Method for assembling a motor vehicle body

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for assembling a motor vehicle body, wherein the motor vehicle body has a front vehicle structure (14) with an end wall (10) and a body region (12) arranged behind the end wall (10) in the vehicle longitudinal direction (X). Before the front vehicle structure (14) is connected to the body region (12) arranged behind the end wall (10), the front vehicle structure (14) is first preassembled separately from the body region (12). The separation between the preassembled front vehicle structure (14) and the body region extends directly in front of or behind the end wall (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for assembling a motor vehicle body. Background Technology

[0002] The type of motor vehicle body discussed has a front structure having end walls and a body area arranged along the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle behind the end walls.

[0003] The end walls of a motor vehicle body are surface structures that form a partition between the passenger compartment and the front structure. Historically, these end walls were also called "firewalls" or "firebreaks" because in early motor vehicles they were specifically used to protect passengers from fires in the engine compartment.

[0004] Furthermore, this type of fire barrier can also be used to absorb force and transfer it to the surrounding structure of the vehicle body in the event of a frontal collision between a vehicle and an obstacle. Therefore, the fire barrier can help protect passengers from mechanical impacts during an accident.

[0005] In modern motor vehicles, the body area located behind the end walls, especially the passenger compartment, forms the largest part of the vehicle body. Typically, the passenger compartment structurally transitions along the direction of travel into two longitudinal beams that extend longitudinally in the front section located at the front of the vehicle body. Here, the end walls are usually composed of multiple elements arranged around the longitudinal beams at the boundary between the front structure and the body area located behind the end walls along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and are usually welded together. Structurally, especially considering the transmission of forces, the body area located behind the end walls and the longitudinal beams extending through the front section form a single unit.

[0006] While this makes sense mechanically, particularly in terms of load path in frontal collisions, for the assembly of a motor vehicle body, it means installing the front section during the connection between the front section and the body area located behind the endwalls. Assembly is consequently costly, especially since the entire or at least nearly the entire motor vehicle body must be handled during work at the front section.

[0007] Therefore, methods for simplifying the assembly of the front vehicle structure are known from the prior art. For example, a load-bearing structural member is known from DE 10 2011119561 A1, which has at least one shock absorber strut housing and an end wall section. The load-bearing structural member is constructed as a casting. With such a load-bearing structural member, a portion of the already relatively complex front vehicle structure can be prefabricated as a single piece and then connected to the front vehicle structure as a single unit. Although this reduces the manufacturing steps that must be performed at the front vehicle, which is part of the overall vehicle body, the installation of the load-bearing structural member into the front vehicle structure, which is already an integral part of the rest of the vehicle body, is still necessary.

[0008] DE 10 2004 035 530 B4 also discloses a method for securing a portion of the front vehicle structure to the vehicle body. In this solution, the pre-assembled portion of the front vehicle is even larger than in the prior art cited above; however, a large area of ​​the front vehicle structure remains an integral part of the pre-assembled front vehicle structure. This specifically includes end walls, which continue to be attached in a conventional manner to the body area located behind the end walls, and whereby a large number of individual components are transformed into smaller components before the prefabricated parts of the front vehicle structure are connected to the rest of the vehicle body. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Therefore, the present invention is based on the objective of demonstrating a method for assembling a motor vehicle body that simplifies the manufacturing of the motor vehicle body in the front part region.

[0010] This task is solved by the method for assembling a motor vehicle body, as described below.

[0011] This method involves pre-assembling the front vehicle structure and the body area separately before connecting the front vehicle structure to the body area located behind the end wall. Here, the separation between the pre-assembled front vehicle structure and the body area extends directly in front of or behind the end wall.

[0012] In other words, the separation between the prefabricated front structure and the rest of the vehicle body is moved to the rear of the end wall. In this way, the pre-assembly of the front structure, up to and / or including the end wall, can be carried out independently of the rest of the vehicle body. In addition, the separation directly in front of or behind the end wall allows for the use of large-area components to manufacture the end wall, and in the most suitable case, the entire end wall can be implemented in one piece in this manner.

[0013] Here, the method can be configured such that the end wall is connected to the pre-assembled front vehicle structure before the front vehicle structure is connected to the body area located behind the end wall. Therefore, the end wall becomes part of the pre-assembled front vehicle structure, and in particular forms its rearward end portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0014] Alternatively, the method can be configured such that the end wall is connected to the body area located behind the end wall before the front vehicle structure is connected to the body area located behind the end wall. In this case, the end wall forms the end portion of the vehicle body pointing in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, specifically up to the point at which the pre-assembled front vehicle structure is connected to the body.

