Date

12-2009

Degree Name

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Mechanical Engineering Department

Advisor(s)

John Fabijanic

Abstract

Modern bumper systems are governed by laws and regulations imposed separately by various countries. Today, the regulations in China, North America, and Europe are becoming more similar, but there is not a widely accepted bumper reinforcement that meets the requirements of all markets around the globe.

A universal bumper reinforcement beam incorporating Plug-n-Play techniques was developed to meet and exceed all testing requirements and performance standards of each country. These Plug-n-Play techniques consist of adding energy absorbing attachments to the front of a base bumper beam. Simple beam analysis and FEA were the primary analysis tools in the development of the bumper beam system. Plug & Play techniques were utilized to increase the performance of the universal bumper across all markets.