SBIR Phase I: HydroElastic Hydroforming

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目是为了支持北美汽车制造商？需要开发和实施新技术，使他们能够形成重量轻、强度高的金属，以支持2025年56英里/加仑CAFÉ标准。这项研究?我们的目标是研究一种建议的液压成形机设计概念，以支持由新型复合材料密集制造构建的机器的需求。该项目旨在研究设计的优点和缺点，并提出一个最终的概念方案，该方案已通过模拟验证，以适合、可行和有利于形成OEM钣金板。该项目将创建一个健壮的原型设计，适合生产和相关的施工方案。它将使用软件模拟设计，并报告设想的概念设计的预计性能属性。此外，它还将构建一个1/5比例的原型，用于物理验证压力控制系统和材料成形性假设。如果成功，研究将产生一个可行的、经过验证的设计，证明该概念的适用性，并为第二阶段的全尺寸原型实施和开发测试做好准备。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是提高科学知识的理解和在机器压力机中使用高强度聚合物纤维来容纳高压缩压力下的流体，并将这些力用于产生受控的金属水弹性变形。它还演示了如何以汽车工业可用的周期速率完成这一工作。如果成功，这将鼓励原型和小批量汽车生产，通过直接和间接创造就业机会，潜在地刺激服务和利用不足的社区（如底特律内城）的经济活力。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to support the North American automakers? need to develop and implement new technologies that will allow them to form the light weight, high strength metals required to support the 2025 56 mpg CAFÉ standard. This research?s objective is to study a proposed hydroforming machine design concept to support that need with a machine constructed from a novel type of composite intensive fabrication. The project seeks to research the design for strengths and weaknesses and to propose a final concept proposal that has been validated through simulation to be suitable, viable and beneficial for forming OEM sheet metal panels. This project will create a robust prototype design suitable for production and an associated scheme of construction. It will use software to simulate the designs and report the projected performance properties of the envisioned concept design. In addition, it will construct a 1/5th scale prototype that will be used to physically validate the pressure containment system and material formability assumptions. If successful, the research will produce a viable, validated design that demonstrates the concept's suitability and readiness for full scale prototype implementation and development testing in Phase II. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to enhance scientific knowledge in the understanding and in the use of high strength polymer fibers in machine presses to contain fluids under high compressive pressure and direct those forces towards producing controlled hydroelastic deformation in metals. It is also to demonstrate how this can be done at cycle rates that are usable by the Automotive Industry. If successful, this will encourage prototype and low volume automotive production, potentially stimulating economic vitality in underserved and underutilized communities such as Detroit's Inner city through direct and indirect job creation.