MICROCAR
The collaboration with Patriarca Automobili Spa continues for the production of some four-wheel vehicle models in the L7 category with the design of the chassis and bodies.
In the case of four-wheel minicars (L7) the aim has always been to provide an urban vehicle of small dimensions but with the technical characteristics of M1 category vehicles, offering comfort and handling performance obtained thanks to the independent McPherson type suspension.
Work done : executive and construction design, production.
EUROPEAN CLASSIFICATION OF VEHICLES – categories L and M
Category L – Directive 2002/24/EC Mopeds and Two-, Three-, and Four-Wheel Motorcycles
Category L1e : two-wheel mopeds with an engine displacement (if internal combustion) not exceeding 50 cc and a maximum design speed (regardless of the propulsion system) not exceeding 45 km/h;
Category L3e : two-wheel motorcycles with an engine displacement (if internal combustion) not exceeding 50 cc or a maximum design speed (regardless of the propulsion system) not exceeding 45 km/h;
Category L4e : three-wheeled motorcycles with asymmetrical wheels with respect to the median longitudinal axis, the engine capacity of which (if it is a combustion engine) exceeds 50 cc or the maximum design speed of which (whatever the propulsion system) exceeds 45 km/h (motorcycles with sidecar);
Category L6e : four-wheel mopeds (light quadricycles), whose unladen mass is less than or equal to 350 kg, excluding the mass of the batteries in the case of electric vehicles, whose maximum design speed is less than or equal to 45 km/h and whose engine displacement is less than or equal to 50 cm³ for spark-ignition engines; or whose maximum net power is less than or equal to 4 kW for other internal combustion engines; or whose maximum continuous rated power is less than or equal to 4 kW for electric motors. These vehicles comply with the technical requirements applicable to three-wheel mopeds in category L2e, unless otherwise provided for by specific Community provisions;
CATEGORY M : Motor vehicles designed and constructed for the transport of passengers and having at least four wheels.
Category M2 : Vehicles designed and constructed for the transport of passengers, having more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat and a maximum mass not exceeding 5 t.
Category M3 : Vehicles designed and constructed for the transport of passengers, having more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat and a maximum mass exceeding 5 t.
PROCEDURE ADOPTED FOR THE DESIGN OF A CHASSIS
In this case, even though we adopt design criteria based on calculation and verification, we are talking about small productions carried out by specialized companies and not mass production.
Once the vehicle's features have been identified based on customer needs, use, and the volume and shape of the body, the engine (or motor for ev), transmission, suspension, braking, and steering system are determined, without, of course, neglecting safety aspects.
In technical terms, the fundamental aspects of a chassis are torsion and bending stiffness, the latter with different characteristics depending on the road surface on which the vehicle is most used.
Designing an automotive chassis requires analyzing several key aspects, including the various types of loads the chassis is subjected to, the type of chassis, and therefore the structural analysis. The first consideration is the type of materials the chassis is made of, as well as the assembly system.
As previously described, composite materials combined with aluminum elements could replace steel materials as they are sufficiently structurally resistant to fatigue and corrosion, also depending on the vehicle's characteristics in terms of performance and weight.
The use of riveted aluminum paneling also determines very important characteristics from the structural point of view of the chassis itself, just look at the production of spider or barchetta type vehicles oriented in the majority of cases towards this construction type.
ANALYSIS OF THE TYPR OF LOADS ACTING ON THE CHASSIS
Tendency to bend or flex the chassis: due to the weight of the components, this final resultant is formed on the vehicle's vertical z-plane.
Torsion : The chassis rotates along the longitudinal x-axis of the vehicle when a pair of forces directed upward and downward on the respective wheel axes is applied; the chassis' tendency to resist torsion must not simultaneously compromise the functionality of the suspension.
COMBINED BENDING AND TORSIONAL LOAD
Lateral load : Generated by the tire's grip on the road surface and balanced by centrifugal force.
Loads characterized by vehicle acceleration and deceleration that primarily stress the areas connecting the suspension to the chassis.
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