Compared with traditional materials, composite materials have many advantages, such as high specific strength, light weight, high specific modulus, good fatigue resistance and good vibration damping performance. Each component of the composite plays a synergistic role in performance, and has superior comprehensive properties that a single material can not compare. Therefore, in the automotive industry, composite materials are widely used in the design and manufacture of body, lamp housing, front and rear guard plates, bumpers, plate springs, seat frames, drive shafts and other components.
Three principles should be paid attention to in the design of composite materials in the automotive industry: 1) high specific strength and high specific stiffness; 2) The material is suitable for the environment; 3) High cost performance. In addition, there are some empirical methods in the design of vehicle body, such as: applying carbon fiber composites in areas with high stress; Triaxial composite materials are used in areas with high requirements for toughness and stiffness; Laminated plates can be used in areas with complex geometries.
The performance of the composite material is suitable for the lightweight requirements of the car body and reduces fuel consumption. The traditional automobile body materials are in a single state dominated by thin steel plates, which can not meet the requirements of people pursuing high-speed and lightweight. In order to reduce its mass, improve the wind resistance coefficient and reduce fuel consumption, many automobile manufacturers actively study and use new materials to meet the above requirements. The dead weight of the vehicle is reduced by 50kg, and the driving distance of 1l fuel can be increased by 2km; If the self weight is reduced by 10%, the fuel economy can be improved by about 5.5%. Many types of composite materials have been able to display their talents in the process of vehicle body lightweight, and they have shown their proficiency in the process of vehicle lightweight. The purpose of automobile lightweight is to save energy and reduce emission pollution. At the same time, environmental protection has become an essential condition for sustainable development strategy, and the development trend of composite materials is towards extending the service life and renewable.
