2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

42

Selection of Alternative Material for Car Roof

Panel
R.Vivekanandan
PG scholar, Manufacturing Engineering,
Government College of Technology,
Coimbatore, India.
Vivekand79@gmail.com
Abstract - Composite materials are extending the horizons of
designers in all branches of engineering. The significance of
composites is the material properties like high stiffness to weight
ratio and high impact strength compared to the conventional
materials. The major applications of composites are Aerospace
applications in which most of parts require low weight and high
strength. The present work encompasses study, selection of the
composite material for Roof panel of TATA SUMO (old model)
vehicle and CAE analysis is performed using ANSYS. The
composite material is selected based on the material charts (Ashby)
and the one which suited the application is Glass Fibers Reinforced
Polymer (GFRP) composite. The analysis result shows the reaction
of composite material to impact load. The impact strength of GFRP
composite varies for different volume fraction. The volume fraction
which yields high impact strength is used in manufacturing final
product. The final model of roof panel is manufactured using
Hand-layup process with the help of wooden die.
Keywords - Composite materials, CAE analysis, Impact Strength,
Hand-layup process.

I.

INTRODUCTION

Composite materials have been considered the

material of choice in some applications of the automotive
industry by delivering high-quality surface finish, styling details
and processing options. Manufacturing are able to meet
automotive requirements of cost, appearance and performance
utilizing composites. Today, composite body panels have a
successful track record in all categories from exotic sports
cars, small, medium and heavy truck applications. In 2000,
automotive industries collectively used 318 million pounds of
composites. A composite material is a homogeneous mixture
created by the synthetic assembly of two materials of which one
is reinforcement called fiber and the other is the binding material
called matrix. The characteristics of composite material: They
are rigid with high strength to weight ratio, Good electrical
resistance, Resistance to chemical and weather is high, They
have good stiffness (related to automobile skin to limit

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

M.Prakash
PG Scholar, Manufacturing Engineering ,
Government College of Technology,
Coimbatore,India.
Prakash2521@gmail.com
buckling), Good corrosion resistance. Reasons for choosing
composite material
To improve fuel efficiency by reducing the mass of the
vehicle
To improve safety and crashworthiness
To enhance style and part consolidation
To improve aerodynamic design
Effect of Reduction in Weight on fuel Efficiency of the Vehicle.
The reduction in weight of the vehicle by 1 kg on the
cost of manufacturing in various industries like automobile,
aeronautical and space are as follows,
Automobile 5-7$/Kg
Aeronautical 500-700$/Kg
Space 5000-7000$/Kg
The table below shows the values of fuel consumption and fuel
efficiency for different design types and vehicle weights.
Table 1. Fuel Consumption in Vehicles

Design/Engine Type
State of the art
A)High strength
steel plus structural
bonding
B)Carbon fiber
composite for
structure and
closures
C1)Diesel Engine
C2)Full Hybrid(otto)
C3)Full Hybrid
(Diesel)

Vehicle
weight(Struct
ure and
closure)
500 Kg

Fuel
Consumption
(ltr.per
100Km)
10

350 Kg

9.58

4.20%

270 Kg

9.31

7%

7
6.5

30%
35%

5.5

45%

Fuel
efiiciency
increase
0%

2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

As per this study, a vehicle structure and closures made of

normal materials like steel or Aluminum would weigh 500 KG
and will consume 10ltr of fuel per 100 km of distance travelled.
If the same structure is made using a HSS (High strength steel) it
will weigh 350 KG (30%weight reduction) in this case the
vehicle will consume 9.58 liters per 100 km distance which
means 4.2% increase in fuel efficiency.In the third case a Carbon
fiber composite is used to build the structure, which
weighs270KG (42% weight reduction) and the vehicle will
consume 9.31 liters per 100 km of distance driven. This means
7% of increase in fuel efficiency It should be noted that if the
same carbon fiber composite structure is used on a car powered
by the Diesel engine the fuel efficiency can be increased by a
whopping 30% and its 35% with a Full hybrid petrol engine and
45 % in case of a Hybrid Diesel engine.
II.

