The All New Lincoln Continental
Shawn Morgans
Technical Leader & Front End / Under Body Applications Manager - NA
Ford Motor Company
1
Agenda
• History / Background
• Platform Lineage
• Material Usage
• Design Concepts
• Functional Performance
- Static Stiffness
- Dynamic Stiffness
- Safety
2
History /
Background
3
Evolution of the Continental
4
Platform Development
CD Sedan
CD SUV / CUV
D Sedan
Taurus (AP)
Fusion
Edge (NA)
Edge (AP)
Continental
MKZ
S-Max
Galaxy
MKX
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Design and Manufactured in Michigan
Engineering:
Dearborn
Manufacturing:
Flat Rock, MI
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Materials
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Body In White Materials
•
•
•
•
•
Increase in DP600 to offset increase in vehicle mass compared
to other platform derivatives
Yield Strength increase on Pan stampings
Significant increase in use of DP800 over previous models
Boron / Martensitic steel usage is aligned with current
strategies
Average BIW Yield Strength ≈ 340 MPa
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Closures Materials
•
•
Continued use of Bake Hard 240 for outers to meet gauge
minimums
Increased use of aluminum adding fender and deck lid
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Design Concepts
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Package Comparison
Continental – Blue
MKZ – Green
Key Dimension Changes:
• Continental wheel and tire sizes increased to 20”
• Unique suspension with an increased tread (27mm frt / 63mm rr)
• Continental is 150mm longer in the wheelbase versus the MKZ providing a significantly improved 2nd row legroom
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Platform Development
•
•
•
Rear of the Front Floor Pan is extended 134 mm to adjust for a portion of the wheel base increase
Sled Runners and Tunnel Runners extended to match the length of the Front Pan
Remainder of the vehicle length increase is accounted for in the all new Rear Pan Assembly
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Front Rail Design
Front Structure is based on the Fusion design and uses
an S-Brace Rail section angles toward the rocker as it
transitions under the dash for improved load path.
Y-Brace replaces the typical Torque Box to
distribute load to the rocker and the sled
runners
Hexagonal front rail section for improved axial crush
performance
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Front Rail Design
Front Rail geometry is the common with the Fusion
•
Cross section identical except for local differences driven by package conditions
•
Length of Rails are identical
Rail Inner material grade changed to DP600 to manage the energy associated with the higher
vehicle mass
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Shared Design Strategies
Advantages associated with the performance of continuous
closed sections:
•
Enabler for use of AHSS
•
25% Reduction in Variable Cost
•
9% Reduction in Mass
Integrated into the rail section for optimal load
transfer to improve joint stiffness – elimination of
flange flex
Improved joint resulted in the
following improvements in BIW torsional stiffness
by13%
Local and equivalent stiffness for Sub-frame and
Shock attachments were increased 10%
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Platform Mass Savings – Floor Pan
• Rear pan utilizes a laser welded blank to:
• Consolidate parts and reduce tooling
• Utilize grades and gauges were required
• Increased YS of center section of the floor pan from 140
MPa to 210MPa resulting in about a 1kg reduction in
mass
• Tire tub area uses mild steel for improved stamping
performance
Increased YS of the Front Pan from 140MPa to 210MPa
• Improved performance during high strain events
• Gauge reduction over typical standard resulting in a 3%
mass savings
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Rear Rail
Fusion
Continental
Fusion
Rear Rail section is comparable to the section of the Fusion
• Increased material grade from DP600 to DP800
• Material change allowed for a gauge reduction of 6%
despite the increased vehicle mass
Combined with the gauge reduction in the Rail Cap also
achieved with the use of DP800, a total of 3.5 kg were
removed
Continental
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Front Bumper Beam
•
•
Front Bumper Beam plays a major role
in Small Offset Rigid Barrier
Performance
Extensions engage the barrier and
perform two tasks:
1. Initiate rotation of the vehicle
about the barrier
2. Engage the Front Rail to absorb
energy
HSLA 420
DP600
DP800
DP600
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Back Panel Design
Y=0 Section
Double Cell Back Panel construction provide the following benefits:
• Improved stiffness at the Deck Lid Latch
• 128% improvement in lateral stiffness
• 44% improvement in vertical stiffness
• 29% increase torsional rigidity
• Reduced intrusion during rear impact
• Improve Tire Tub durability
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Kick Up Cross Member
Typical joint between the Kick Up Cross Member
and the Rear Rail is made on the inboard side of
the Rail
Continental construction moves the joint to the
outboard side of the Rail providing:
•
