Design Optimization of Crush Beams of SUV Chassis for Crashworthiness

Every year Insurance Companies throughout the world pay out huge sums of money in motor claims. A significant proportion of this payment relates to the repair of damaged Vehicles. Returning the vehicle to its pre-accident condition on behalf of the policyholder is a costly and time consuming business and quite naturally insurers have striven to control this cost over the years. To achieve this objective the International Insurance Industry has always looked to its Research Organizations in various parts of the world to help in the fight to reduce or at least contain these repair costs. This tends to stringent requirements for Geometric Packaging in order to maintain adequate space for Managing Energy at the time of accidents or collisions. The general department of vehicle structural design for Energy Management at the time of crash involves three major areas, Front structure, Body and side structure and Rear structure. Perhaps the greatest challenge is the Front structure Design. The structure needs to be maintained enough space inside the vehicle so that the occupant resistance can operate effectively. The present study is to improve the overall safety, security, and quality and to reduce the cost of repair of motor vehicle during accidents by proper design of the crush beams of SUV chassis. These crush beams are energy absorbing bumpers and should be able to crush during impacts without dissipating the energy to the structure of the vehicle. The added advantage comes with the reduced weight thus providing greater fuel economy to the vehicle and has greater protection.