%0 Journal Article
%T Development of a Side Door Composite Impact Beam for the Automotive Industry
%A Vinay Papaiya
%A Jens Schuster
%A Yousuf Pasha Shaik
%J Open Journal of Composite Materials
%P 1-14
%@ 2164-5655
%D 2024
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/ojcm.2024.141001
%X The automobile industry has been searching for vehicles that use less energy and emit fewer pollutants, which has resulted in a high demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Because of their higher strength-to-weight ratio compared to traditional steel, using fiber-reinforcement composite materials in automobile bodies has emerged as the most effective strategy for improving fuel efficiency while maintaining safety standards. This research paper examined the utilization of fiber-reinforced composite materials in car bodies to meet the increasing consumer demand for fuel-efficient and eco-friendly vehicles. It particularly focused on a carbon-aramid fiber-reinforced composite impact beam for passenger car side door impact protection. Despite the encouraging prospects of the carbon-aramid fiber-reinforced beam, the research uncovered substantial defects in the fabrication process, resulting in diminished load-bearing capacity and energy absorption. As a result, the beam was un-successful in three-point bending tests. This was accomplished by using an I cross-section design with varying thickness because of the higher area moment of inertia. Vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) manufacturing process was used and the finished beam underwent to three-point bending tests.
%K Side-Door Impact Beam
%K Impact Energy Absorption
%K Carbon-Aramid  Reinforcement
%K VARTM
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=129565