FEA at Fisher Body 1960-84

I was there

Around 1960, Pontiac Division Engineers (James Duddles & Fred Timpner) developed a computer program using beams & masses to output frame deflection shapes for various frequencies. This enabled them put the body-to-frame cushions in the best location for ride comfort. They realized that this program worked even if the frequency was 0.0 Hz (static loading), so they offered it to the Fisher Body Physical Test Lab (PTL) to help us develop body structures. Just in time, because the 1962 Chevy II was being developed, which was unfamiliar territory -- a frame integral car. I was just entering the GMI (General Motors Institute) 5th Year Project world and was offered a project in support of this new technology. It was, basically, how do you describe body panels to the computer when you only have 40 or 50 beams to work with? Mr. Phil Johnson (EIC of the PTL) and Edward McKenna were the original analysts. Mr. McKenna presented this work in a SAE meeting. Later, the program was used at Fisher Body for other frame integral convertible structures development, a Buick Riviera X-frame, and the 1967 Camaro.

This technology was shelved for a while as safety became the big issue, and there was no chance to address crush and large deflections with the beam program. I should mention we used a Chevrolet-developed finite element analysis (FEA) code to look at stresses in shoulder belt retractor mechanisms.

In the early 70's GMR (General Motors Research)developed a program to facilitate modeling of beam / shell (panel) structures. We got back into FEA in 1974 for development of the 1976-J (which morphed into 1978-A) cars. With help from GMR structural engineers, recently hired from Boeing, to tell us what in the world to look at and how to best model certain difficult areas. By this time we were using NASTRAN, still the industry-standard code for linear static & dynamic analysis. We continued along this path, using FEA to help develop structures for the cars that followed.

Since I left GM in 1988; FEA has been used for crash, fluid dynamics, and other areas we could not have even imagined in 1960.


Tag Cloud

1897-1909 Creation  1910-1930 Acceleration  1931-1958 Emotion  1959-1981 Revolution  1982-1999 Globalization  2000-Future Transformation  AC Spark Plug  Advertising & Marketing  Allison Engineering Company  Alternative Fuels  Alternative Materials  Alternative Propulsion  Anniversaries  Autoshows  Behind the Scenes  Beyond North America  Board of Directors  Brands & Products  Buick  Cadillac  Celebrities  Chevrolet  Color & Trim  Competitions  Concept Vehicles  Corporate Responsibility  DELCO  DELCO Electronics  Dealers & Distributors  Design  Design Centers  Detroit Diesel  Diversity  Education  Electromotive  Electronics  Emblems & Logos  Employees  Endurance  Energy Conservation  Engineering  Enthusiasts  Environment & Energy  Eras  Executives  Finance  Firsts  Fisher Body  Former Divisions  Frigidaire  GMAC  GMC  GMOO - GM Overseas Operations  GM Daewoo  HUMMER  Headquarters  Holden  Hughes Electronics  I was there...  Innovation & Technology  Innovators  Joint Ventures  LaSalle  Labor  Manufacturing  Mergers & Acquisitions  Methods & Techniques  Motorama  Oakland  Oldsmobile  OnStar  Opel  Operating Units  Parade of Progress  People  Places  Plants  Pollution Control  Pontiac  Powertrain  Proving Grounds  Racing  Rally  Research  Retirees  Saab  Safety  Sales & Service  Saturn  Shows & Events  Specific Races  Sponsorships  Studios  Suppliers  Technical Centers  Ternstedt  The Business  Trends  United Motors  Vauxhall  World's Fairs 


Languages

English

Retrieved from "http://wiki.gmnext.com/wiki/index.php/FEA_at_Fisher_Body_1960-84"