A technical and economic analysis of structural composite use in automotive body-in-white applications

• Main Author: Kang, Paul J. (Paul Ji Hwan), 1974-
• Other Authors: Dr. Joel P. Clark.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2005
• Subjects: Materials Science and Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/16461

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Technology and Policy Porgram, 1998. === Science Library copy in pages. === Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-170). === Alternative materials technologies promise increased design flexibility, improved damage resistance and lighter weight (among others) over the steel designs that are currently in production. To understand why such features are desirable and why a composite intensive vehicle may become an attractive platform for an automaker to consider, the state of the automobile industry must be analyzed. There are three factors driving the research and development efforts of the industry: competition, government legislation and consumer forces. === by Paul J. Kang. === S.M.