• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.39 no.10
• /
• pp.1039-1044
• /
• 2015

During the development of vehicles, durability tests are time consuming and costly. Recently, automobile companies have attempted to develop their own durability evaluation procedures by modifying and complementing . In this paper, we propose an integrated computer-aided engineering (CAE) method to evaluate the durability of a torsion beam axle (TBA). We compare this method with the standardized durability evaluation method used by an actual automobile company in order to determine the feasibility of this method. We compare the results with the test result data to enable us to estimate the reliability of the analysis results. In this study, we analyze the processes and results of the quasi-static fatigue analysis, and found improved methods and problems. Furthermore, we perform a thorough test using the requirements of the actual company. Based on the results, the structural analysis process in the quasi-static fatigue analysis method was superseded by the multi-body dynamics analysis process. Generally, this method is referred to as the resonance-fatigue analysis method.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.123-136
• /
• 2012

The validity of the results from observational methods such as RULA, REBA, OWAS has been one of major concerns due to their subjective characteristics in determining the posture of interests. There have been many studies regarding validity of the results from each checklist. However, most studies provided only fragmentary rather than comprehensive results in nature. This study specifically tried to analyze consistency of novice user based on intra-observer consistency and sensitivity of industrial types during MSDs(Musculoskekltal Disorders) evaluation with major checklists. In this study, twenty two novice subjects were participated to conduct MSDs evaluation for the forty five jobs from three types of industries(automobile, electronics, hospital). The main results for this study were summarized as follows; 1) The action level based on RULA was always higher than that from REBA and OWAS for all three types of industries., 2) The order of consistency from novice users was OWAS(72.7%(kappa=0.57)) RULA(54.3%(kappa=0.41)), REBA(41.0%(kappa=0.34))., 3) The percentage of agreement between 2nd and 3rd trials was higher than those between 1st and 2nd trials and between 1st and 3rd trials irrespective of industrial types during using RULA and REBA., 4) The average score of automobile industry was higher than those of hospital and electronics industries., 5) The types of jobs associated with five body parts(A1(Front), A2(Interior), A3(Rear), A4(Lower), A5(Door)) in automobile industry showed statistically significant differences in terms of MSDs scores for the body parts considered in each checklists.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
• /
• v.7 no.7
• /
• pp.242-249
• /
• 1999

Spot welding is very important and useful technology in fabrication of an automobile body structure. Because fatigue strength of the spot welding point is however considerably lower than parent metal due to stress concentration at the nugget edge, accurate stress analysis and fatigue stength evaluation of spot welded lap joint are very important to valuate the reliability and durability of automobile body structure and to establish a criterion of long life fatigue design. Many invetigators have studied so far onsystematic fatigue strength evaluation with various methods. It is however necessary to verify their reliability and abailability for practical application to fatigue design of spot welded structure, Thus,in this study, fatigue strength evaluation methods of spot welded lap joint. which are the maximum principal stress method. the fracture and availability with the Weibull probability distribution. From the results, it was found that reliability and availability withe the Weibull probaility distribution. From the results, it was found that reliability and availability of the suggest fatigue strength estimation methods methods were higher than $\Delta$P-$N_f$ relation. However, among them , reliability of the maximum pricipal stress method was the highest.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.209-216
• /
• 2006

A study has been conducted for an optimal processing and an apparatus for manufacturing a laser welded tube for one-body formed bumper beam. The tube dimensions used in calculation were the thickness of 1.4 mm, the diameter of 105.4 mm and the length of 2000 mm. The tube was formed of a cold rolled high strength steel plate(tensile strength of 600 MPa). The two-roll bending method was the optimal tube forming process in comparison with the UO-bending method, the bending method on the press brake, the multi-step continuous roll-forming method and the 3-roll bending method. Monitoring of the welding quality was conducted and the seam tracking along the butt-joint lengthwise to the tube axis was also examined. The longitudinal butt-joint was welded by using a $CO_2$ laser welding machine equipped with a seam tracker and a plasma sensor. The $CO_2$ laser tube welding machine could be used for precise seam tracking and real-time monitoring of the welding quality. As a result, the developed laser welded tube could be used for a one-body formed automobile bumper beam.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers Conference
• /
• 2005.05a
• /
• pp.174-179
• /
• 2005

In the super slow speed die casting process, the casting defects due to melt flow should be controlled in order to obtain sound casting products. The casting defects that are caused by molten metal were cold shut formation, entrapment of air, gas, and inclusion. But the control of casting defects has been based on the experience of the foundry engineers. The calculation of simulation can produce very useful and important results. The calculation data of die casting process condition from the computer simulation by the Z-CAST is made to insure that the liquid metal is injected at the right velocity range and that the filling time is small enough to prevent premature solidification. The parameters of runner shape that affected on the optimized conditions that was calculated with simple equation were investigated. These die casting process control techniques of automobile valve body mid-plate have achieved good agreement with the experimental data of tensile strength, hardness test, and material structure photographies satisfactory results.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.67
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2001

