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ABSTRACT
The rear-end of compact and urban vehicle increasingly include so-called deformable cross-bars which integrate numerous functions related to the behavior of the vehicle. The components of these cross-bars are obtained via the MAG (metal active gas) welding of a large number of parts. Digital simulation as an analysis and decision-making tool has become essential due to the importance of the welding process in the specifications of the component and its complex implementation. The application of the digital simulation of welding within PSA Peugeot Citroën, in the case of the second generation Citroën C3 is presented in this article. Due to the considerable effort made in order to develop a methodology adapted to the objectives and simple to implement, digital simulation brings at this time real added-value to projects involving welding techniques.
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Philippe BRISTIEL: Doctor ENSAM - Welding and heat treatment process simulation pilot at PSA Peugeot-Citroën
INTRODUCTION
The rear crossmember is an essential component of a car's chassis, integrating numerous functions linked to vehicle handling. On the second-generation Citroën C3, this deformable crossmember is made up of a large number of stamped sheet metal parts assembled by arc welding. The impact of the welding process on the geometry and final strength of the part greatly complicates the process development phase, and may require several iterations with the design work. The objectives of the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group, in terms of reducing lead times and costs and increasing quality, therefore argue in favor of a digital approach to the welding process. Even if software is not yet able to model all the physics of the process, the accuracy achieved with the simplified approaches applied today is already quite satisfactory, and digital welding simulation therefore appears more than ever to be a valuable tool for reconciling and achieving these different objectives.
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Bibliography
Software tools
JMatPro: software for calculating properties (thermal, metallurgical, mechanical...) of steels, cast irons, aluminum alloys, titanium... Website of the publisher, Sente Software http://www.sentesoftware.co.uk/jmatpro.aspx
DANTE: ABAQUS-coupled library of routines to take metallurgical phenomena into account...
Websites
http://hts.asminternational.org ASM International/Heat Treating Society website, with books, articles and information on heat treatment, steels and welding.
http://pastel.paristech.org/ Virtual library of theses defended at the Grandes Ecoles in Paris....
Events
SNS (Simulation Numérique du Soudage) conference, organized annually by the AFM (Association Française de Mécanique): information on http://www.afm.asso.fr then on "Presentation of the AFM", "Working groups", "Numerical simulation of welding", or directly on the following link:
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