Optimal multi-material selection for lightweight design of automotive body assembly incorporating recyclability

Multi-material design is known as a material selection strategy used to achieve higher product performance, weight savings and cost reduction. In lightweight designs, weight reduction by using multi-materials will reduce CO2 emission and increase fuel economy, which will significantly reduce environmental impact. Owing to the importance of reducing CO2 emission, automotive designs need to fulfil legislation requirements by attaining higher recyclability value. In this regard, an automotive should be highly recycled at the end of its life in order to extend the use of materials. In response to this problem, this paper presents a novel multi-material selection method for lightweight design, which incorporates recyclability for an automotive body assembly. The method is implemented in a real case study during the conceptual design phase in order to demonstrate its applicability in product design. The proposed method will assist designers to select the optimal combination of multi-materials for lightweight designs, taking into account its recyclability. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.