Design and Reinforcement of a B-Pillar for Occupants Safety in Conventional Vehicle Applications

Abstract

This paper is focused on B-pillar design and reinforcement with certain criteria that the final reinforcement design weight does not exceed 6Kg and the maximum displacement must be less than 40mm on the application of 140KN load. Surface welding method was applied on the first and second design while spot welding was used for the third design, whereas, seam welding was applied on the fourth design which happened to have the least maximum displacement, least maximum stress and weight compared to the other designs. The welding methods applied in each of the design gave different displacement values with the fourth design showing the least maximum displacement of 13.8mm and the third design showing highest maximum displacement of 31.9mm, while there was proximity in displacement values obtained for the first design (15.2mm) and second design (16.4mm). Hence, for the purpose of design against unforeseen damages during side collision, auto manufacturers may consider employing seam welding techniques when manufacturing a B-Pillar for occupant safety.

Keywords

• B-Pillar
• Reinforcement
• Welding
• Vehicle
• Safety