A series of studies with collaboration of university, research institute, and labor union were conducted to examine the situation and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at an automobile company which is one of the three major car companies in Korea. As the first part of the study, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 4,000 employees at 2 different assembly sites and A/S centers over the country. The questionnaire was consisted of three parts; symptom survey, work environment information, and labor intensity survey. Among 4,000 questionnaires, 2,643 responses were considered for analysis. The result showed that 68.5% of the respondents complained pains on at least one part of the body and 48.8% on at least two parts of the body. After cross-sectional analysis of various information and risk factors such as severity of symptom, duration and frequency of pain, 31.5% of respondents were considered as at high risk of having MSDs. This high-risk rate showed similar result when compared with previous studies conducted at various manufacturing industries in Korea. Also the analysis of the work environment and job intensity survey supported the high-risk rate of MSDs.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.277-286
• /
• 2001

Among the ULSAB methods for the lightweight automobile body, Tailor Welded Blank(TWB) is adopted and the design process is developed for the existing component. Topology optimization conducted to find the distribution of the variable thickness. The number of parts and the welding lines are determined from it. In the detail design, size optimization is carried out to find the optimum thickness of each part and then, the final parting lines are tuned by shape optimization. A commercial optimization software GENESIS is utilized for the optimization processes.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.21 no.7
• /
• pp.136-144
• /
• 2004

Optimal process and system to produce the laser welded tube for one body formed bumper beam are studied. The calculated size of tube is a thickness of 1.4mm, diameter of 105.4mm and length of 2000mm. The tube is shaped from a cold rolled high strength steel sheet(tensile strength: 60kgf/$\textrm{mm}^2$ grade). Two roll bending method is the optimal tube shaping process compared to UO-bending, bending on press brake, multi-step continuous roll forming and 3 roll bending methods. Weld quality monitoring and seam tracking along the butt-joint lengthwise to the tube axis are also studied. The longitudinal butt-joint is welded by the $CO_2$ laser welding system equipped with a seam tracker and plasma sensor. The constructed $CO_2$laser tube welding system can be used for the precision seam tracking and the real-time monitoring of weld quality. Finally, the obtained laser welded tube can be used for one-body formed automobile bumper beam.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
• /
• 2009.11a
• /
• pp.31-31
• /
• 2009

최근 전세계적으로 유가상승 및 환경에 대한 관심이 증대되면서 자동차 업계에서는 차량 경량화를 통한 연비향상에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 대표적인 기술개발 사례로서 초경량 철강 차체의 개발을 들 수 있다. 이는 고장력강을 적용함으로써 강성을 증대시킴과 동시에 두께감소에 의한 경량화를 이루고자 추진되고 있다. 하지만 고장력강은 자체의 높은 강성을 지니고 있는 반면, 일반 강종에 비해서 스프링백이 크고 용접성도 많이 떨어지는 제약을 안고 있다. 아크 용접법 중 하나인 AC pulse MIG 용접은 DCEP (direct current electrode positive) 와 DCEN (direct current electrode positive) 구간이 주기적으로 반복하는 용접법으로 스패터 발생이 거의 없으며 특히 갭 접합성이 우수하여 자동차 차체 조립공정에 적용되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 자동차 차체용 AHSS 소재의 겹치기 용접 실험을 통해 실제 생산라인에서 용접 이음부에 발생되는 갭에 대해 강건한 용접 공정 조건을 제시하였다. 먼저 고속카메라 촬영을 통해 AC pulse MIG 용접에서 EN ratio 변화에 따른 와이어 용융현상을 분석 하였으며 단면마크로, 인장시험, 인장 파단면 분석을 통해 겹치기 용접에서 0~2mm 사이의 갭 발생에 강건한 용접 조선을 제시하였다.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.45-56
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this study is to evaluate perceived discomfort of working postures in terms of upper body (back, shoulder, and elbow) flexions when an external load varies. Eighteen subjects participated in an experiment of appraising perceived discomfort of varying upper body postures with three levels of external loads given. The ANOVA results showed that the perceived discomfort of upper body postures was significantly affected by the external load. It was also apparent that the interactions between external load and upper body posture were significant (p< 0.001). The result implies that a new posture classification scheme for workload assessment methods may be in need to reflect such interactions between external load and upper body posture. In order to support the statement, a regression model of perceived discomfort of upper body postures obtained from the experiment was developed and compared to that of perceived discomfort of seven work-related postures found in automobile assembly operations. The correlation coefficient between predicted and actual values of perceived discomfort was about 0.96. It is expected that the result help to properly estimate the body stress resluting from worker's postures and external loads and can be used as a valuable design guideline on preventing work-related musculoskeletal diseases in industry.