Seoul 2000 FISITA World Automotive Congress F2000G360

June 12-15, 2000, Seoul, Korea

The 2nd-generation Audi Space Frame of the A2: A trendsetting all-

aluminium car body concept in a compact class car
Authors: Wulf Leitermann1) , Jens Christlein2)*
1)
Audi AG, Dept. N/EK-6, 74148 Neckarsulm, Germany
2)
Audi AG, Dept. N/EK-63, 74148 Neckarsulm, Germany

Vehicle concepts of the future will have to satisfy such contradictory requirements as high body rigidity and maximum
safety in all driving situations, coupled with minimum weight. With this in mind, at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show Audi
presented the Al2 study vehicle, a car which makes ultra-low fuel consumption possible thanks to its new overall technical
concept based on extremely low-weight ASF techniques and innovative engines, but is a multi-purpose four-door vehicle
despite its compact exterior dimensions. This study model was developed into a production-ready vehicle within a very
short space of time: the Audi A2, which made its début at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1999. Only with the aid
of simulation techniques was it possible to bring such a novel body concept to production maturity within such a short
space of time. The following article describes the technical highlights of the ASF body on the Audi A2.

Keywords: Audi Space Frame, Aluminium, Lightweight car body

production in order to reach production rates of up to

INTRODUCTION 300 vehicles per day.

• Exploitation of the potential for lightweight design

Today's car-based society is having to cope with a growing that is created by the use of further-refined semi-
number of vehicles on our roads, and also with the finished aluminium products such as castings,
problems that they cause. As a result of the rising amount extruded sections and panels.
of space taken up by vehicles, there is above all an
increasing lack of road and parking space, while the • Attainment of very high standards in respect of
problem of exhaust emissions and energy consumption rigidity and crash behaviour ("best in class").
remains. Considering the high number of vehicles on
today's roads, the progress that has been made in the field
of engine development has until now been the best way of 2ND GENERATION ASF
reversing the upward spiral of vehicle weights prompted
by rising comfort, performance and safety requirements.
Audi unveiled its Al2 study vehicle as far back as 1997, as In view of the aforementioned specifications and
a proposal on how this spiral could be reversed; one of its objectives and the need to optimize costs, the principle of
principal features is its aluminium body, a refined version the Audi Space Frame structure that was used on the Audi
of the Audi Space Frame ASF principle that made its first A8 was refined.
appearance in the Audi A8.

BODY CONCEPT

TARGETS AND SPECIFICATIONS

The following development objectives were drawn up for

the Audi A2:

• Space-frame aluminium body with a weight saving of

at least 40 % compared with an equivalent body made Casting
from steel, as the basis on which to create a 3-litre car. Extrusion
Sheet
• Design configuration such that a high level of
automation can be achieved for body-in-white

* Corresponding author. e-mail: jens.christlein@audi.de Fig. 1: ASF structure of the Audi A2

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Because of the scheduled production volume, the resulting Both the new technology of laser welding and the
need to increase the level of automation and the simpler established principle of MIG welding, for which a new
body concept, the number of component parts compared area of application was created in the floor assembly's T-
with the A8 has been significantly reduced. For example, joins for the refined body concept, necessitate a high
on this second-generation ASF the castings no longer degree of component precision. In order to achieve the
simply have the function of mere connecting nodes; they required component dimensional tolerances of 0.2 mm,
have to all intents and purposes become multi-functional most of the extruded sections for the floor structure must
large components. The percentage of straight extruded be calibrated by means of hydroforming.
sections has been boosted significantly, to avoid complex
2D/3D bending processes as far as possible. The ASF
structure now incorporates only six bent extruded sections FRONT END
(Fig. 1).

The techniques of punch-riveting and MIG welding that The front end of the Audi A2, as was already the case on
were applied successfully on the A8 remain in use, though the Audi A8, consists of a bolted longitudinal-member
the proportion of MIG-welded seams has been structure, which permits a low insurance type
significantly reduced (Fig. 2). Spot-welding, clinching and classification. The front longitudinal member comprises an
structural bonding have been completely eliminated. extruded section which is stamped in the area where it
Representing a world first in the automotive industry, laser joins onto the impact-absorbing elements, to permit
welding is now used to produce approx. 30 metres of weld defined collapsing in order to absorb impact energy.
seams on the aluminium body sections. The MIG-welded
T-fillet joins on extruded sections in the floor assembly are On the Audi A2, the connecting longitudinal member for
also new. the first time consists of two vacuum diecast elements,
which are designed to absorb some of the impact energy.
Both split shells have a varying wall thickness and a ribbed
structure defined according to structural calculations, to
produce defined deformation behaviour. The bolt-on
points of the front axle on the lower shells have been
designed to transmit the deformation energy into the
longitudinal member, and not into the rigid subframe. By
integrating the transmission and engine-mount
1 connections, the subframe connections, the mounting point
for the slot-in car jack and the suspension frame mounting
points, these two cast split shells constitute a multi-
functional large component.
1st generation ASF
MIG 70 m CENTRE FLOOR
Punch-riveting 1100
The H-frame of the floor structure consists of straight
Spotwelds 500 extruded sections joined by means of MIG fillet welding.
Clinching 179 The cast nodes still used on the Audi A8 for connecting
purposes are no longer required.

