Lightweight construction is a popular way to save weight in the construction of vehicles in special vehicle construction and in automotive engineering in general. Lightweight construction can be promoted by using lighter materials or special construction methods.
Advantages of lightweight construction
Lightweight construction has various advantages in special vehicle construction. Less weight generally means less stress on sensitive components such as axles, suspension, dampers and wheels. In addition, a lighter special vehicle also means concrete advantages in terms of driving performance. A lighter vehicle with less mass will generally accelerate faster, brake better and also corner better than an equivalent but heavier vehicle. At the same time, in times of stricter limits, lightweight construction is a way of meeting stricter requirements in terms ofCO2 emissions and fuel consumption.
There are various ways to achieve weight reduction in lightweight construction without sacrificing performance, stability or torsional rigidity. For example, carbon and glass fiber reinforced plastics provide very good rigidity at a lower weight. The more complicated manufacturing processes are compensated for by the possibility of outsourcing the production of lightweight components to specialist suppliers for special vehicle construction. Doors, flaps and other add-on or body parts are very suitable for lightweight construction treatment.
The sandwich construction method can also be used for a box body, as used in emergency ambulances, for example. Here, a core layer is encased by two lightweight cover layers, for example made of aluminum.