43

Reinforcement:
The reinforcing fibers or fabric provides strength and
stiffness to the composite, the matrix gives rigidity and
environmental resistance. The reinforcing fibers are found in
different forms, from long continuous fibers to woven fabric to
short chopped fibers and mat. Each configuration result in
different properties. The fiber carries the load and its strength is
greatest along the axis of fibers. Long continuous fibers in the
direction of load results in a composite with properties far
exceeding the matrix resin itself. The same material chopped
into short length yields low properties, as illustrated in figure 2.
Depending on the type of application and manufacturing
method, the fiber form is selected. The most widely used fiber
materials in fiber reinforced plastics are Glass, Carbon, Aramid,
and Boron.

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Composite materials have been utilized to solve

technological problems for a long time but only in the 1960s
these material starts capturing the attention of industries with the
introduction of polymeric- based composites. At present, it
appears that composites are the materials of choice for many
engineering applications. Among all materials, composite
materials have the potential to replace widely used steel and
aluminum, and many times with better performance. Replacing
steel components with Composite materials can save 60 to 80%
in component weight. Thus It finds application including
automotive components, sporting goods, aerospace parts,
consumer goods, and in the marine and oil industries.
Composite material is made by combining two or more
materials to give a unique combination of properties. Composite
materials are formed by reinforcing fibers in matrix in a matrix
resin as shown in figure 1. The reinforcements can be fibers,
particulates, or whiskers and the matrix materials can be metals
plastics or ceramics. The reinforcements can be made from
polymers, ceramics and metals. The fibers can be continuous,
long, or short.

Figure 2. a)Continuous fibre., b) Short Fibre Composites

Matrix:
Matrix surrounds the fiber and thus protects those
fibers against chemical and environmental attack. For fibers to
carry minimum load, the matrix must have a lower modulus and
greater elongation than the reinforcement. The matrix
determines the service operating temperature of a composite as
well as processing parameters for part manufacturing the various
types of thermoset resins and thermoplastic resins are used as
matrix.Thermoset materials once cured cannot be re-melted or
reformed. Thermoset offers greater thermal and dimensional
stability, better rigidity and higher electrical resistance the most
common resin materials used in thermoset composites are
Epoxy, Vinyl ester, Polyester, Phenolics and Polyamides.
Thermoplastics can be melted by heating and can be re-shaped.
These are ductile and flexible such that these composites do not
enjoy as high the level of integration as the thermoset
composites. Some of the thermoplastic resins are Nylon,
Polypropylene, Teflon and Polycarbonate.
A.Functions of Fibres and matrix

Figure 1.Composite Material

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

The main function of the fibers in composite are to carry the

load, provide stiffness, strength, to provide electrical
conductivity or insulation, depending on the fiber used. The
important function of a matrix material includes the following, it

2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

binds the fiber together and provides shape and rigidity to the
structure. The matrix provides good surface finish quality and
imparts ductility and impact strength depending on matrix
material selected.
B.Special features of Composite

Composites have been routinely designed and

manufactured for applications in which high
performance and light weight are needed.
Composite materials provide capabilities for part
integration. Several metallic components can be
replaced by a single composite component.
Composite materials have a high specific stiffness
(stiffness to density ratio). Composites offer the
stiffness of steel at one fifth the weight
The specific strength of a composite material is very
high. Due to this, airplanes and automobiles move
faster with better fuel efficiency.
Composite materials offer high corrosion resistance.
Iron and aluminum corrode in the presence of water
and air and requires special coating and alloying.
Because the outer surface of the Composite is made by
plastics, corrosion and chemical resistance are very
good.
Composites offers good impact properties as shown in
figure 3. It shows impact properties of Kevlar/epoxy,
glass/epoxy have high impact strength than steel and
aluminum.

