Self-supporting motor vehicle body

摘要

The vehicle body has a passenger cell and floor and side sections. At least the floor and two side sections (4,2) of the cell, are each formed as a modular unit of two or more metal plates, (10-12), which are connected in pairs of preselected spots. The plates are formed into modular units by superplastic forming with heating and gas supply between the plates. The supporting or stiffening elements of the units are formed by the deformed metal plates. The connected metal plates form closed box girders and a one metal plate (11) may be positioned between the other two plates (10,12) and connected to both in a zig-zag shape.