At the IAA in Frankfurt, the EDAG Group will be presenting not just its live engineering project #collectivio, but also seven technological innovations from the fields of lightweight design and eMobility. As the growing number of variants continues to increase due to the alternative powertrains available, greater flexibility and above all more lightweight solutions, both for components but also in manufacturing, are called for. Wiesbaden-based engineering specialists EDAG have already in recent years provided impressive evidence of the company's engineering skills in additive manufacturing. EDAG are continuing this success story this year with a number of projects including the additively manufactured lightweight hood hinge.
For us, lightweight design competence, car IT and production solutions remain key future-oriented subjects. I am delighted that we can once again offer a real firework display of proactively developed technology concepts in these future fields here in Frankfurt," declares Jürgen Vogt, CEO of the EDAG Group.
The EDAG Group is continuing its innovative series of additively manufactured components for use in low-volume production at the IAA, and this year will be presenting an additively manufactured hood hinge with integrated pedestrian protection in Frankfurt.
The "LightHinge+" came into being in cooperation with two other companies, voestalpine Additive Manufacturing (Düsseldorf) and Simufact Engineering (Hamburg). The results show that the new development brings about an ultimate reduction in weight in small series production. The lightweight structure was further developed so that there was very little need for a support structure during production using voestalpine's selective laser melting method, which in turn meant only minimal reworking. It was also possible to compensate for the production-related heat distortion of the component by pre-deforming the geometry using the Simufact simulation software.
By utilising topology optimisation and applying bionic construction principles, it proved possible to calculate the minimum material requirements, and in the outcome achieve a weight reduction of 50 % compared to the reference part.
The most interesting feature of the "LightHinge+" is the integration of the active hood function. Should the vehicle collide with a pedestrian, a pyrotechnic actuator (of the Austrian manufacturer Hirtenberger) is triggered, and this strikes a defined area of the hinge. Complex breakaway structures are monolithically integrated at this point, and the application of force causes these to release an additional joint, which makes it possible for the hood to be raised. The resulting space then helps to absorb the impact of the pedestrian. The "LightHinge+" unites safety, lightweight construction and a production-oriented design.