Frunk opening

Mechatronic design tool for car bonnet actuators

The absence of the combustion engine has freed up storage space in many electric cars – not only in the rear but also in the front of the vehicle. The car bonnet is generally lifted more frequently, explaining the trend in electric opening systems. Our colleague Hannah Stübinger therefore developed a mechatronic design tool for car bonnet openers when she did her bachelor’s thesis at PSW.

Hannah started with an existing MATLAB-based tool for tailgate actuators and further developed it. “I introduced new computation functions for the frunk where necessary and at the same time integrated the existing functions from the rear as far as possible,” she explained. She had to allow for potential combinations in computation methods for variants in the tool. She rose to this challenge thanks to the support of her team. “They were such a good source of help to me with their knowledge of calculations, CAD functions and MATLAB operations that it did not take long for me to be able to work independently,” she added.

The tool is now a valuable aid for future development projects for the design of spindle drives on frunks. It could also be used to design the actuators for tailgate modules or active spoilers.

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