44

Since the composite materials can be easily formed into any

shapes they find their use in aerodynamic design of the body of
the automobile to reduce drag. The table below shows the
energy losses due to various resistances to the movement of the
vehicle.
Table 2. Loss of Energy in vehicles

Expanded energy
Tire resistance
Aerodynamic drag
Inertia (Linear And
Rotational)

city
25%
18%

Highway
33%
51%

57%

16%

The Aerodynamic drag increased from 18% in the city

driving to 51 % on highways when the vehicle cruises at high
speeds. Hence if we use composite materials, this air drag can be
reduced and the fuel efficiency can be improved.
D.Styling and Part Consolidation
The use of composites in styling of the interior of a
vehicle has resulted in enhancing the aesthetic look and in
consolidating the parts to fit into small available space inside the
vehicle as shown in figure 4.

Figure 4. Composite tail door

The use of SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound) in GM /

FORD Pickup trucks resulted in class A surface, multiple parts
consolidation, light weight construction and corrosion resistance
E.Selection of Materials
Figure 3. Impact Strength of Engineering materials

C. Effect of using composites on Aerodynamic design

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

Basic procedure for selection of materials is to establish

the link between the material and functions. The material has its
attributes: its density, strength, cost and resistance to corrosion
etcThe material property charts are designed for the purpose
of selection of materials. The property limits and material

2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

indices are plotted onto them, isolating the subsets of materials
which are the best choice for the design.In the project, for the
component (Roof Panel) the factors to be considered during
material selection are reduction in weight and increased impact
strength compared to the conventional material.

45

Epoxy based composites provide good performance at

room temperature and elevated temperatures. Epoxies can
operate well up to temperatures of 200 to 250F. Epoxy is a
versatile resin system, which exhibits low shrinkage as well as
excellent adhesion to a variety of substrate materials. Glass is
found in abundance and glass fibers are cheapest among all
other types of fibers. Three major types of glass fibers are Eglass, S-glass and S2-glass.
When the cost factor is taken into consideration, Eglass fiber is selected.
F.Material Properties
Epoxy( Matrix)
Elastic modulus: 2.5-5.0 GPa
Density: 1.2-1.4 g/cm3
E-Glass Fibre(Reinforcement)
Elastic modulus: 70 GPa
Density: 2.54 g/cm3
III.

COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Figure 5.Youngs Modulus- Density Graph

Figure 7. Isometric view of Roof Panel

Figure 6. Strength Density Graph

With reference to the material property charts shown

above, the material selection for the component is selected as
composite material which has high specific density and high
impact resistance over the conventional material.
The study of composite materials is carried out and the
selection of material for matrix and fibers is done. The matrix
material is selected as Epoxy resin and reinforcement as E-glass
fiber.

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

The analysis is carried out using ANSYS 9.0. Considering the

different case studies of possible occurrences of accidents like
point load and uniformly distributed load .In this project
excluding the force of air during motion, analysis carried out for
static condition. The force analysis is carried on roof panel for
both the conventional material and the proposed composite
material to check the impact strength of the component for both
materials.
Point Load= 1000N, Distributed Load=1000N. Usual load
acting on a automobile during accident is considered and the
load value is taken as 1000N

2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

46

The following are the force analysis being carried out as shown
in figure 2 to figure 6.
Impact analysis on LEFT Surface
Loading condition: point load, distributed load.
Impact analysis on TOP Surface
Loading condition: point load, distributed load.
Impact analysis on RIGHT Surface
Loading condition: point load, distributed load.
Impact analysis on FRONT Surface
Loading condition: point load, distributed load.
Impact analysis on BACK Surface
Loading condition: point load, distributed load.
In the below analysis, Bottom surface is not considered
as it is not exposed to the environment.
MILD STEEL/COMPOSITE MATERIAL (LEFT SURFACE)
LOADING CONDITION POINT LOAD

MILD STEEL/COMPOSITE MATERIAL(TOP SURFACE)

LOADING CONDITION POINT LOAD

DISTRIBUTED LOAD

MILD STEEL/COMPOSITE MATERIAL(FRONT SURFACE)

LOADING CONDITION POINT LOAD
DISTRIBUTED LOAD

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

DISTRIBUTED LOAD

MILD STEEL/COMPOSITE MATERIAL(RIGHT SURFACE)

LOADING CONDITION POINT LOAD

DISTRIBUTED LOAD

Thus the impact analysis under static condition is carried out on

roof panel and the strength for different material is obtained. In
all the loading conditions, roof panel made of composite
material has high impact strength than the roof panel made of
conventional material. Due to high stiffness to weight ratio, roof
panel made of composite weigh less than panel made of mild
steel which helps in increase of mileage of the vehicle.
VI.

