A load bearing panel member having a first portion, a second portion, and an appearance surface portion is formed by injection molding such that the first portion includes a plurality of ribs forming a grid pattern on the first portion and another plurality of ribs extending toward the periphery of the first portion which may be non-orthogonal to each other and to the ribs forming the grid pattern. An internal channel may be formed within each of the non-orthogonal ribs by injecting a gas into the rib during the molding process forming the panel. An appearance surface portion attached to the first portion and second portion of the panel member forms an integral hinge between the first and second portions of the panel member. The panel member may be configured as a floor panel of a vehicle.

A composite compression limiter (44) includes a cylindrical body (46) extending axially with an aperture (48) extending axially therethrough to receive a fastener (18), the body (46) being made of a continuous fiber polymeric tape reinforced by a plurality of fibers ranging from approximately 20% to approximately 65% by weight.

A platform for building a plurality of vehicle types is disclosed. In an embodiment, a facility may include a processing system for designing a plurality of definition nodes for a vehicle and identifying a relative position for each definition node. Based on the design, the internal volume and other vehicle parameters can be determined. The facility includes a 3-D printer for additively manufacturing the definition nodes. In an embodiment, a plurality of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts are acquired and the definition nodes are designed to interface with the COTS parts. The facility may also include a station, or primary location where the major portions of the vehicle are assembled. In another embodiment, multiple such geographically-distributed facilities can be used, such that one facility can manufacture a desired vehicle type on behalf of another facility, e.g., in the event of an overflow.

An assembly for utility truck bodies having metal and/or composite reinforcement(s) and/or foam reinforcements and/or honeycomb reinforcements and/or wood reinforcements encapsulated within a thermoformed thermoplastic, or thermoset or fiber-reinforced thermoset walking surface floor structure of the truck bed assembly or other composite floor structure with attachable components and junctions, e.g., sidepack(s), and methods of making the same are provided.

An assembly for utility truck bodies having metal and/or composite reinforcement(s) and/or foam reinforcements and/or honeycomb reinforcement/and/or wood reinforcements encapsulated within a thermoformed thermoplastic, or thermoset or fiber-reinforced thermoset walking surface floor structure of the truck bed assembly or other composite floor structure with attachable components and junctions, e.g., sidepack(s), and methods of making the same are provided.

A cross-car beam is provided herein. The cross-car beam includes a composite elongated panel extending across a vehicle. A bracket is operably coupled with an elongated panel. An attachment feature and a cowl attachment structure are each integrally formed with the bracket and are disposed at opposing end portions of the bracket.

A trailer moveable by a cab includes: a first section including a cavity; and a second section including a beam at least partially positioned within the cavity and a height-variable member attached to the beam, where the second section is longitudinally movable relative to the first section, such that a length of the trailer is variable, where the second section includes a cart pivotably attached to the beam at a fulcrum, where the cart includes at least one wheel configured to roll along a floor of the cavity, where the cart is pivotable about the fulcrum to co-act with the height-variable member, where the second section is configured to move longitudinally relative to the first section by the cart rolling along the floor of the cavity.

A method for monitoring property changes in a composite material structure includes: transmitting a radio-frequency (RF) signal towards the composite material structure using a millimeter-wave radar sensor embedded in the composite material structure; receiving a reflected signal from the composite material structure using the millimeter-wave radar sensor; processing the reflected signal; and determining a property change in the composite material structure based on processing the reflected signal.

An underbody assembly for a vehicle includes a plurality of polymer-fiber composite components. The polymer-fiber composite components include a base and a first reinforcement. The base includes a first side and a second side. The base is configured to extend in a longitudinal direction between a front of the vehicle and a rear of the vehicle. The first reinforcement is coupled to the base. The first reinforcement includes a first elongated ridge and a first elongated trough. The first elongated trough is disposed adjacent to the first elongated ridge. The first elongated ridge and the first elongated trough each extend transversely between the first side of the base and the second side of the base. In various aspects, the underbody assembly consists essentially of the polymer-fiber composite components.

A unit of a combined front bumper beam and front end module (CFF unit) is provided with a configuration in which an impact energy absorbing space formed is as a closed space and a chassis component mounting space is formed as an open space. The impact energy absorbing space and the chassis component mounting space are formed as an integrally formed structure. This structure is divided into a bumper back beam to which impact energy is transmitted, a crash box molded integrally with the bumper back beam to form the impact energy absorbing spaces at both sides of the bumper back beam, respectively, and a front end module carrier (FEM carrier) molded integrally with the crash box to form the chassis component mounting space at the inward side of the crash box. The bumper back beam, the crash box and the FEM carrier form the CFF unit.