Manufacturing Relationships. Distributing Quality
Vari-Form prides itself on its history of being on some of the largest volume vehicles in the world (Ford F-150, Dodge Ram) while still achieving single digit quality PPM’s.
Hydroforming Applications
Tube hydroforming is an excellent manufacturing solution where a closed section, load bearing, dimensionally stable structural member is needed.
Roof Structure
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) added Roof Strength to the Top Safety Pick Criteria for 2009 Vari-Form Roof Rails offer:
- Ability to not only exceed NHTSA requirements for rollover but also meet or exceed IIHS requirements
- Utilizing an array of materials including Advanced High Strength Steels or Aluminum, the hydroform tube becomes the primary structural element in the body side
- Improved NVH, dimensional capability, strength
- Optimized load path increases fatigue life as much as 20%
- Reducing number of parts and simplifying assembly processes
- More cost and mass efficient than Hot Stamping
- Winner of Henry Ford Technology Award and
- Winner of Chanute Prize for team innovation
Chassis Cradles
Acting as a foundation of the cradle assembly, Vari-Form Cradles offer:
- Ability to radically change the tube cross section to enable packaging around powertrain and suspension
- part consolidation of %15 or greater
- Material can range from aluminum to advanced high strength steels to aid with mass reduction
- True net forming where all geometric features including holes are formed in one die, in one operation
Front End Structures
Used on trucks and small cars Vari-Form Front End Structures offer:
- Architecture that enables modular assembly for reduced labor costs
- structure provides smooth load path into A-Pillar leaving the roof rail to manage front impact loads (small car only)
- Provides back-up structure for the shock towers
- Radiator cross beam tube improves front-end stiffness and sla load capability
- Reduce the amount of spot welds resulting in more ppredictable modeling and smaller body shop footprint
- Improved body shop first run capability
- Improved durability performance and increased structural rigidity
- Improved dimensional performance allowing for better fit and finish
- Segregates exterior Class A panels from vehicle primary structure resulting in lower service costs for body shop repairs
- Winner of the Walter P. Chrysler technology award – First sheet metal award recipient
IP Beams
Vari-Form Hydroformed Instrument Panel Beams Offer:
- Excellent packing flexibility
- Improved NVH characteristics
- Brackets attached to the hydroform tubes via welding or self tapping screws
- Elimination of weld flanges reduce the incidence of wire chafing
- Material Flexibility to reduce weight (Aluminum, HSLA, DP Steels)
- Holes punched in hydroform die achieving high dimensional repeat-ability at low cost
- When combined with Hydroplast(tm) , provides strength and a high level of integration
Frame & Cross Members
Vari-Form’s PSH process replaces conventional multi-piece welded frames with seamless one piece rails offering:
- Frame Rails in various diameters and lengths up to 6in (152mm) and 182in (4622mm) respectively achieved in mass production to date
- Hydroformed structure manages impact loads – tube can be tuned with crash initiators for optimal performance
- Tubes can be profiled for optimum packaging and performance
- Both front and rear rails offer excellent part consolidation options
- Manufacturing flexibility – for example, steel and aluminum versions are produced using the same hydroform tooling
- Frame contours maintain a more consistent thickness and strength
- Hydroform frame rails give unprecedented stiffness resulting in dramatically improved ride and handling while reducing weight
- Greater than 20% tooling savings achievable when compared to multi-stamped assemblies
Pillars
Integrated with a roof or as a standalone component, Vari-Form’s pillars offer:
- Excellent performance in roof crush and side impact
- Reduced weight and cost compared to hot stamped alternatives
- Architecture that enables modular assembly reducing body shop station count
- Smaller packaging profile for improved styling
Cross Members
Providing body structure support, Vari-Form’s cross members offer:
- Complex section changes for packaging
- Cross section changes for packaging
- Exceptional side impact load carrying capability
- Increased performance and dimensional consistency over stampings and roil forms
- Reduced tooling cost through part consolidation… less stamping and sub-assembly dies
- Multiple parts consolidation in one tool for even further investment savings and greater throughput