The project is funded within the Horizon Europe program (CINEA) with Project ID 101069674
The FLEXCRASH project, funded by Horizon Europe, aims to revolutionize the design and manufacturing of crash-tolerant structures using a flexible and hybrid approach. The project’s core innovation lies in applying surface patterns via additive manufacturing to preformed aluminum parts, enhancing crashworthiness while ensuring sustainability.
Key Modeling Aspects
◉ Hybrid Manufacturing Technology: FLEXCRASH employs hybrid manufacturing to integrate different materials and processes, creating tailored crash-tolerant structures. This technology allows for precise property adjustments, enabling structures to perform optimally under various crash scenarios.
◉ Additive Manufacturing: Central to FLEXCRASH is additive manufacturing, which applies complex surface patterns to aluminum parts. This enhances the material’s energy absorption and distribution capabilities during impacts.
◉ Virtual Testing: FLEXCRASH modeling heavily relies on virtual testing. This involves simulating various crash scenarios to predict how the new hybrid structures will behave. This ensures they meet safety standards before physical testing.
◉ Material Models and Traffic Scenarios: The project uses advanced material models to simulate real-world conditions. By incorporating traffic modeling, FLEXCRASH can design structures tailored to specific collision parameters, enhancing vehicle safety dynamically.
Benefits and applications:
◉ Enhanced Safety: The project targets a 50% reduction in passenger injuries and fatalities by developing more effective crash-tolerant structures.
◉ Sustainability: Aluminum alloys reduce environmental impact due to their better recyclability and lower costs than other materials.
◉ Cost Efficiency: The hybrid manufacturing process simplifies the supply chain, potentially reducing manufacturing costs by 20%.
Conclusion
FLEXCRASH is a pioneering project integrating advanced modeling techniques with hybrid manufacturing to create safer, more sustainable, and cost-effective crash-tolerant structures. By leveraging virtual testing and material science, FLEXCRASH sets the standards for automotive safety and manufacturing efficiency.
For more information, visit the FLEXCRASH project page and the CORDIS project details.
The consortium, coordinated by Eurecat – Technology Centre, is also formed by Luleå University of Technology, Aerobase Innovations AB, Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH, Gestamp, IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences, Fraunhofer IWS, Gemmate Technologies, Stellantis Italia, UNE – Asociación Española de Normalización
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