DISTRIBUTED LOAD

DIE PREPARATION

A.Die Preparation for Test Specimen

The die is prepared based on test specimen size. The
dimension of test specimen is 55 x10x10 mm. The CAD Model
of die is shown below.

MILD STEEL/COMPOSITE MATERIAL(REAR SURFACE)

LOADING CONDITION POINT LOAD

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

47

Figure 8.Die Preparation for Test Specimen

2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

48

Epoxy resin consists of monomers or short chain polymers with

an epoxide group at either end. Most common epoxy resins are
produced from a reaction between epichlorohydrin and
bisphenol-A. The hardener consists of polyamine monomers, for
example triethylenetetramine (TETA). When these compounds
are mixed together, the amine groups react with the epoxide
groups to form a covalent bond. Each NH group can react with
an epoxide group, so that the resulting polymer is heavily cross
linked, and is thus rigid and strong.
i.
Hardener
Hardener is used to induce curing process
i. Curing is the toughening or hardening of polymer
material by cross-linking of polymer chains
ii. The hardener consists of polyamine monomers.
Figure 9. Photographic view of Die for Specimen

B. Manufacturing for Test Specimen

The manufacturing of test specimen is done by Hand
lay-up process. The process is performed with the following
materials.
Reinforcement -Glass fiber
Matrix- Epoxy resin
Polyvinyl Acetate- Releasing Agent
Hardener Triethyelenetetramine (TETA)
The properties of the above mentioned materials are given
below.
i.Glass Fibre
Fiber glass is a lightweight, extremely strong, and robust
material. Although strength properties are somewhat lower than
carbon fiber and it is less stiff, the material is typically far less
brittle, and the raw materials are much less expensive. Its bulk
strength and weight properties are also very favorable when
compared to metals, and it can be easily formed using molding
processes.
ii.Epoxy
Epoxy is a copolymer; that is, it is formed from two
different
chemicals.
These are
referred to
as
the
"resin" or

"compound" and the "hardener" or "activator".

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

C. Hand Lay-Up Process

Initially, the releasing agent is applied to the inner sides
of the die where the composite material is in contact. The
hardener and epoxy resin are mixed in a separate beaker
according to the volume fraction. The glass fibers are cut into
the shape of die and the weight of fibers is measured based on
the volume fraction.

Figure 10. Hand Lay-Up Process

The process is started by applying the mixture hardener

and resin as 1st layer and glass fibers are alternatively applied.
The process is continued until the thickness gets covered. After
applying up to the thickness of mold, the material is allowed to
cure for 1 day in room temperature.
The composite material is then cut into pieces according to the
dimensions of standard test specimen.
The composite material is manufactured with three different
volume fractions is shown in the figure
1. Resin-50%: Fiber- 50%
2. Resin-55%: Fiber- 45%
3. Resin-60%: Fiber- 40%

2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

49

1.

To Calculate the Impact strength of material

Impact strength(J/cm2)= Impact energy (in Joules) / Area of
Cross-section(cm2)
Impact Strength = Impact energy / Area of cross section

2.

Table 4.Impact Energy Observed in N/mm squ

3.
Figure 11. Test Specimens

The various specimens according to volume fractions is

cut into shapes and notches are made for Impact testing using
Charpy Impact Testing Machine.
With different volume fractions, the fraction which
gives higher impact strength is taken into consideration for final
model of roof panel.
The Graduated scale in machine is measured in Joules
(Impact energy).
Table 3. Impact Energy Observed in Joules

D.Inference
The glass-fiber-reinforced woven-fabric laminates have
been subjected to impact testing. After the impact testing the
following observations were made.
1. Delamination, fiber shear-out behavior was observed
in the test specimen.
2. No complete breakage was found in the test
specimen irrespective of the volume fraction.Based on the Test
results, the volume fraction (Resin-55%: Fiber- 45%) yields high
Impact Strength (25.6 N/mm2) is preferred for manufacturing of
the model (Roof Panel).
V.
MANUFACTURING
A.Die Preparation for Roof PanelThe die was prepared
according to the prototype where the dimensions are scaledown

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

to 1:3 from the dimensions of the prototype. The dimensions of
the prototype are shown in the figure 12.

