Potential for Use of Veneer-Based Multi-Material Systems in Vehicle Structures

In the past, the focus for the development of modern vehicle structures was very much on lightweight construction. However, there are increasing aspirations to develop not only light but also sustainable solutions which use resources efficiently. As a result, natural materials become more attractive compared to conventional lightweight construction materials. The "For (s) tschritt" research project investigates the use of veneer-based multi-material systems in vehicle structures. For this purpose, various concepts were developed, ranging from a use of the material to reinforce thin sheet metals to structural components which are produced completely from wood and are only reinforced locally. In order to evaluate the aspired solutions, generic components were derived, manufactured at the Department for Cutting and Joining Manufacturing Processes of the University of Kassel (TFF) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut (WKI), and tested at the Institute of Vehicle Concepts of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The advantages of the use of wood are particularly evident in structures which are subjected to bending stress and pressure loads: As a result of the lower density, they can be designed with reinforcement. This allows the second moments of inertia to be increased without affecting the weight. The disadvantages of the natural material, such as reduced reproducibility and the complex failure behaviour, are offset by systematic hybridisation of wood and the use of veneer multilayer composites.