OEM & Lieferant - Ausgabe 1/2021

77 Brose Group www.brose.com Website Replacing large metallic areas (lef t, in red) with the structural module enables additional weight savings of around one kilogram per door. Brose Group info@brose.com Contact are attached by back-injection. This process is carried out in a conventional injection molding machine using appropriate tools. Brose has been manufacturing door modules made of organo sheet in large series since 2018. Compared to conventional plastic door systems made of PP-LGF30, this results in a weight advantage of 45 percent or up to two kilograms per vehicle – and with better crash behavior. The carrier made of glass-fiber-re- inforced plastic can absorb many times more energy. In addition, much more stable con- nections to the body are possible, as holes are made during the forming process to protect the fibers. It stands to reason that the ad- vantages of organo sheet should be exploited when dealing with the new crash require- ments. On the one hand, the kilos saved can at least partially offset the additional weight from necessary reinforcements in the body. On the other hand, it is worth taking a closer look at the possibilities of functional integra- tion, for example of crash elements. So-called pads and pushers can be integrated directly into the unit carrier or as a mounting part on the door system. This does not result in any new assembly steps on the manufacturer’s line, as the complete module is placed in the door with a single action. Evolution to a structural module Further areas of application emerge when the system limits of the door modules are extended so that they also take over static structural tasks in the door. In the future, the door body shell can be designed in such a way that it only achieves its full rigidity in combina- tion with this so-called structural module. As a result, it will not only be possible to signifi- cantly enlarge the cut-out in the inner part of the door, but also to omit components such as metallic reinforcements, crash pads or pushers. Their function is then assumed by the struc- tural module. In addition to the extra weight loss of more than one kilogram per door, this procedure also brings significant cost advan- tages for the manufacturer: in addition to the components, the corresponding tools and join- ing processes are no longer required. The extended structural modules have al- ready been fully validated at Brose. The new approach enablesweight savings of up to eight kilograms per vehicle compared to a conven- tional door design. It is important to note that this innovative approach requires the vehicle manufacturer to involve the supplier in the development process at an early stage. After all, the simulations required to design the body can only be carried out with the aid of precise data on the structural module and its connec- tion to the door. Although this coordination may seemunusual at present, it is the onlyway to achieve the greatest possible advantages in terms of crash behavior and weight – and at lower cost. Attaching the sealing to an organo door module at the Brose Technikum in Hallstadt. There and in its own crash center, the automotive supplier carries out the validation of the door systems.