Abstract: | This work proposes to summarize an analysis of significant factors, beneficial and detrimental, resulting from the application of tailor welded blank technology versus conventional stamped parts for automotive bodies. The cost/benefit studies are very difficult because is the extensive impact of intangible factors, which, cannot be quantified. While the impact of these intangible factors is widely accepted as being significant, the difficulty is that they cannot be defined easily in economic terms. Consequently, intangible factors are often neglected, thus compromising a thorough cost/benefit evaluation. This analysis was undertaken to identify these factors and provide a methodology for evaluating the relative economic impact of each. |