[0015] This method can be configured such that, in the case of pre-assembly of the front vehicle structure, the longitudinal beams of the front vehicle structure are connected to the end walls. In this manner, mechanical forces acting on the longitudinal beams can be transmitted via the end walls to the body area located behind the end walls. This is particularly advantageous when associated with the edge of the end wall, which extends at least substantially in the lateral direction of the vehicle and is located at the front of the body structure, particularly in front of the A-pillar component of the vehicle body. Therefore, forces introduced into the end wall can be advantageously introduced into the body area located behind the end wall via the edge region. Thus, in the event of a frontal collision, the end wall can function as a "shield."

[0016] The connection between the longitudinal beam and the end wall can be made, in particular, by means of connecting elements. Here, the connecting elements can be connected not only to the longitudinal beam but also to the end wall.

[0017] In particular, the use of such connecting elements allows for the use of different material combinations. For example, the longitudinal beam can be implemented as a large cast component, particularly made of die-cast aluminum, or it can be made of steel or aluminum sheet, or even non-metallic materials or a hybrid construction concept. The end walls and connecting elements are particularly made of steel. The steel can be heat-treated to increase its strength. Such steel is characterized by high strength and good ductility. Furthermore, if both components are made of steel, the connecting element can be advantageously connected to the end wall by welding. Preferably, the longitudinal beam is first connected to the connecting element before it is connected to the end wall. In this way, the connection between the longitudinal beam and the end wall can be advantageously established, especially when the longitudinal beam is made of a material different from that of the connecting element and the end wall, so that, for example, when connecting the longitudinal beam to the connecting element, an adhesive method can be used first before welding the connecting element to the end wall. In particular, if not only the longitudinal beam but also the end wall is made of steel, a direct connection between the longitudinal beam and the end wall can be achieved, especially by welding.

[0018] The connecting elements can be designed in particular to abut against the end wall with one of their partial areas. This advantageously allows for welded connections, for example, via weld points. Furthermore, the connecting elements can be advantageously designed to surround a portion of the longitudinal beam in a collar-like manner. Here, the connecting elements can surround the entire circumference and / or a portion of the circumference of the longitudinal beam. The connecting elements can also abut against the longitudinal beam in a face-like manner. This, for example, facilitates the construction of a material-fit connection, such as an adhesive connection, between the longitudinal beam and the connecting elements. Alternatively and / or supplementarily, other joining techniques, particularly from the field of hybrid structures, can also be used, such as threaded connections, especially by means of perforated threaded connectors (Fließlochschraube, sometimes also called punched threaded connectors), riveted connections, especially by means of semi-hollow punched rivets and / or solid punched rivets, and / or other material-fitting methods, especially friction welding and / or resistance welding.

[0019] This method can be configured such that, in the case of pre-assembly, a structural element for connecting the longitudinal beam to the body area located behind the end wall is connected to the longitudinal beam. For this purpose, such a structural element can be guided through an opening in the end wall. The structural element creates a mechanical connection between the longitudinal beam and the body area located behind the end wall, thereby transmitting mechanical forces from the longitudinal beam to the body area located behind the end wall.

[0020] This method can be configured in particular, where the longitudinal beams are hollow structures and the structural elements are connected to the inside of the hollow structure. In this case, a portion of the corresponding longitudinal beam can be attached to the longitudinal beam only after the corresponding structural element has been connected to the inside of the longitudinal beam. Thus, the "internal space" of the longitudinal beam remains accessible for connecting the structural elements to the inside of the hollow structure.

[0021] Before connecting the longitudinal beams to the end walls and / or connecting the structural elements to the longitudinal beams, the structural elements can first be connected to the end walls. This creates a unit consisting of end walls and structural elements that can be advantageously connected to the longitudinal beams. The connection between the unit consisting of structural elements and end walls and the longitudinal beams can be made here, particularly by means of the aforementioned connecting elements, which are preferably already connected to the longitudinal beams.

[0022] It is particularly advantageous for the structural elements to be guided through openings in the end walls before they are connected to the end walls and / or longitudinal beams. Guiding the structural elements through the openings enables a load path that bridges the end walls, through which forces can be introduced from the longitudinal beams via the structural elements into the vehicle body area located behind the end walls.