2nd generation ASF

MIG 20 m
Punch-riveting 1800
Laser 30 m Fig. 3: Floor structure

Fig. 2: Comparison of joining techniques, 1st-generation

/2nd-generation ASF The high position of the longitudinal and cross-members,
on account of the concept, permits a level floor structure

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with a raised seating position for the occupants. The result processes were conducted iteratively. The advantage of
is a lightweight, high-strength member structure which this one-piece component is its dimensional accuracy and
satisfies very high standards of rigidity and crash safety the absence of joins which would exhibit locally different
(Fig. 3). strength characteristics if thermal joining techniques were
used on them, and would require comprehensive finishing
The arrangement of the cross-members in relation to the because they are in a visible zone. Both the A and B-posts
sills looks geometrically straightforward, but very high are vacuum diecast components into which the mounting
standards of component precision and welding technology points for hinges and door arresters, seat belts and other
are required to weld these components. screw connections are integrated.

Burr-free, level trimmed ends of the cross-members are In the case of the B-post, there is one casting on the A2 as
particularly important to a stable welding process. These opposed to a welded structure comprising 8 individual
are achieved by means of a special sawing technique. The parts on the A8.
profile T-joins were investigated as a welded assembly as
early as the concept phase to establish the welding The component's ribbing was defined in close conjunction
sequence and direction, and determine the clamping and with the rigidity and crash strength calculations, and
fixing techniques, so as to minimize thermal distortion designed substantially facing the outside in order to use the
during welding of the complete structure. This plays a ribs to absorb pressure in the event of a lateral collision
major role in ensuring that the entire body of the Audi A2 and to increase the moment of resistance to bending.
can be built within a very close tolerance range.
In the upper section, the B-post is fixed to the roof frame
The power flow in the forward structure is transmitted to by laser welding, for which process very close tolerances
the centre floor by additional diagonal longitudinal are required in view of the rigid components and the
members and a central longitudinal structure. minimal welding gap required.

The single-section floor pan in conjunction with a raised

floor panel at the front, in the vicinity of the driver's and ROOF STRUCTURE
front passenger's seats, created additional storage space for
various auxiliaries and control units. The rear passengers'
legroom and the ergonomic position of the seats were There are two body variants for the roof structure area:
appreciably enhanced by this low-level floor pan. The size
and complexity of the floor pan and the walls thickness, – Full-panel roof
which is relatively slight for reasons of strength, could
only be achieved by simulating the deep-drawing process – Double-spoiler glass roof.
in parallel with development.
The roof structure for the full-panel roof consists of roof
cross-members at the front and rear with a sheet-metal
REAR END shell, and the sheet-metal roof.

The rear end, which is again of a relatively simple On the version for the double-spoiler glass roof, there is no
structure, and its structure of longitudinal and cross- sheet-metal roof panel. The rigidity loss due to the absence
members, are connected to the centre floor by means of a of shear strength in the roof is compensated for by
further multi-functional large casting. This "longitudinal- reinforced roof cross-members. The double-spoiler roof is
member/sill connecting element" contains the rear-axle bolted to the structure as a complete module, after the
mounts, the spring cap supports, the mounting for the slot- body has been painted.
in car jack and the suspension frame mounting points.

The rear floor panels do not merely permit a level load-

BODY CALCULATION
area floor; their design means that they are ideal for laser-
welding by means of pressure roller. Computer simulation, with the aid of which vehicle
functions such as crash safety, rigidity and strength can be
The rear impact-absorbing elements permit screw-type optimized well before actual prototypes exist, is a key tool
towing eyes. in the development process. Front-loading, i.e. the use of
CAE tools in the early phase of the product development
process, is of critical importance to the efficient use of
simulation tools. In the concept and early prototype phase
in particular, body calculation is the principal means of
SIDE-WALL FRAME making reliable concept-definition decisions within the
development process. The degree to which simulation
tools are used depends decisively on the degree to which
This assembly basically comprises the side section, the the calculation process is interlinked with other areas
side of the roof frame and the castings for the A + B-posts participating in development work, such as Design,
and tailgate lid hinge mounting. The one-piece deep-drawn Testing, Planning and Quality Assurance. To make
side section forms the outer shell of the side structure. optimum use of the available synergy benefits, Audi has
Manufacturing this deep-drawn element of aluminium set up the Aluminium Centre at in Neckarsulm, where all
presented the planning and toolmaking specialists with a partners involved in the product development process are
major challenge. The design and deep-drawing simulation

