Products and solutions Sep 27, 2006 10:58 AM
"Helping you to more stars "
To reduce the danger of underrunning, ECE Regulation 93 requires trucks to be fitted with "front underrun protection devices" (FUPD) to improve the protection of car occupants. However, as they are connected to the ladder frame, these FUPDs generally form a rigid barrier which absorbs very little additional energy. For this reason ThyssenKrupp Automotive has developed FUPD components which integrate the bumper and crash-relevant components to allow additional energy absorption. In this way, the safety of car occupants is further improved in the event of a frontal collision with a truck.
A further side effect of this is that to a certain extent the FUPD assumes the function of a "sacrifice" part and prevents damage to the truck chassis, thus significantly reducing repair costs in the event of a crash.
Within this innovative FUPD, the key function of energy absorption is performed by the crash boxes connecting the bumper to the ladder frame. The crash energy to be absorbed by deformation is determined by two important factors: the choice of material and the geometry of the crash box.
The crash boxes presented by ThyssenKrupp Umformtechnik at this year's IAA show represent an innovative concept offering optimized crash performance as well as significantly reduced weight and cost.
Both the crash boxes and the bumper are made from roll-formed, high-frequency welded profiles of high-strength or ultrahigh-strength steel. The combined forming/welding process allows the high-speed, cost-effective production of cross sections tailored to loads with high weld quality - a practicable and affordable solution that may just help you to a couple more stars.