Modular Pipe-Frame Vehicle Lower Body for Flexible Chassis Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chassis structures require significant investment in large-scale facilities and have limited design flexibility, making them costly and inefficient for producing multiple types in small quantities, especially in a smart factory environment.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lower body structure composed of multiple pipes, assembled through bolting or riveting, which allows for easy coupling and disassembly, reducing production costs and enabling modular design for various vehicle types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional chassis are produced by processing and welding components through press processing that uses molds, then structural strength and rigidity are ensured, but large-scale facilities such as press factories, chassis welding factories, and painting factories are required, increasing investment costs and reducing design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis is divided into multiple modular components (front lower body, rear lower body, lower body main members, lower body floor members) that can be manufactured separately and assembled together through bolting or riveting, eliminating the need for large-scale press processing facilities and welding factories
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional welding and press processing mechanical systems are replaced with a mechanical assembly system using bolts or rivets to connect pre-fabricated modular components, simplifying the production facility requirements while maintaining structural integrity
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple types of chassis are produced in small amounts using conventional methods, then design variety is achieved, but the number of necessary molds increases exponentially, posing a problem of increased production costs
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis is segmented into standardized modular components that can be reconfigured for different vehicle types, allowing design variety without requiring new molds for each variant, thus reducing production costs for small-batch multi-type production
Solution Approach 2:
The modular components are designed with universal interfaces and standardized dimensions, enabling the same components to be used across multiple chassis types and configurations, reducing the number of unique parts and molds needed
3Reliability
If chassis are assembled through press processing and welding, then structural integrity is ensured, but the manufacturing process is complex and time-consuming, reducing productivity in smart factory environments
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis manufacturing process is segmented into independent modular component fabrication and final assembly operations, allowing parallel production of components and reducing overall manufacturing time while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection methods
Solution Approach 2:
Time-consuming welding and press processing operations are replaced with faster mechanical assembly using bolts or rivets, significantly reducing manufacturing cycle time and improving productivity in smart factory environments while ensuring structural reliability
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment vehicle lower body includes a front lower body and a rear lower body spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction, each including multiple pipes and having wheels and a suspension mounted thereto, a pair of lower body main members each having a pipe shape and spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction, the pair of lower body main members connecting upper end sides of the front lower body and the rear lower body and extending in the longitudinal direction to define upper side members of the front lower body and the rear lower body, and a pair of lower body floor members each having a pipe shape and spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction, the pair of lower body floor members connecting lower end sides of the front lower body and the rear lower body.