[0023] This method can be configured such that structural members are connected to longitudinal beams. The structural members initially include a portion of a shock-absorbing strut tower, an upper longitudinal beam, and / or a wheel arch. In particular, the structural members can be connected to the longitudinal beams before they are connected to the structural elements and / or end walls. Thus, a unit is formed by the longitudinal beams and structural members, which can then be advantageously treated as a whole and connected to the end walls and / or structural elements, especially units formed by structural elements.

[0024] This method can be configured such that the air deflector beam is connected to the end wall and / or structural members before the front vehicle structure is connected to the body area located behind the end wall. This air deflector beam can thus become part of the pre-assembled front vehicle structure.

[0025] When connecting the guide beams and / or structural members to the end walls, as described above for the longitudinal beams, connecting elements can also be used to connect the corresponding members to the end walls. These connecting elements and their treatment within the scope of this method can have the same characteristics as the connecting elements described above in connection with the connection of the longitudinal beams and end walls.

[0026] This method can be configured such that a component forming at least a portion of the end wall connected to the longitudinal beam is manufactured from a surface-shaped semi-finished product by means of a forming method. Thus, a relatively large area of ​​the end wall, especially the entire end wall, is provided as a one-piece component by the forming method. It has been shown that such a component can be advantageously provided as a component of the end wall or as the end wall itself. In conjunction with the aforementioned manufacturing method for motor vehicle bodies, such large-area one-piece components as components of the end wall or as the end wall are particularly advantageous because, despite their large area, they can still be easily processed within the aforementioned sequence of connecting the various parts of the front vehicle structure to each other.

[0027] The forming method can be either direct or indirect thermoforming. In direct thermoforming, forming is performed after the semi-finished product is heated to an elevated temperature (specifically higher than the recrystallization temperature of the corresponding material). In indirect thermoforming, cold forming is performed first before heating the semi-finished product. After cold forming, the semi-finished product is heated and warm-formed. Here, the degree of deformation in hot forming is relatively lower compared to cold forming. Both thermoforming methods can be configured such that heat treatment is performed within the scope of thermoforming to increase strength. It should be understood in particular that heat treatment is performed while the already thermoformed semi-finished product is still in the tooling used for thermoforming.

[0028] Semi-finished products can be manufactured, particularly prior to forming, from multiple planar sheets joined together in material-fitting manner in their edge regions. Such semi-finished products are also known as so-called Taylor weld blanks. In particular, butt welding of the edges of the individual sheets can be performed. However, the edges can also be joined together in an overlapping manner. In this case, spot welding can also be used. Other attachment methods can also be used.

[0029] Alternatively and / or additionally, the semi-finished product can be manufactured before and / or during forming by joining a particularly flat reinforcing plate material to the plate and / or to the connected plate material, applied to at least one plate materially bonded to each other in areas at their edges. Such reinforcing plates are also called patch reinforcements. These can be joined to the base plate by means of spot welding, laser welding, and / or projection welding. Here, the welding process is preferably performed before forming. Alternatively and / or additionally, thermal bonding, especially during forming, is possible, and / or brazing is possible to join the reinforcing plate to the base plate. For example, brazing can be performed using brazing foil inserted between the reinforcing plate and the plate and / or the connected plate.

[0030] In other words, it is possible to form a semi-finished product by applying one or more reinforcing plates as patch reinforcements to a one-piece sheet. Alternatively, a Taylor weld blank can be manufactured first, and then additional reinforcing plates can be applied to that blank as patch reinforcements. A significant advantage of manufacturing semi-finished products in this manner is that it can be achieved during the machining process of the flat sheet material. This significantly simplifies the forming methods used in manufacturing semi-finished products. This is particularly suitable for preferred connections between sheets and / or between sheets and reinforcing plates by welding.

[0031] In particular, the material mating connection of sheets to each other and / or to at least one reinforcing sheet can be achieved by laser beam welding. Preferred manufacturing of semi-finished products by laser beam welding can be performed, particularly by laser remote welding. In laser remote welding or scanning welding, the laser beam is positioned by means of a movable deflector and / or with the aid of a movable deflector. This enables highly efficient and automated manufacturing of semi-finished products for thermoforming. In particular, laser remote welding also allows for the rapid processing of large-area workpieces because the laser can act on the workpiece from a relatively long distance. The flat shape of the semi-finished product in the design of a planar, i.e., especially a flat and unformed sheet material, has a positive impact on the possibility of performing the welding method using the laser scanner discussed.

