Automotive


Automotive triangle of disruption


There is an automotive revolution underway that is destined to alter the face of the industry as we know it. Now may well be the time to start embracing that change – or risk serious competitive disadvantage. Gerard Quaid, VP of European Sales and Marketing, PennEngineering explains


T


he word ‘revolution’ is often bandied around to signal a time of immense change and upheaval. Often, it turns out to be little more hyperbole. Every so often, however, that term is justified – and may well have found its latest incarnation in the shape of four technology megatrends. These, it is claimed, will by 2030 have significantly changed the face of the automotive industry. So, what exactly are these trends that, collectively, will wreak such disruption and carry us into a new era? First, it is worth stating that they are set to create major challenges for automotive manufacturing in the way that the industry attaches, fastens and joins an increasingly diverse range of components and systems.


1. Autonomous Driving Megatrend Industry predictions estimate that by 2030 we could see around 50 per cent of passenger vehicles sold be highly autonomous and 15 per cent of new vehicles sold could be fully autonomous by 2030. To enable greater autonomy, more electronics, sensors and computers will need to be built into vehicles.


2. Vehicle Propulsion Megatrend Stricter emission regulations, battery technology advances and availability of charging stations will see greater demand for electrified vehicles (hybrid, plug-in, battery, and fuel cell). Predictions range from 10 per cent to 50 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2030. We have seen VW announce an investment of about 3.5 billion in electric and autonomous cars. Similarly, Ford announced a $4.5 billion investment which will see 40 per cent of its nameplates being electrified. Making sure electricity is optimally conducted and not lost throughout the vehicle will be significant in achieving the predicted performance and reliability of electric vehicles.


3. Connected Cars Megatrend According to Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, virtually all cars could be connected to the internet by 2025. This is not just for our


40 November 2018


vehicle’s total weight; but, to meet consumer demands and increasingly stringent fuel economy standards, other materials are being considered to reduce overall vehicle weight. These new materials (thinner, harder steels, aluminium and composites) present additional challenges, as traditional fastening methods are no longer appropriate and need to be reassessed. To meet the megatrend challenge to support the increase in electrification of vehicle propulsion systems, engineers need to consider the requirements of sustained electrical current continuity. “This will involve ensuring joints are easy to assemble and meet the conductive requirements during and post assembly. This activity must also allow for the need to dismantle and re-assemble during servicing,” says Quaid According to the company, its own electrification solutions portfolio contains


Components in Electronics


will lead to issues with deformation and potential joint failure


• Substituting existing heavy steel fasteners with lighter weight, with matching performance, in another material (aluminium, alloy, etc)


• Reducing the number of parts used to


create the joint, without compromising strength. To address the complex needs of the automotive industry, PennEngineering has developed a broad portfolio of sustainable fastening solutions to target the unique assembly challenges of this sector. In automotive manufacturing, loose fastenings are commonplace and, by replacing some of these with alternative solutions, there is an option to reduce weight and retain strength. “Our own research and analysis has established that by switching to a PennEngineering solution OEMs can reduce


entertainment, but also for safety and servicing with vehicles in direct contact through the internet to report faults and receive updates. All these sensitive electronics require attaching to a rigid chassis framework that can withstand vibrations and knocks associated with standard operations.


4. Vehicle Light-Weighting Megatrend There is a global initiative supported by governments to reduce CO2


emissions, with


regulations being introduced for emissions and fuel economy in new cars. Steel has traditionally made up about 60 per cent of a


everything needed to connect PCB, cables, batteries, drives, earth points and cable routing. It’s worth a close-up look at some of the industry-leading ways in which this is being achieved by PennEngineering.


Vehicle weight reduction Take, for example, something that has become something of a ‘be-all and end-all’ within automotive in the battle to stay competitive: ‘Light-weighting’. This has become a key aspect of future vehicle R&D, as increasingly stringent emissions legislation is enacted around the world. The reality is that each 100kg of mass reduction can save 8g/km of CO2


. Key considerations


As OEMs continue on their light-weighting journey and start to deploy thinner harder sheet steels to create lighter panels (normally stainless steel), there are a number of things to consider:


• Matching the fasteners used, in terms of construction material and performance. Using the wrong grade of steel fastener


weight by up to 80 per cent, offering a weight saving of 10.21g per part,” says Quaid. Crucially, this weight saving directly translates to helping OEMs reach their CO2 target and reduce penalties by saving 0.005g CO2


the penalty saving by 0.475 per vehicle. These savings can be made by switching fasteners and fixings in a number of areas across the vehicle build.


Thinner, harder sheet metal One of the simplest ways to reduce weight is to construct the vehicle from thinner sheet steel, of course. However, with the 35 per cent weight saving available from using thinner sheets, the ability to sustain the integrity of the sheet increases. This creates several challenges for design engineers to overcome.


For example, welded joints in advanced


high strength steels (AHSS) are more expensive and run the risk of higher failure rates, due to reduced pull-off strength and panel distortion. The answer, says PennEngineering, is the self-clinch HFLH stud and SH nut range for AHSS, designed specifically for fastening up to 950MPa tensile strength sheet metal. “Self-clinching technology ensures there is no thermal stress or weld splatter,” explains Quaid, “as well as providing the ability to install in dissimilar materials with precision tooling, including in-die insertion.” Increasingly, manufacturers are turning to composite materials to help reduce the mass of vehicles. Composites are ideal as they can be as strong as metal, moulded and yet weigh considerably less. However, attaching composites presents a challenge, as traditional methods are not available and can also compromise on the integrity of the composite. This means different fastener technology is required and that is where PennEngineering’s Varimount Range comes into play, adds the company. “This is a high-quality solution that


doesn’t need holes and therefore doesn’t create breaks in the internal fibres of the structure,” Quaid concludes. “Varimount fasteners can be adhered to the surface of the composites, laminated within composite layers or moulded into place. The range comprises of standard PEM nuts, studs and stand-offs mounted permanently into a baseplate. The 30mm baseplate with radial holes provides a generous footprint to allow it to be used where there is large shearing or pull-away forces involved.”


www.pemnet.com www.cieonline.co.uk per vehicle; and it also reduces


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