Bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method has been successfully applied for a wide range of topology optimization problems. In this paper, the BESO method is further extended to the optimal design of an automotive tailor-welded blank (TWB) door with multiple thicknesses. Different from the traditional topology optimization for solid-void designs, topology optimization of the TWB door needs to identify the weld lines which joint sheets with different thicknesses. The finite element (FE) model of the automotive door assembly is established and verified by a series of stiffness experiments. Then, the proposed optimization procedure is applied to the optimization of the automotive TWB indoor panel for the optimal thickness layout and weld lines locations. Numerical results give guidelines for the lightweight design of TWB components to some extent.

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