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located closely together, with the result that the flow of The rear-end collision to ECE R32 involves a rigid barrier
information can be largely optimized. with an overlap of 100 percent striking a stationary,
unbraked vehicle. In this case, the structure in the
simulation process was designed such that only the rear
RIGIDITY section of the vehicle becomes deformed. The passenger
cell and doors remain largely free from deformation.
The Audi A2's static torsional rigidity was configured and To this end, there is a stable matrix of longitudinal and
optimized by means of calculation. The objective here was lateral members in the floor area, and the forces in the roof
to obtain a standard of lightweight body design that is zone are supported via the casting for the tailgate-lid
significantly better than the norm on this class of vehicle. mounting and the side roof frame. The zone at the rear
longitudinal members has been designed such that a
The dynamic properties of the body were investigated both targeted folding-dent process occurs in the extruded
on the body-in-white and on the trimmed body. In the section, whereas the dimensions of the casting in front of it
latter method, all mass-affected components which are are such that it sustains only slight deformation. This
rigidly connected to the body are represented in the finite- allows the cabin to provide maximum protection for the
element model. By means of synthetic excitation at typical occupants even in this load scenario.
force application points, responses which permit
improvements to all the relevant components in order to The frontal crash at 64 km/h against the deforming barrier
enhance driving comfort are obtained at customer-relevant with an offset of 40 percent imposes a very high load on
contact points, such as the foot contact point, steering the structure. The objective of the layout was to make
wheel or seat rail connection. deformation take place in a controlled manner in the
forward structure in the event of a collusion, leaving the
cabin intact. To this end, the front longitudinal members of
STRENGTH the space-frame structure absorb the bulk of the
deformation energy, whereas the beam structures behind it
On the A2, abuse load scenarios such as driving over constitute the passenger cell and are scarcely deformed.
ground ramps were evaluated with the aid of simulation The doors can still be opened easily after the crash (Fig.
and the structure optimized as a result. For this load 4).
scenario, the forces that are introduced into the structure
are calculated by means of MKS simulation. These forces
were then applied to the body through a finite-element
calculation, and the distribution of stresses and extensions
in the structure analyzed and optimized.

PASSIVE SAFETY

Thanks to its vehicle concept, the Audi A2 has a sound

basis for an optimum flow of power under the influence of
the loads occurring in crash load scenarios. For example,
the relatively slight difference in height between the front
and rear longitudinal member and the supporting structure
in the passenger cell zone permits a weight-optimized
structure, with precise control of the deformation which
occurs in a frontal and rear-end collision. The sill, which is
relatively high up compared with familiar vehicle
concepts, likewise contributes to the flow of power and to
the absorption of energy in a side collision.

In the lateral impact to Euro-NCAP at 50 km/h, the vehicle

is struck at right-angles by a trolley carrying a barrier, the Fig. 4: Structural deformation in front crash to Euro-
front side of which represents a deformable impact NCAP at 64 km/h
element. Here again, the rigid cabin constitutes the
survival space for the occupants. In this test, the overlap
between the doors and the posts and sill prevents the doors
from being displaced into the interior. The doors moreover
incorporate large-area impact-absorbing elements which
transfer the forces occurring into the cabin structure.

The B-post of the A2 for the first time consists of a diecast

element. With the aid of calculation, this component has
been designed to adapt ideally to the loads which occur,
permitting precise control of its deformation behaviour;
this contributes significantly to the car's high safety
standards in the Euro-NCAP lateral collision.

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SUMMARY

The development of the Audi A2 demonstrates that it is

already possible to use an aluminium body for a compact-
class vehicle. Technological advances in aluminium
vehicle design were systematically implemented on this
car, both as a means of reducing costs compared with the
1st-generation Audi Space Frame and to permit its volume
production. Audi has now succeeded in realizing a
pioneering lightweight design concept that sets new
standards.

REFERENCES

[1] D. Engelhart, W. Leitermann et al: Der neue Audi A2

(The new Audi A2), ATZ/MTZ-Sonderheft 03-2000

[2] J. Christlein, H. Behrens: Aluminium als Karosserie-

Leichtbauwerkstoff für Personenkraftwagen
(Aluminium as a lightweight material for cars). Bänder
Bleche Rohre 10-1996: 16-24.