Increased rigidity by minimizing the rotation at
the joint
•
Improved side impact performance due to
early engagement of the cross member
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Package Tray Enhancements
Misalignment between
Package Tray & Shock Tower
Holes in Strainer
Conventional Package Tray
Cross Member Section
Align Package Tray
Cross Member with the
Shock Mount
Curved
Strainer
Conventional Package Tray
True “Box Section”
Simple “Z-Member” for
Additional Stiffness
Angled Strainer for
Improved Load
Transfer
All Unnecessary
Holes Removed
Elimination of Holes
in the Cross Member
Continental Package Tray
Cross Member Section
Continental Package Tray
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Package Tray Enhancements
System Response to Subwoofer Input
•
•
•
•
Simplified stamping geometry
Reduced assembly complexity through part elimination
Mass reduction of 8.5kg
Improvement in torsional stiffness of 205 kNm/rad
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Joining - Welding
Laser welds are used in the Body Side for joining of
reinforcements and Body Side Outer to the hydroform A-Pillar / Roof Rail
• Combination of stitch and “C” welds
• Average length of laser welds is 25 mm
• Total laser weld length approximately 6.1 meters
GMAW are only used in areas critical areas where
two sided access is not available
System
Spot
Laser
GMAW
Nut
Stud
Body Side
394
210
2
54
4
Framing
900
34
14
Under Body
1105
N/A
N/A
17
52
Front Structure
409
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Total
2808
244
16
71
58
2
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Joining - Bonding
•
•
•
•
23 meters of adhesive in the BIW primarily in the platform
Material used to improve stiffness and NVH performance
Added between Body Side Outer and the Hydro-Form A-Pillar / Roof Rail to augment welding
Additional adhesive used in the closure hems
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Static & Dynamic
Stiffness
Performance
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Static Stiffness Performance - Bending
Bending Stiffness (kN/mm)
15
14
13
12
11
10
Predecessor
Continental
Bending Stiffness (kN/mm)
12
11
10
9
8
Base Roof
Moon Roof
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Static Stiffness Performance - Torsion
Torsional Stiffness (kN m/rad)
1900
1700
76% Increase
1500
1300
1100
900
700
Predecessor
Continental
Torsional Stiffness (kN m/rad)
1900
1700
1500
1300
1100
900
700
Base Roof
Moon Roof
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Dynamic Stiffness – Vertical Bending
Vertical Bending (Hz)
45
4% Increase
40
35
30
Predecessor
Continental
Vertical Bending (Hz)
45
40
35
30
Base Roof
Moon Roof
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Dynamic Stiffness – Lateral Bending
Lateral Bending (Hz)
40
35
30
25
20
Predecessor
Continental
Lateral Bending (Hz)
40
35
30
25
20
Base Roof
Moon Roof
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Dynamic Stiffness - Torsion
Torsion (Hz)
40
35
30
25
20
Predecessor
Continental
Torsion(Hz)
40
35
30
25
20
Base Roof
Moon Roof
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Safety
Performance
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Load Path: Front End
Hydroformed A-Pillar provides load path to
the upper structure
Front Rail load distributed to the sled runner,
hinge pillar, and rocker.
Press Hardened Floor Side Inner and
the martensitic steel Rocker
Reinforcement provides strength to
manage high axial loads
Tire loads transferred to the
base of the Front Hinge Pillar
Sub-Frame provides a lower
load path into the structure
Bumper Extensions added to engage the
Small Offset Rigid Barrier
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NCAP Frontal Barrier
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NCAP Frontal Barrier
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Frontal Offset
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Frontal Offset
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Frontal Offset
Data represents internal test performance
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Small Offset Rigid Barrier
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Small Offset Rigid Barrier
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Small Offset Rigid Barrier
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Small Offset Rigid Barrier
Data represents internal test performance
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Load Path: Roof Strength and Side Impact
Hydroformed A-Pillar distributes load to Headers,
Hinge Pillar, and B-pillar
Press Hardened floor cross-member and AHSS Headers provide
paths for cross vehicle load sharing
Press Hardened B-Pillar provides resistance
to buckling due to lateral and axial loads
Martensitic steel Rocker Reinforcement
provides transverse load distribution
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Roof Strength Performance
44
Roof Strength Performance
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Roof Strength Performance
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Side Impact Performance
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Thanks for you attention
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