Experimental investigation of automotive components consisting of hybrid FRP-metal material systems under crash loading

In the course of a strong trend towards automotive material diversification, hybrid material systems could offer solutions to design lightweight body-in-white structures particularly subject to crash loads in order to meet the demands of both ambitious efficiency goals and increasingly strict vehicle safety requirements. Hybrid material systems consisting of glass- and carbon fiber reinforced plastics and sheet steel are tested under axial impact loading and analyzed regarding their qualitative behavior and relevant crash metrics. The study shows the complex behavior of those material systems and the interaction between the material phases resulting in a complex system of parameter effects and interdependencies. Generally, the hybrid specimens studied indicated their applicability in automotive crash structures by exhibiting comparable results to pure FRP materials while simultaneously being potentially more compatible and cost efficient.