Modular Floor Pan Assembly for Multi-Drive Vehicle Platforms
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing processes for motor vehicles face challenges in producing bodyshell structures that can accommodate different drive concepts (combustion, electric, and hybrid) using uniform components, leading to limitations in flexibility, increased production complexity, and reduced luggage compartment volume due to varying battery and fuel tank arrangements.
Innovation Solution
The use of only two different floor panel subassemblies and two different luggage compartment floor subassemblies allows for the production of motor vehicles with three drive concepts, enabling the accommodation of larger batteries and maintaining uniformity in bodyshell structure components, thereby enhancing flexibility and reducing production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If uniform components are used for bodyshell structure across different drive concepts, then manufacturing economy is improved, but flexibility to accommodate different battery and fuel tank arrangements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bodyshell structure is segmented into a modular platform architecture with a common base structure and drive-specific modules. The floor panel structure is divided into standardized mounting areas that can accommodate different battery packs for electric drives or fuel tanks for combustion engines, allowing uniform manufacturing of the base platform while enabling flexible configuration for different drive concepts through module replacement
Solution Approach 2:
The common platform structure is designed with universal mounting interfaces and standardized structural elements that can serve multiple functions. The same floor panel structure and bodyshell components can accommodate both battery packs and fuel tanks through standardized mounting points, enabling a single uniform platform to support multiple drive concepts without requiring separate manufacturing lines
2Quantity of substance
If battery is arranged over large area in vehicle floor region, then battery capacity is improved, but floor height and seating position deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack arrangement transitions from a traditional under-floor placement to a lateral arrangement along the side walls of the vehicle interior. This dimensional change allows the battery to extend along the length of the vehicle rather than occupying floor height, maximizing battery capacity while preserving the original floor level and seating position by utilizing the lateral space between the floor and the roof
3Ease of manufacture
If fuel tank is arranged in luggage compartment above rear axle, then hybrid drive installation is simplified, but luggage compartment volume deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel tank is extracted from the traditional location in the rear axle area and relocated to the front longitudinal members in the hybrid drive vehicle. This extraction frees up the rear luggage compartment space, allowing the fuel tank to be positioned in an area that does not compromise luggage volume, while the standardized mounting interfaces maintain installation simplicity
4Adaptability or versatility
If different installation sequences are used for fuel tanks in combustion and hybrid drives, then specific drive requirements are met, but production complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel tanks and battery packs are pre-positioned in standardized mounting locations during the platform assembly phase, before final drive-specific components are installed. This preliminary action establishes a consistent base configuration that simplifies subsequent assembly steps for different drive concepts, reducing production complexity while maintaining the ability to meet specific drive requirements
Data Source
AI summary
In order to produce different motor vehicles of a vehicle type, which have the different drive concepts of an internal combustion engine, electric motor or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, two different floor pan assemblies and two different luggage compartment floor subassemblies are provided. The two subassemblies are each produced using different deep-drawing dies. A combination of one of the two floor pan subassemblies with one of the two luggage compartment floor subassemblies allows the production of motor vehicles for all three drive concepts. The first of these two floor pan subassemblies, when installed in the vehicle, has a higher position than the second floor pan subassembly. The higher floor pan subassembly is used to produce both the electric-drive motor vehicles and hybrid-drive motor vehicles. A large-area installation space below the floor pan subassembly is also made available for the hybrid-drive motor vehicles for housing at least one pack-type battery.