Comprehensive Considerations on Material Selection for Lightweighting Vehicle Bodies Based on Material Costs and Assembly Joining Technologies

Lightweighting is a trend of new vehicles, driven by government regulations and environmental concerns. A major development effort in the automotive industry is on lightweighting vehicle bodies. This paper discusses the materials, their characteristics, weight reduction potentials, and costs for lightweighting vehicle bodies. The paper exams the joining technologies on their principles, applications for light materials, and influencing factors for choosing a joining process. Based on the review, the paper discusses the development trends for material selection and joining technology applications.