[0032] The sheet metal and / or reinforcing sheet metal can be sheets with different properties. In this way, end walls can be manufactured, wherein different regions of the end wall can have different properties. In this way, the end wall can be specifically matched to the requirements, especially mechanical requirements, imposed on its respective regions. In particular, the behavior of the different regions of the end wall can also be specifically influenced in the event of deformation, such as in the event of a collision.

[0033] Different properties can be, in particular, different strengths and / or ductility. Different strengths should be understood, in particular, as the tensile strength of the material in the finished workpiece, especially the steel used. In this way, for example, regions with higher or lower strengths and / or ductility can be selectively achieved, which is particularly advantageous given that matching the end wall to desired properties in the event of a collision. In particular, the ductility in different regions of the end wall can be set differently so as to selectively achieve a high degree of deformation within the deformation range and thus the corresponding energy dissipation in regions with higher ductility and lower strength, while in other regions the degree of deformation is correspondingly limited due to their higher strength and lower ductility. Alternatively and / or supplementarily, the sheet metal and / or reinforcing sheet metal used can have different thicknesses. The strength of different regions of the end wall can also be selectively influenced by using different thicknesses. Alternatively and / or supplementarily, the use of different steel types is also considered to selectively influence the properties of different regions of the end wall.

[0034] Before and / or during forming, at least one portion of the sheet metal and / or the connected sheet metal can be cut out. This can in particular create openings in the end walls. A portion can also be cut out from the edge region of the sheet metal or the connected sheet metal. In this way, the edge profile of the end walls that appears during the forming process can be selectively influenced to simplify or, in particular, completely replace any necessary trimming of the edges after forming.

[0035] At least one portion of the cutting can be performed mechanically, particularly before and / or during forming. In particular, the forming tool can have a corresponding cutting edge through which cutting is performed during forming. Alternatively and / or supplementarily, cutting can be performed by means of a laser. In particular, remote laser cutting can also be used here. Similar to what has been described above for laser welding, the surface design of the semi-finished product plays a particularly advantageous role in terms of processing time in both remote laser cutting and, similarly, in the case of mechanical cutting.

[0036] In particular, openings can be provided in the semi-finished product, which form openings in the end wall after forming is performed. This can be achieved by cutting out at least one portion of the material as described above. Alternatively and / or supplementarily, for example, if the semi-finished product is a Taylor weld blank, openings can also be provided when manufacturing the semi-finished product from multiple sheets by omitting at least one portion of the material. This has the advantage that the corresponding openings can be generated without subsequently cutting out material areas, which reduces processing costs and can also lead to material savings.

[0037] The opening thus formed in the end wall can be used, in particular, to guide openings through the structural elements. In this way, the structural elements can be cost-effectively and advantageously connected to the body area and longitudinal beams located behind the end wall.

[0038] In particular, after forming, the edge regions of the component can be trimmed to the desired profile. This allows for the manufacture of very precisely matched end walls. The trimming of the edge regions can also be advantageously achieved during laser cutting, especially laser remote cutting. The forming method described above allows for the advantageous manufacture of particularly large-area end walls with relatively flat structures. End walls thus formed are particularly well-suited for trimming the edge regions by means of laser cutting, especially laser remote cutting.

[0039] Alternatively and / or supplementarily, the edge regions of the semi-finished product can be trimmed before and / or during forming. In this case, mechanical cutting methods can be used in particular. In particular, trimming can be achieved by means of a corresponding blade in the forming tool. In this case, the trimming of the edge regions of the semi-finished product is especially carried out so that the desired contour of the edge regions of the component is obtained due to forming. In this way, the reprocessing of the edge regions after the forming process can be reduced by trimming the edge regions of the semi-finished product to a suitable contour before performing the forming process. It has been shown that the contour of the formed component can be preset with sufficient accuracy in this way to avoid or at least significantly reduce the reprocessing of the contour of the edge regions after forming, and thus significantly reduce costs. For example, the width of the end wall can be preset with sufficient accuracy, for example, a tolerance of + / -3 mm, and trimming can ideally be avoided, which is preferably achieved by means of a laser in the case of high strength end walls.

[0040] This method can be specifically configured to manufacture vehicle bodies for various different vehicle types. Here, components forming at least a portion of end walls are manufactured for different vehicle types, the at least portion of which extends along the edge region of the end wall. In particular, the edge region of the semi-finished product used to manufacture the corresponding component can be trimmed into a profile. This profile is selected such that the edge region of the end wall produced by the forming method is specific to the profile of the corresponding vehicle type to be manufactured.

