its applicability to automotive structures, its costs and its technical limitations. An appropriate cost estimation tool for roll formed parts is not available in the market. Most existing roll forming software tools concentrate on the process layout and do not consider the economics. In order to determine the costs of roll forming for a certain profile in a fast and accurate manner, a calculation system has been developed at the Ford Forschungszentrum Aachen (FFA). This paper begins with a discussion of relevant manufacturing technologies for body structure production that are rated as per their applicability for flexible manufacturing. The rapid calculation tool is then described along with a sample application. Finally, the paper is completed with an analysis and discussion of the cost estimation results.