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Interior Package Validation Buck The most important element put into a motor vehicle is the customer. The driver is the sensing element, the information processing element, and the active element of the vehicle control system. The arrangement of the interior architecture of the motor vehicle has a great bearing upon the performance and comfort of the driver. In this light, it is important to asses the effectiveness of the interior architecture at a very early stage of vehicle design. This is accomplished by building an accurate interior evaluation buck to evaluate:
Concepts International exercises its patented modular process to build such a property. This system allows for quick turnaround in updating design changes with the required accuracy to validate the placements of production intent components such as:
The next step in product development includes the creation of a BIW (inner and outer sheet metal ). The "modular process" is to become the central work place for the engineering and manufacturing community in finalizing the product for:
The single most important consideration in assuring a successful buck construction is for someone to take ownership of the project and taking ownership of any project is Concepts International Inc. business.
Chrysler Improves Design Flexibility With Polyboard™ Modeling Material To enhance its design capabilities, Chrysler Corporation is modeling bodies-in-white from modular sections of CNC-machined polyurethane board.The modular concept allows the full range of electrical, mechanical and structural engineers involved in automotive development to work on their respective sections of the body-in-white simultaneously, significantly reducing the time required to implement alterations. According to Bruce Mattarella, Chrysler's Manager Vehicle Packaging, Truck Platform Engineering, "With the modular body-in-white, we can quickly and economically update design data during the development of wiring harnesses, trim panels, and other vehicle components. When a new section is reinstalled in the property, it represents a first-generation, precise surface that helps increase accuracy and eliminate potential design errors. Background The modular approach to CNC machining bodies-in-white was created for Chrysler by Giuliano Zuccato of Concepts International, Northville, Michigan. Zuccato, who was a systems designer for more than 30 years at the Ford Motor Design Center, developed the patented system to improve on the traditional method of building bodies-in-white from a combination of sheet metal, machinable board and carbon fiber. Zuccato explains, "With bodies-in-white built from conventional materials, when a design changes, a small area of the property is cut out and replaced with a patch incorporating the updated surface. Over time, the body-in-white is literally covered with patches. While these new sections indicate the overall effect of the design changes, they do not provide the needed accuracy. Polyboard™ Modules The new concept for building bodies-in-white utilizes a series of machined blocks of Polyboard™ 140 modeling material supplied by Ciba specialty Chemicals. The board is an easy-to-cut polyurethane stock that is grain free to resist the warping that is characteristic of wood and produces a high-quality, non-porous surface that requires virtually no secondary finishing. Polyboard" modules offer good edge definition and exhibit excellent dimensional accuracy and stability. In addition, the board provides the strength and durability required for the application with a Shore 62D hardness, tensile strength of 1,800 psi and compressive strength of 1,750 psi (0.2% offset). A major advantage of the Polyboard™ modular system. according to Chrysler's Lee Phillips, Manager SLA Tooling Applications, Jeep and Truck Engineering, is the speed with which changes can be machined in board sections, by either cutting a new block of Polyboard" or remachining an existing piece. "In the past, by the time a metal part of the body-in-white was re-formed, more changes had occurred- The net effect was that the design was obsolete before the reworked section ever got back to the car," Phillips says. He continues, "Now, because we can quickly alter the Polyboard material and reinstall board modules, the body-in-white is truly our 'control center. If someone wants to see where the program is, they can go to the property and be assured it will always be the most up-date version of the design." A Further benefit of the modular approach is that it helps increase security of new model designs since small pieces of the body-in-white can be shipped out for changes without moving the entire property. In addition, because the properties are retained even after a vehicle is introduced, they can facilitate minor changes made in subsequent model years. The ease of recutting sections helps reduce costs on these design changes. Building The Body-In-White To construct a modular body-in-white,Concepts International begins by bonding together a series of Polyboard 140 boards using Ren Weld103 epoxy adhesive. The boards are clamped and allowed to cure overnight. For the body-in-white floor pan for a mid-size vehicle, about 30 separate blocks are built, assembled on a plate and milled as one unit to the required dimensions. Other parts of the body-in-white are machined simultaneously by several different suppliers to reduce the time required to generate the property. Using this technique, an entire body-in-white can be built in six weeks. Polyboard is easy to cut with little cutter wear and offers excellent dimensional stability even in thin sections," Zuccato reports. Typically, the board sections are machined using two-flute carbide or hardened steel cutters. Roughing cuts are made at 30 to 40 inches per minute and 2,000 revolutions per minute; finishing passes are made at 100 inches per minute and 2,500 revolutions per minute. As individual sections are milled, they are painted with automotive lacquer. Then, the modules are assembled, installed on a metal base and shipped to Chrysler. "The CNC-machined modular bodies-in-white have proven to be a great time saver at Chrysler and have also helped support our efforts to increase accuracy," Mattarella concludes.
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"Patent Holder of the Modular Buck Building System" Concepts International, Inc. was founded in 1988 to be a supplier in automotive product development. Concepts International, Inc. PHONE (248) 888 0264 E-MAIL gzuccato@mi.rr.com
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