Matrix- Epoxy resin

Releasing Agent- Polyvinyl Acetate

Hardener-Triethylenetetramine(TETA)

50

Figure 12.Manufacturing Roof Panel

Figure 13.Photographic view of die

Figure 14.Wooden material

B.Manufacturing of Roof Panel

The manufacturing is done by Hand lay-up process. The
process is performed with the following raw materials.
Reinforcement- Glass fiber

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

With
the
Test
results

obtained, the volume fraction (Resin-55%: Fiber- 45%) that

yields higher impact strength is preferred for the manufacturing
of the model(roof panel).The Releasing agent is initially applied
to the sides where the composite material is in contact. The
hardener and epoxy resin is mixed in a separate beaker
according to the volume fraction. The glass fibers are cut into
the shape of die and the weight of fibers are measured based on
the volume fraction. Mixture of Hardener `and Resin is applied
as 1st layer and glass fibers are placed. The process is continued
until the required thickness is obtained. After applying up to the
thickness, the material is allowed to cure for1to 2 days in room
temperature for proper setting of the fibers. The composite roof
panel is shown in the figure 15.

2nd International Conference on Current Trends in Engineering and Technology, ICCTET14

J.A. Walberer et al, Processing/property/structure interactions in a

calcium aluminatephenol resin composite, Volume 8, Issues
34, OctoberNovember 1998, Pages 91100.
[9] R.A. Saunders et al ,Compression in the processing of polymer
composites - a mechanical and micro structural study for
different glass fabrics and resins. Volume 59, Issue 7, May
1999, Pages 983993.
[10]
G. Caprino et al ,Damage and energy absorption in GFRP
laminates impacted at low-velocity:
indentation model,
Volume 10, 2011, Pages 22982311.
[8]

Figure 15.Photographic view of Roof Panel

VI.

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK

Since composite materials have less weight and high

strength compared to conventional materials, it having a wide
variety of applications in aerospace and automobile industries, in
this project we did a study on conventional roof panel of TATA
SUMO vehicle and analyzed the conventional roof panel with a
composite one, and checked its weight and impact properties.
The test specimen with appropriate volume fraction having
higher impact strength is chosen for fabrication of the composite
roof panel. Fabrication was carried out using hand lay-up

process. Apart from the above mentioned properties of

composite material, manufacturing of composite materials is
difficult comparing to the manufacturing of other conventional
materials. If the manufacturing of composite materials is made
easier, then the scope of composite material in engineering
industries will flourish
REFERENCES
[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]
[6]

[7]

Haibinning et al ,Design and development of thermoplastic

composite roof door for mass transit bus, Volume 30, Issue4,
April 2009, Pages 983991.
H.A al-qureshi et al ,Automobile leaf spring from composite
material Volume 118 ,Issues 13 3 December 2001, Pages
5861.
C. Subramanian et al Joint performance of the glass fiber
reinforced polypropylene leaf spring , Volume 93, Issue 2,
January 2011, Pages 759766.
C. Monroyaceves et al, Design selection methodology for
composite structures, Volume 29, Issue 2, 2008, Pages 418
426.
P. E. Bourban et al, Integrated processing of thermoplastic
composites, Volume 58, Issue 5, 1998, Pages 633637.
Nikhil Gupta et al, Processing and compressive properties of
Aerogel/epoxy composites. Volume 198, Issues 13, 3
March 2008, Pages 178182.
Min-seoksohn et al ,Processing of carbon-fiber/epoxy composites
with cost-effective interlaminar reinforcement. Volume 58,
Issue 2, 1998, Pages 211220.

IEEE 2014
IEEE - 33344
July 8, 2014, Coimbatore, India.

51