Vari-Form load beam assembly meets requirements for 2017 Chrysler Pacifica

Livonia, Mich.-based Vari-Form has designed and manufactured the front-end load beam assembly for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica®, a minivan re-engineered from the ground up and built on a new platform.

“Very tight packaging was one of the challenges we faced on this technically advanced van,” said Dean Gericke, Vari-Form director of engineering. “We used … hydroforming techniques, within the parameters of the FCA US LLC design, to develop the structural system connecting the door frame ring with the front rail. Our concept improves upon a part originally designed with stampings that occupied too much space. We substituted hydroform tubes into this space, delivering the section size needed.”

Gericke also noted that the use of AHSS, hydroformed into dual thin-wall tubes, contributes to meeting packaging constraints. “To produce a tube this thin required the tube manufacturer to upgrade its production. Then we used cold metal transfer welding to minimize potential distortion from heat.”

By creating an additional load path for impact forces, the design helps meet Insurance Institute for Highway Safety targets for narrow offset front protection.