Customer solutions

CBS - Composite Body Solutions®
The structural product line is an innovative technology that responds to the challenge facing the automotive industry. It enables improved safety, NVH and durability while reducing weight and cost. CBS is a macro-composite made of a metal, thermoplastic or thermoset carrier and heat activated expanding adhesive. Our CBS parts maintain cross section integrity and distribute loads by filling the cavity, and adhering to the sheet metal. Since 1998, when the first application of CBS was put in production, millions of vehicles have been built utilizing CBS for Safety, NVH and durability applications. Due to the CBS system attributes of high performance, low mass and cost, the technology usage is growing.  Since 1998, 100 million CBS parts have been sold, with over 20 million CBS parts sold in 2006 alone.

Key attributes
We have developed a wide range of heat activated adhesives. These thermosetting epoxide polymers are available with a range of strengths, stiffness, ductility and expansion rates. The L&L in-depth analysis process selects the best carrier and adhesive for each application. We provide engineered CBS parts in a wide range of formats:

• injection molded
• extruded and die cut profiles
• structural tapes

Automotive expertise
L&L Products has developed a unique know-how in terms of Computer Aided Engineering. We are renowned among the OEMs as a robust development partner. Our experienced automotive engineers work closely with OEM vehicle body engineering and safety departments, and we use all major simulation software for problem free exchange with the OEMs.

Performance management
Starting with an OEM’s model, FEA is used to determine where the structural insert is needed and to optimize the size and shape of the part. A wide variety of carriers — steel, polyamide, aluminum, magnesium and more — allows numerous possibilities. The result is low cost, low weight and high performance. We have invested in the characterization of our material and designs, achieving excellent correlation and predictability, including high strain rate testing and validation (see next page).

Finite element analysis
We use a wide variety of FEA software to perform our analysis and optimize the weight and performance of our solutions. The process often includes evaluation of the vehicle steel gage and grade. Reductions for mass and cost save are made where possible.

• LS DYNA
• RADIOSS
• PAM-CRASH
• ABAQUS
• NASTRAN
• OPTISTRUCT
• MOLDFLOW

Computing hardware
Our computing capacity allows us to simultaneously run multiple full vehicle models on our in-house Linux cluster.