27-03-2014

Sheet steel
Light alloys
Plastics
Textiles
Glass
Rubbers
Wood
Insulating materials

VEHICLE BODY MATERIALS

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Sheet steel
Thickness from 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm
Obtainable in sheets or rolls
Specific gravity of 7.8
Low carbon steel with an average carbon
content of 0.8 per cent and it is therefore,
a good welding material
Phosphorus and sulphur contaminations
are, respectively 0.04 and 0.045 per cent

In recent years copper or nickel and

chrome are often added to improve the
anti-corrosive properties of sheet metal.
All sheets after hot rolling go through a
pickling process which removes the iron
oxides or scale from the surface since
this scale is a poor electric conductor
which would prevent spot welding.

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Light Alloys
After pickling, the sheets are cold rolled.
The number of passes determines an
important quality of the sheets- the
smoothness of the surface.

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Aluminium alloys find wide application in

the construction of vehicle bodies, both
as castings and for steel metal
application.
The additions to aluminium in the alloy
are copper, magnesium, nickel and
silicon.
The mechanical properties of aluminium
alloys depend on heat treatment and
ageing.

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Plastics

The sp.gravity of aluminium alloy is 2.7

Those used for castings and sheet metal

workings can be welded using a special flux.

Welding lowers the strength of the material

and this type of joint is therefore confined to
lightly loaded parts while rivets are used for
joining panels which are heavily loaded
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Plastics can be divided into those

obtained from
Large organic molecules
Condensation and addition
polymerisation process

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Its disadvantage is its high inflammability.

Other materials based on cellulose are
cellulose acetate and cellulose butyrate.
These are more expensive than cellulose
nitrate but are non-inflammable, they are used
for the same applications as celluloid.

Large organic molecules are used for

obtaining cellulose ( commonly known
as celluloid) which is used for decorative
linings, anti glare glazing, various knobs
and steering wheel facings.
Celluloid with addition of pigmentations
has a very attractive finish. It also
possesses good mechanical properties,
such as high tensile and impact strength.

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TEXTILES
The most important group of plastics obtained
from condensation polymerization is the
pheno-plasts, often known as Bakelite.
Depending on the polymerisation process, a
material suitable for casting or moulding can
be obtained.
Cast phenolic resins have the advantage of
being insensitive to temperature and humidity
changes, with good dimensional stabilitty and
surface finish.

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In older days, cotton-based fabrics have been

the traditional materials used for the internal
trim of a vehicle.
The life of material is quite short and it also
absorbs dust and other impurities.
It has now been almost wholly replaced by
plastics, of which the most popular are
imitation leathers.
These consists of soft polyvinylchloride
attached to a cotton fabric base.

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GLASS

Toughened glass
Laminated glass
The glass used for window in vehicle bodies
has a specific gravity of 3.5.
Safety glass must be used in vehicle body
structures so that injury will not be caused to
passengers in the event of breakage.
This characteristic can be obtained by
toughening the glass so that it disintegrates into
small pieces with blunt edges.
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Toughened glass cannot be cut or

drilled.
This disadvantage dose not apply to
laminated glass where layers of ordinary
glass are glued together with a
transparent
foil
which
prevents
splintering when breakage occurs.

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Rubbers
Synthetic rubber rather than natural rubber is
used in vehicle body structure
Synthetic rubber has the advantage of being
resistant to fuel oil and can, therefore, be used
near fuel tank and in the engine compartment.
Foam rubber are also used in bodywork and
are divided into the closed and open cell type.

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The closed cell type does not absorb water

and is therefore used for outside sealing.
Open cell rubber is used for seat cushions and
other soft furnishings inside the body.
The hardness of rubber is measure in
international rubber hardness degrees.
30 degree IRHD indicates a very soft rubber
100 degree IRHD indicates a harrdest rubber
in use.
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wood

Insulating materials

Soft woods such as pine, spruce were used for

floor boards and the load containing bodywork
of lorries.
Semi-hard woods such as ash and beech
were used for body framework.
Hard- woods like oak, chestnut for structural
elements having a complicated shape.
Special species of timber, such as walnut,
acacia, mahogany are still used today for
dashboard finishes in luxury vehicles.

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A low coefficient of thermo-conductivity and a

high coefficient of vibration damping are
required for insulating material
These coefficients are difficult to obtain
simultaneously in any one material.
Good thermal insulating properties can be
obtained in materials which have included air
bubbles but these make the material nonelastic and elasticity is a necessary condition
for vibration damping

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In this situation there are two possibilities

First the use of two materials, one of which
has the appropriate damping qualities and
second of which gives thermal insulation.
The use of material with compromise
properties.

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