[0041] This processing method enables the implementation of a platform strategy, where the produced end walls can be easily matched to the vehicle bodies of different vehicle types during the manufacturing process. Specifically, the contours of the edge regions of the semi-finished products used must be tailored to match the components used in the corresponding vehicle type. For example, end walls of different widths can be generated using semi-finished products of varying widths. In this regard, the orientation of the edge regions of the end walls, extending at least substantially in the lateral direction of the vehicle, is advantageous because end walls of different widths can be generated by pre-setting the contours of the forming components through trimming the edge regions of the semi-finished products. In this way, the platform strategy can be perfectly implemented in the manufacturing of end walls for different vehicle types.

[0042] Alternatively and / or after performing the forming method, the edge regions of the respective components can be trimmed to the profile of the endwall specific to the type of motor vehicle to be manufactured. This can be achieved not only with components manufactured by means of the forming method described above, which can be identical for different vehicles, especially in terms of their profile, before the edge regions are trimmed, but also with components whose profiles have already been trimmed during their manufacturing process using semi-finished products. Preferably, the profile can be trimmed using laser cutting methods, especially laser remote cutting. In this regard, laser remote cutting is particularly advantageous for trimming edge regions because it offers greater freedom in changing the cutting process to be performed from component to component due to the high flexibility in the case of laser beam guidance.

[0043] In particular, the forming method can be performed using the same tools for different vehicle types. Edge trimming can be easily adapted to different vehicle types, especially by means of the aforementioned laser cutting method, while incurring significant investment costs in forming tools, particularly thermoforming tools. Similarly, changing forming tools and thus the corresponding forming equipment is relatively more costly than matching the cutting process, especially the laser cutting process, which, in the most suitable case, requires only control intervention to match the contour to be generated.

[0044] Alternatively and / or supplementarily, the method can be configured to use a semi-finished product type specific to the respective vehicle type to be manufactured. The forming of the different semi-finished product types is preferably achieved in the same forming tool. The semi-finished product types can differ from each other, particularly in terms of the thickness of the semi-finished product and / or the thickness of various regions of the semi-finished product. In this way, end walls, especially weight-optimized, for different vehicle types can be manufactured economically. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Other practical embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherein: Figure 1 A schematic horizontal sectional view showing the orientation of the end wall is provided. Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the connection between the structural element and the end wall is provided. Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the connection between the longitudinal beams, structural members, and the guide beams to the end walls is shown. Figure 4 The connection between the pre-assembled front structure and the body area located behind the end wall is shown. Figure 5 The diagram shows the state after the body area located behind the end wall is connected to the pre-assembled front vehicle structure. Figure 6 An exemplary vehicle body is shown after further assembly steps. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Figure 1 The illustration exemplarily shows how the end wall 10 forms a separation between the body area 12 arranged behind the end wall 10 and the pre-assembled front vehicle structure 14. Advantageously, the edge region 16 of the end wall 10 may be oriented substantially in the vehicle's lateral direction Y and may be supported in a side structure 18 of the body arranged in the vehicle's longitudinal direction X behind the end wall 10. As in the example shown, the side structure 18 may be a component of an A-pillar extending from the lower region of the vehicle body, particularly the bottom of the vehicle body, to the top of the vehicle body.

[0047] As exemplarily shown, the end wall 10 can be formed from a component manufactured from a surface semi-finished product by a forming method. In this case, it is advantageous, as exemplarily shown, that the formed component extends at least on both sides of the vehicle above the wheel arch area and / or the edge region 16 of the end wall 10.

[0048] The longitudinal beam 20 can be connected to the end wall 10 by means of the connecting element 22, as shown in the example.

[0049] like Figure 2 As exemplarily shown, within the scope of methods for assembling a motor vehicle body, structural element 24 may first be guided through opening 26 in end wall 10. Structural element 24 may alternatively or additionally be connected to end wall 10, thus forming a composite structure consisting of end wall 10 and structural element 24.

[0050] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates how the composite structure formed by the end wall 10 and structural element 24 can be connected to other components of the front vehicle section. In the example shown, the end wall 10 thus becomes part of the pre-assembled front vehicle structure 14. In the example shown, the separation between the pre-assembled front vehicle structure 14 and the body area 12 extends directly behind the end wall 10.

