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    What's in a Cockpit?

    Jan. 1, 2020
    BURSCHEID, GERMANY (July 24, 2007) - How important is a crosscar beam in the cockpit? Is a one-piece component necessary? And is it possible to reduce cockpit weight? These are just some of the questions that engineers from ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, Thy
    TECHNOLOGY FOCUSWhat's in a Cockpit?BURSCHEID, GERMANY (July 24, 2007) - How important is a crosscar beam in the cockpit? Is a one-piece component necessary? And is it possible to reduce cockpit weight? These are just some of the questions that engineers from ThyssenKrupp Steel AG, ThyssenKrupp Presta and Johnson Controls Inc. have been pondering.  The companies have been collaborating to develop a new cockpit structure for the automotive industry using a comprehensive system approach and their specific product expertise. The result of their synergy is a new cockpit design called EcoSpace that offers a weight saving of more than 20 percent compared to traditional solutions, while ensuring the same passenger protection and providing other benefits besides. In addition, improvements have also been made to functional integration and structural properties. EcoSpace will debut this September at the 2007 International Motor Show (IAA).  "Take three competencies, two materials and one solution, and you have the recipe for a new concept in cockpit design," says Thomas Beer, Senior Product Business Manager at Johnson Controls. This created a synergy between Johnson Controls' experience in developing and manufacturing instrument panels and cockpits and ThyssenKrupp Steel AG's expertise in materials and body work. ThyssenKrupp Presta contributed the steering column and corresponding engineering know-how.  "The idea is to simplify the assembly process for automakers by offering them a complete single-source cockpit structure that already includes the instrument panel, steering column and substrate," adds Martin Hinz, Project Manager for cockpit structure design at ThyssenKrupp Steel AG. "The assembly complexity has been significantly reduced, which means that all the automaker has to incorporate is individual components such as the radio and air conditioning." Hybrid construction renders one-piece cross-car beam unnecessary Development of the new cockpit structure began with a benchmark: the team from the three companies examined a reference structure from the high-turnover lower medium segment. A precondition was that the existing structure already had to have a high-quality, optimized construction. 

    The key to the new approach lies in a light-weight hybrid construction, a composite steel (in blue) and plastic (in green) structure. (Photo: Johnson Controls)As with most vehicles these days, this cockpit uses a single cross-car beam as the key component in its structure. It provides the cockpit with stability and also interfaces with the steering column, airbag and instrument panel. Most traditional structures are made of steel, magnesium, aluminum or, in some cases, entirely of plastic, each with specific advantages and disadvantages. The key to the new EcoSpace approach lies in its lightweight hybrid construction - a composite steel and plastic structure - that makes it possible to do away with half of the cross-car beam.  Since structural rigidity is required mainly in the steering column area, the engineers used the steel for the driver's side in the form of a tripod. The central component is a third-generation Thyssen Tailored Tube. This is a closed profile tube with load-dependent geometry, to which the steering column can be directly attached.  The plastic, consisting of long fiber reinforced polypropylene, comes from Johnson Controls. The plastic is used across the full cockpit width. Air channels, the connection to the airbag and the back of the glove box are integrated directly into the plastic structure. These parts also assume a reinforcing function.  The hybrid structure has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of the traditional material combinations, such as low weight, high integration potential, good structural properties and general applicability. The result of these measures is that there is no need for a one-piece cross-car beam. Tripod structure and steering column connection

    Concentrating the main structure on the driver side allows new options for different layouts, particularly on the passenger side. (Photo: Johnson Controls)  A tripod structure represents the most stable static state while allowing for minimum material use. It is screwed to the cowl, the A-pillar and the floor. The fact that it is integrated into the cockpit structure means that it can absorb impact from all directions.  ThyssenKrupp Presta developed a new design for the steering column. In conventional cockpits, the steering column is directly attached to the cross-car beam to optimize the flow of forces in an impact. However, traditional construction requires seven parts to achieve this.  The new design saves six of these. Overmolded steel inserts laser-welded to the tripod provide the connection for the steel and plastic substrate. This results in a rigid, high-strength connection, which allows for optimal and stable attachment. It also reduces the cockpit's natural frequency to 46 Hz, including the steering column. Crash safety a top priority Engineers involved in the collaborative effort paid attention to safety. Simulations of the entire EcoSpace cockpit structure show that it has such a homogeneous construction that there is no variation in safety level. Thus, crash performance is the same on the driver and passenger side, regardless of whether the impact takes place on the side with a greater proportion of steel or plastic.  "The deciding factor in a side impact is the precise interaction between plastic and steel," says Hinz. ThyssenKrupp Steel simulated crashes from the front and side and Johnson Controls examined the effects of a crash on the cockpit as a whole. Besides satisfying the demands on the components, it also meets those on the overall system pursuant to the Euro NCAP FMVSS 208 standard. The loss of the often complex steering column connection also allows for additional space to be utilized for passenger protection.  "Besides the assembly and system advantages, automotive designers will also be pleased with our new EcoSpace structure," Beer notes. "Concentrating the main structure on the driver side allows new options for different layouts, particularly on the passenger side." The new cockpit design is suitable for all sedans and could be in production with effect from the 2010 model year. (Source: Johnson Controls Inc., ThyssenKrupp Group)

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