Implementation of Composite Materials for an Industrial Vehicle Component: A Design Approach

The aim of this research is to define a design approach for implementing composite materials in a component of an industrial vehicle, having weight reduction as the primary goal. Through the schematisation of the problem and analytical analysis, the definition of a new geometry, a material and production process, and numerical simulations and experimental studies to test the new solution, an optimization process of the chosen geometry is proposed. After the definition of the process, an applicative example is presented, analysing a front underrun protection device in two different solutions: one made of glass-fibre-reinforced polymer and the other of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer. An economic comparison has also been conducted between the new configurations and the traditional steel version, showing a weight reduction of approximately 55% for the carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer solution and around 18% for the glass-fibre-reinforced polymer solution. These weight reductions are achievable through a reinvestment that can be amortized in less than five years, thanks to fuel consumption savings.