Design and forming of self-locating features for RESS cover and tray assemblies Article Swipe
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· 2025
· Open Access
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· DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/3104/1/012066
· OA: W4414330878
The rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) is a crucial component of electric vehicles (EVs), typically comprising a battery tray and a cover to enclose the internal components. Precise alignment of these two parts during assembly is essential for effective joining and hermetic sealing. However, the manual and labor-intensive positioning methods currently used in some assembly plants compromise alignment consistency and hinder automation. This study proposes a solution to facilitate precise and automated positioning by introducing self-locating features formed in the sheet metal components. First, the formability of three-dimensional features using a conventional hole extrusion process was evaluated through finite element analysis (FEA), revealing feasibility as well as feature height limitations due to material formability. To address this, various innovative cut-out patterns were developed. A flange bending process, employing similar tooling to hole extrusion, was used to create either discontinuous or continuous locating features. The feasibility of forming these features was assessed through FEA, demonstrating that the flange bending approach significantly reduces dependence of the feature height on material formability. This method enables the creation of tall features, which are advantageous when sealer beads are used between the cover and tray.
