Innovative chassis concept at IAA Commercial Vehicles
The company is demonstrating the synergies of the HÖRMANN Group's expertise - particularly in the Automotive and Engineering divisions - at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018. The innovative integral chassis concept, which the HÖRMANN Group is presenting for the first time, is specifically designed for the use of alternative drives and pursues a consistent structural lightweight construction approach, which takes into account the cost sensitivity in the transport industry and the requirements of vehicle design for electrified, light commercial vehicles in particular.
The overall topology of the chassis is reminiscent of natural structures (e.g. shell, egg, turtle, nut), which are oval in shape to protect internal components. This means that the overall structure of the chassis already provides protection for internal energy storage per se, which is also supported by load-adaptive structures in the side members. Using innovative forming technology, it has been possible in this context to produce load-adapted multi-chamber profiles made of steel, just like in nature, which on the one hand follow the non-linear structure of the chassis and on the other hand can be mapped to multi-variant systems without additional tool costs using intelligent production concepts. The Hörmann integral chassis combines the use of innovative technologies suitable for series production and the use of cost-attractive materials with an intelligent structural lightweight construction approach based on an overall and component structure optimized according to the bionic model
Increased protection of the energy storage
The performance of the overall system is enhanced by the targeted use of high-performance composite lightweight materials. In addition to cost efficiency due to scalable production technologies in line with topological optimization and cost-attractive materials, the chassis concept promises increased protection of the energy storage units, which can be integrated into the overall system with reduced protection requirements and, as a result, reduced weight.
With the presentation of the chassis concept, the company is rounding off its expertise in light commercial vehicles, which it is currently bringing to the market through the production of large outer skin components. The development was driven forward as part of a powerful ECO system, with which HÖRMANN Automotive would like to accompany customers in the light and heavy commercial vehicle sectors as a system provider on their way to e-mobility in the future.
