On September 21 st and 22 nd the “Aachen Body Engineering Days 2010” took place at the Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge (ika) RWTH Aachen University and revealed that the conference has become a meeting place for body engineers from all over the world. Approximately 230 participants used the conference to exchange about the topics lightweight design, intelligent material use and innovative structural concepts.
Prof. Dr. Lutz Eckstein, head of the institute, introduced the plenary session, presenting the challenges of future mobility from the perspective of ika. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, member of the board development of Volkswagen AG, verified the challenges and allowed an insight into the future development of body in white (BIW) at Volkswagen, particularly the requirements of a world car with regard to future alternative or electrical propelled cars.
In further plenary presentations Peter Wolf (BMW AG) demonstrated the requirements of complex product lines of the large model line at BMW, Bertold Hopf (Daimler AG) showed future perspectives of multi material concepts in the BIW.
Apart from strategic questions and trends in BIW design, the presentation of current body concepts was a major part of the conference. This year the participants of the Aachen Body Engineering Days experienced the premieres of the BMW 5er Touring, the Audi A1, the Ford C-Max, the Volkswagen Sharan, the Opel Meriva and the Volvo S60.
A view on actual and upcoming electric vehicle generations was given by Dr. Egil Mollestad (CTO at Think) with his presentation of the BIW of the Think City. A contribution to alternative drivetrain concepts was also given by the study Mila Alpin from Magna Steyr, which was presented on the second day.
Latest material developments in steel, aluminium and magnesium were a main focus of the second day. An outlook on new lightweight approaches through the specific use of fibre reinforced plastics (FRP) was given by ika, that presented its research results on a lightweight floor structure with local reinforcements made from FRP. Further topics of the second day were innovative rear seat and unconventional door concepts, as well as new lightweight approaches through weight reduced glasing. In the accompanying body and technical exhibition the speakers and other exhibitors presented topic related developments.
The date for the Aachen Body Engineering Days 2011 is already set: 20.-21. September 2011.
The Aachen Body Engineering Days 2010 |
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Speaker of the Aachen Body Engineering Days 2010 |
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Evening Event of the Aachen Body Engineering Days 2010 |
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| 09.00 | Nachhaltige Mobilität – Herausforderungen für zukünftige Karosseriekonzepte Sustainable Mobility – Challenges for Future Car Body Concepts Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lutz Eckstein ika - RWTH Aachen University Institutsleiter / Head of Institute |
1 Key-Note-Vorträge / Key Note Speeches
| 09.30 | Zukünftige Karosseriekonzepte für das „Weltauto" Future Body Concepts for the „World Car" Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg Volkswagen AG |
| 10.00 | Die Karosseriearchitektur der großen BMW Produktlinie – Backbone im Spannungsfeld segmentübergreifender Produkt- und Prozesssynergie Body Architecture of the large BMW Product Line – Backbone in the Field of the Segment Crossing Product and Process Synergy Peter Wolf BMW Group |
| 10.30 | Karosserieleichtbau – Konzepte, Werkstoffe, Produktionstechnologien Lightweight Body – Concepts, Materials, Manufacturing Bertold Hopf Daimler AG |
| 11.00 | Kaffeepause Coffee Break |
2 Fahrzeugpräsentationen / Car Body Presentations
| 11.45 | Der neue BMW 5er Touring – Dynamik in ihrer schönsten Form The new BMW 5 Series Touring – an Exploration of Beauty Arno Keller BMW AG Dr. Markus Pfestorf BMW AG |
| 12.25 | Audi A1 – Premiumgerechte Karosserieauslegung für das Kleinwagensegment Audi A1 – Specific Body-in-White Design for the Premium Compact Car Segment Dr. Lutz-Eike Elend Audi AG Dr. Bernd Mlekusch Audi AG |
| 13.05 | Mittagspause Lunch |
| 14.35 | Die Karosserie des neuen Opel Meriva Body-in-White of the new Opel Meriva Jose Perez Adam Opel GmbH Lothar Teske Adam Opel GmbH |
| 15.15 | Die Karosserie des neuen Ford C-Max Body-in-White of the new Ford C-Max Svenja Hackenbroch Ford Werke Köln GmbH Matthias Hofmann Ford Werke Köln GmbH |
| 15.55 | Die Karosseriestruktur des neuen VW Sharan – Perfektion in Anmutung und Leichtbau The Body Structure of the new VW Sharan – Perfection in Impression and Lightweight Design Mirko Norden Volkswagen AG |
| 16.35 | Kaffeepause Coffee Break |
| 17.20 | Der neue Volvo S60 The new Volvo S60 Mattias Bergwall Volvo Car Corporation |
| 18.00 | TH!NK City – innovative Kombination eines Stahl- und Aluminium Space Frame mit thermoplastischen Außenhautbauteilen TH!NK City – an Innovative Combination of High Strength Steel and Extruded Aluminum Space Frame and Thermo Plastic Body Panels Dr. Egil Mollestad TH!NK |
| 18.40 | Ende Tag 1 End of Day 1 |
| 19.30 | Abendveranstaltung Evening Event |
3 Innovative Strukturkonzepte / Innovative Structural Concepts
| 09.00 | „Opel Meriva FlexDoor“ – Neues Prüfverfahren für ein innovatives Türkonzept „Opel Meriva FlexDoor“ – New Test Method for an Innovative Door Concept Stefan Bock Adam Opel GmbH |
| 09.40 | Einzigartige Funktionalität der Rücksitzbank des Ford C-Max Unique Function of the new Ford C-Max Rear Seat Richard Howells Johnson Controls Miles Lindley Johnson Controls |
| 10.20 | Karosseriekonzepte für alternative Antriebsarten Body-in-White Concepts for Alternative Drivetrains Sabine Bernhard Magna Steyr Bruno Götzinger Magna Steyr |
| 11.00 | Kaffeepause Coffee Break |
| 11.45 | Future Steel Vehicle – Designoptimierung und Bewertung der Stahltechnologie Future Steel Vehicle – Steel Technology Assessment and Design Optimisation Marc Lambriks Corus WorldAutoSteel Enno Arenholz voestalpine WorldAutoSteel |
4 Werkstoffe / Materials
| 12.25 | Neue ultrahochfeste Stahlgüten für warmumgeformte Strukturkomponenten New Ultra High Strength Steel Grades for Hot Formed Body-in-White Components Dr. Udo Brüx Ford Forschungszentrum GmbH |
| 13.05 | Mittagspause Lunch |
| 14.35 | Leichtbau-Bodengruppe mit lokalen Verstärkungen aus Faserverbundkunststoffen Lightweight Floor Structure with Local Reinforcements of Fibre Reinforced Plastics Leif Ickert ika - RWTH Aachen University |
| 15.15 | Leichtmetall-Türen in Druckguss – Potenziale & Innovationen Light-metal Doors in High-Pressure Diecasting – Potentials & Innovations Gerald Widegger Georg Fischer Automotive Klaus Maier Georg Fischer Automotive |
| 15.55 | SG Sekurit Innovationen – Leichte Verglasung zur CO2 -Reduktion SG Sekurit Innovations – Lightweight Glazing for CO2 reduction Benno Dunkmann Saint-Gobain Sekurit Deutschland GmbH Rym Benyahia freeglas GmbH |
| 16.35 | Zusammenfassung und Verabschiedung Summary and Goodbye |
| 16.45 | Ende der Tagung End of Conference |
