Multi-Response Optimisation of Automotive Door Using Grey Relational Analysis with Entropy Weights

Abstract

Tail-welded blanks (TWBs) are widely used in automotive bodies to improve structural performance and reduce weight. The stiffness and modal lightweight design optimisation of TWBs for automotive doors was performed in this study. The finite element model was validated through physical experiments. An L27 (312) Taguchi orthogonal array was used to collect the sample points. The multi-objective optimisation problem was transformed into a single-objective optimisation problem based on the grey relational degree. The optimal combination of structural design parameters was obtained for a tail-welded door using the proposed method; the weight of the door structure was reduced by 2.83 kg. The proposed optimisation method has fewer iterations and a lower computational cost, enabling the design of lightweight TWBs.