The invention relates to a manufacturing method for a crash frame of a battery compartment for electric drive vehicles by using metallic sheets which are arranged on top of one another and fixed together and which form in a following step a space by using an inner active media forming process to create walls of a crash frame whereby the space works as a deformation space to protect the battery modules inside the battery compartment against an impact. The invention further relates to the use of the crash frame for a battery compartment.

A method of expanding an elongated and at least regionally planar metal element that has two respective marginal regions oppositely disposed and extending in a longitudinal direction and a central region arranged therebetween and including cuts, the marginal regions of the metal element are moved apart transversely to the longitudinal direction and in parallel with a planar extent of the metal element such that connection portions of the central region formed by the cuts and connecting the two respective marginal regions to one another are folded, the method includes displacing the two respective marginal regions with respect to one another transversely to the planar extent of the metal element to form a displaced state, and subsequently moving apart the two respective marginal regions in the displaced state.

A method of expanding an elongated and at least regionally planar metal element that has two respective marginal regions oppositely disposed and extending in a longitudinal direction and a central region arranged therebetween and including cuts, the marginal regions of the metal element are moved apart transversely to the longitudinal direction and in parallel with a planar extent of the metal element such that connection portions of the central region formed by the cuts and connecting the two respective marginal regions to one another are folded, the method includes displacing the two respective marginal regions with respect to one another transversely to the planar extent of the metal element to form a displaced state, and subsequently moving apart the two respective marginal regions in the displaced state.

A unitary expanded metal mesh is provided having a down-roll direction, the mesh comprising: a) linear strands that are substantially parallel to the down-roll direction; and b) cross strands which meet the linear strands at nodes. Composites including the unitary expanded metal mesh of the present disclosure and a polymeric matrix are also provided. The unitary expanded metal mesh and composites may be provided as roll goods having, in some embodiments, uninterrupted linear down-roll metal strands for unlimited length. Methods of making the unitary expanded metal mesh of the present disclosure are provided.

A unitary expanded metal mesh is provided having a down-roll direction, the mesh comprising: a) linear strands that are substantially parallel to the down-roll direction; and b) cross strands which meet the linear strands at nodes. Composites including the unitary expanded metal mesh of the present disclosure and a polymeric matrix are also provided. The unitary expanded metal mesh and composites may be provided as roll goods having, in some embodiments, uninterrupted linear down-roll metal strands for unlimited length. Methods of making the unitary expanded metal mesh of the present disclosure are provided.

A method of expanding an elongated and at least regionally planar metal element that has two respective marginal regions oppositely disposed and extending in a longitudinal direction and a central region arranged therebetween and including cuts, the marginal regions of the metal element are moved apart transversely to the longitudinal direction and in parallel with a planar extent of the metal element such that connection portions of the central region formed by the cuts and connecting the two respective marginal regions to one another are folded, the method includes displacing the two respective marginal regions with respect to one another transversely to the planar extent of the metal element to form a displaced state, and subsequently moving apart the two respective marginal regions in the displaced state.

A method of expanding an elongated and at least regionally planar metal element that has two respective marginal regions oppositely disposed and extending in a longitudinal direction and a central region arranged therebetween and including cuts, the marginal regions of the metal element are moved apart transversely to the longitudinal direction and in parallel with a planar extent of the metal element such that connection portions of the central region formed by the cuts and connecting the two respective marginal regions to one another are folded, the method includes displacing the two respective marginal regions with respect to one another transversely to the planar extent of the metal element to form a displaced state, and subsequently moving apart the two respective marginal regions in the displaced state.

The invention relates to a manufacturing method for a crash frame of a battery compartment for electric drive vehicles by using metallic sheets which are arranged on top of one another and fixed together and which form in a following step a space by using an inner active media forming process to create walls of a crash frame whereby the space works as a deformation space to protect the battery modules inside the battery compartment against an impact. The invention further relates to the use of the crash frame for a battery compartment.

A method for manufacturing a vehicle structure member by using a hollow extruded material that has a pair of side plates and a plurality of connecting plates connecting the side plates together and that has a quadrilateral closed section and a longitudinal shape, such that a width dimension of the vehicle structure member, which is a distance between the side plates, varies in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle structure member, the method including: an extrusion molding step of producing the hollow extruded material with the connecting plates each having a bent shape by extrusion molding; and a widening step of increasing the width dimension by increasing the distance between the side plates partially in the longitudinal direction so as to flatten the connecting plates having the bent shape.

A method for manufacturing a vehicle structure member by using a hollow extruded material that has a pair of side plates and a plurality of connecting plates connecting the side plates together and that has a quadrilateral closed section and a longitudinal shape, such that a width dimension of the vehicle structure member, which is a distance between the side plates, varies in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle structure member, the method including: an extrusion molding step of producing the hollow extruded material with the connecting plates each having a bent shape by extrusion molding; and a widening step of increasing the width dimension by increasing the distance between the side plates partially in the longitudinal direction so as to flatten the connecting plates having the bent shape.