Crash Test Barrier Honeycomb Block Pendular Pickling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current manufacturing techniques for crash test barriers used in frontal impact tests lack representativeness and repeatability, as they fail to accurately replicate the complex structure and varying resistance to deformation of a vehicle's front unit, leading to suboptimal energy absorption during impacts.

Innovation Solution

A process involving a pendular movement of metal honeycomb blocks in a pickling bath for targeted chemical treatment to reduce cell wall thickness, allowing for the creation of zones with distinct resistance to deformation, mimicking the components of a vehicle's front block, and an installation for implementing this process to ensure precise and reproducible treatment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional manufacturing techniques are used for crash test barriers, then the barrier structure is simple to manufacture, but the representativeness and repeatability of test results deteriorate due to inability to accurately replicate varying resistance to deformation zones

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of replicating front unit impact behaviorVSAvoidcomplexity of barrier structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier is constructed with multiple zones having different resistance to deformation values, where each zone corresponds to a specific component of the vehicle front unit. This local differentiation of mechanical properties allows accurate replication of the complex structure and varying resistance characteristics of the actual vehicle front unit, thereby improving representativeness and repeatability of crash tests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If the barrier structure is made complex to represent diverse frontal collisions, then the representativeness of tests improves, but the repeatability and reliability of test conditions deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverepresentativeness of barrier typesVSAvoidrepeatability of test conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention varies the resistance to deformation parameter across different zones of the barrier to match the characteristics of various vehicle front unit components. By controlling and standardizing these parameter variations through precise manufacturing techniques, the barrier can represent diverse collision scenarios while maintaining consistent and repeatable test conditions across multiple tests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If uniform thickness honeycomb blocks are used, then the manufacturing process is simple and reproducible, but the ability to replicate varying resistance to deformation zones of vehicle front unit deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of manufacturing processVSAvoidaccuracy of deformation resistance zones

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier is divided into multiple discrete zones, each with a specific resistance to deformation value corresponding to different vehicle front unit components. This segmentation allows each zone to be manufactured with controlled thickness variations to achieve the desired mechanical properties, balancing manufacturing simplicity with the ability to replicate complex deformation patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different zones of the honeycomb block are given different cell wall thicknesses to create varying resistance to deformation values. This local differentiation enables accurate replication of the vehicle front unit's complex structure where different components (compressible elements, obstacles) have different mechanical characteristics, while still using a single integrated block design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The method enhances the accuracy of crash test barriers by replicating the impact behavior of a vehicle's front unit more faithfully, improving the representativeness and repeatability of tests, thus optimizing vehicle design for energy absorption in frontal impacts.

Implementation Method 1

a step of soaking in a pickling bath so as to carry out a chemical attack to obtain a reduction in the thickness of the cell walls

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChemical attack: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP3541972B1Method and facility for producing a crash test barrier comprising a unitary front block with regions of different strengths

Publication Date: 2020.09.16 AFL HONEYCOMB STRUCTURES

Figure 1~2b
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a method and a facility for processing metallic honeycomb blocks (10) which can be incorporated into a crash test barrier for a motor vehicle and which are composed of cells (100) that each extend longitudinally along a collision axis (T) between two open ends (101), (102) with a channel (103) extending therebetween, the method including a step of immersion into a pickling bath (22) in order to carry out a chemical etching process to reduce the thickness of the cell walls (104) at least in targeted regions, characterised in that the immersion step is performed by imparting a pendulum motion to the blocks in the pickling bath (22), the block entering into the pickling bath (22) via the open ends (101), (102) of the cells (100).