Battery Pack Frame Side Members With Polymer Impact Reinforcement

The side member is constructed as a composite structure combining a metal frame (aluminum or steel) with a polymer reinforcement element. The metal frame provides baseline structural integrity while the polymer reinforcement enhances impact energy absorption. This composite approach achieves comparable protection to solid metal designs while reducing overall weight by approximately 20%, as the polymer material has lower density than metal while providing superior energy absorption characteristics through its deformation behavior.

The polymer reinforcement element is integrated directly into the profiled body structure of the side member, merging two functional components (metal frame and polymer reinforcement) into a single unified structural element. The polymer is positioned within the hollow section of the extruded metal profile, creating a combined structure that functions as one assembly rather than separate parts. This integration reduces the number of discrete components and simplifies manufacturing while achieving weight reduction and improved energy absorption.

The polymer reinforcement element is pre-formed to match the internal geometry of the hollow profiled body section. This pre-formed polymer component is then inserted into the extruded metal frame before final assembly. The preliminary formation of the polymer element allows for optimized energy absorption geometry to be achieved through molding processes, while the insertion into the pre-extruded metal frame simplifies the overall manufacturing sequence compared to attempting to create the composite structure in a single operation.