[0051] As shown in the example, the longitudinal beam 20 can first be connected to the connecting element 22 for connecting the longitudinal beam 20 to the end wall 10. Similarly, additional structural members 28 can be connected to the corresponding longitudinal beam 20, which, as shown in the example, may include a portion of the shock-absorbing strut tower and wheel arch. The unit thus formed can then be connected to the composite structure formed by the end wall 10 and the structural element 24. As shown in the example, the guide beam 30 can also be connected to the composite structure composed of the end wall 10 and the structural element 24.

[0052] For example, especially according to Figure 4 and Figure 5As can be identified, the connection between structural element 24 and longitudinal beam 20 can be made such that structural element 24 is connected to the inside of longitudinal beam 20, which is implemented as a hollow structure. This can be achieved by attaching a portion 32 of the corresponding longitudinal beam 20 to the longitudinal beam 20 only after the connection of the corresponding structural element to the inside of the longitudinal beam 20. In the example shown, this is in Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is the case between the assembly time points of the vehicle body shown.

[0053] As from Figures 4 to 6 As can be seen from the text, the body area 12 located behind the end wall 10 can be at least partially pre-assembled before it is connected to the front vehicle structure 14, and can be as follows: Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, after the connection between the front vehicle structure 14 and the body area 12 arranged behind the end wall 10, the body area 12 is further assembled.

[0054] The features of the invention disclosed in this specification, in the accompanying drawings, and in the claims can be implemented not only individually but also in any combination, which is important for carrying out the invention in its different embodiments. The invention can be varied within the scope of the claims and, taking into account the understanding of those skilled in the art.

[0055] Reference Symbol List 10 end wall 12 Vehicle Body Area 14. Front vehicle structure 16 Edge Area 18. Side Structure 20 Longitudinal Beams 22 Connecting elements 24 Structural Components 26 Opening 28 Structural components 30. Guide beam 32. Longitudinal beam section X (Longitudinal direction of motor vehicle) Y - Vehicle lateral direction Z (vehicle vertical direction)

Claims

1. A method for assembling a motor vehicle body, wherein, The vehicle body has a front structure (14) with end walls (10) and a body area (12) arranged along the longitudinal direction (X) of the vehicle behind the end walls (10), characterized in that, Before connecting the front vehicle structure (14) to the body area (12) arranged behind the end wall (10), the front vehicle structure (14) is first pre-assembled separately from the body area (12), wherein the separation between the pre-assembled front vehicle structure (14) and the body area extends directly in front of or behind the end wall (10), wherein in the case of the pre-assembly of the front vehicle structure (14), the longitudinal beam (20) of the front vehicle structure (14) is connected to the end wall (10), wherein in the case of pre-assembly, a structural element (24) for connecting the longitudinal beam (20) to the body area (12) arranged behind the end wall (10) is connected to the longitudinal beam (20), wherein the structural element (24) is guided through an opening (26) in the end wall (10).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection between the longitudinal beam (20) and the end wall (10) is made by means of a connecting element (22), which is connected not only to the end wall (10) but also to the longitudinal beam (20).

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The area of ​​the connecting element (22) and the end wall (10) connected to the connecting element (22) is made of steel, and the longitudinal beam (20) is first connected to the connecting element (22) before the connecting element (22) is connected to the end wall (10).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The longitudinal beam (20) is implemented as a hollow structure, wherein the structural element (24) is connected to the inside of the hollow structure and a portion (32) of the corresponding longitudinal beam (20) is attached to the longitudinal beam (20) after the corresponding structural element (24) is connected to the inside of the longitudinal beam (20).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The structural element (24) is first connected to the end wall (10).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Before connecting the longitudinal beam (20) to the structural element (24) and / or the end wall (10), a structural member (28) comprising at least a portion of the upper longitudinal beam, the shock-absorbing strut tower and / or the wheel cover is first connected to the longitudinal beam (20).

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Before connecting the front vehicle structure (14) to the vehicle body area (12) located behind the end wall (10), the guide beam (30) is connected to the end wall (10) and / or the structural element (24).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The component forming at least a portion of the end wall (10) connected to the longitudinal beam (20) is manufactured from a surface semi-finished product by means of a forming method.

9. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Before the connection between the longitudinal beam (20) and the end wall (10) and / or the structural element (24) and the longitudinal beam (20) is realized, the structural element (24) is guided through the opening (26) in the end wall (10).

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