Advanced Finite Element Analysis of a Lightweight Nanometal-Polymer Hybrid Component with Experimental Validation, and Its Applications to Vehicle Lightweighting

The presence of engineering plastics in the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries is rapidly increasing; the lightweight and cost-effective nature of these materials, coupled with improvements to their mechanical performance, is driving the replacement of more traditional materials. However, the stiffness of engineering plastics cannot rival that of their metal counterparts, making metal replacement challenging in cases where stiffness …