An Integrated CAD/CAE Framework for Material Selection and Structural Optimization of Lightweight Automotive Driver Seat Frames Toward Sustainable Vehicle Engineering
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64780/jeims.v2i1.21Keywords:
CAD/CAE Framework, Finite Element Analysis, Lightweight Automotive Seat Frame, Material Selection, Structural OptimizationAbstract
Automotive driver seat frames are safety-critical structural components that must simultaneously satisfy lightweight, strength, stiffness, manufacturability, and sustainability requirements. However, conventional lightweight design approaches often prioritize material density while overlooking the combined influence of structural load paths, joining feasibility, and life-cycle environmental performance. This study develops an integrated CAD/CAE framework for material selection and structural optimization of lightweight automotive driver seat frames toward sustainable vehicle engineering. A representative welded steel seat-frame model was analyzed using finite element analysis under static anchorage, seat-back moment, belt-load surrogate, modal, and durability loading conditions. Six candidate materials, including mild steel, DP780 advanced high-strength steel (AHSS), Al 6061-T6, AZ31B magnesium alloy, CFRP/epoxy, and a DP780–Al hybrid configuration, were evaluated through design optimization and multi-criteria decision-making based on structural performance, mass, cost, recyclability, and life-cycle global warming potential. The optimized DP780–Al hybrid configuration reduced structural mass from 9.82 kg to 6.18 kg (37.1%), increased the minimum safety factor from 1.13 to 1.99, improved the first natural frequency from 44 Hz to 51 Hz, maintained maximum displacement below the 10 mm design limit, and achieved the highest composite decision score of 0.889. These findings demonstrate that sustainable lightweight seat-frame design is more effectively achieved through integrated load-path-oriented material allocation and structural optimization than through density-based material substitution alone, providing a practical engineering framework for next-generation sustainable vehicle development.
References
Andersson, Ö., & Börjesson, P. (2021). The greenhouse gas emissions of an electrified vehicle combined with renewable fuels: Life cycle assessment and policy implications. Applied Energy, 289, 116621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116621
Ansari, A. I., Sheikh, N. A., & Mursaleen, M. (2026). Advances in self-healing architected materials for flight structures: Multifunctional performance and technology transition challenges. CEAS Aeronautical Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13272-026-00946-2
Arunkumar, P., Alqahtani, M. D., Al Ghamdi, M. S., & Elgarahy, A. M. (2026). Integrating additive manufacturing with biodegradable polymers for sustainable biomedical engineering: A state-of-the-art review. International Journal of Polymeric Materials and Polymeric Biomaterials, 0(0), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/00914037.2026.2687763
Balasbaneh, A. T., Aldrovandi, S., & Sher, W. (2025). A systematic review of implementing multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches for the circular economy and cost assessment. Sustainability, 17(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115007
Behera, D., Liu, K.-Y., Rachman, F., & Worku, A. M. (2025). Innovations and applications in lightweight concrete: Review of current practices and future directions. Buildings, 15(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15122113
Bhuiyan, M. M. A., & Hammad, A. (2023). A hybrid multi-criteria decision support system for selecting the most sustainable structural material for a multistory building construction. Sustainability, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043128
Challa, R., Kamath, D., & Anctil, A. (2022). Well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions of electric versus combustion vehicles from 2018 to 2030 in the US. Journal of Environmental Management, 308, 114592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114592
Czerwinski, F. (2021). Current trends in automotive lightweighting strategies and materials. Materials, 14(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14216631
Daehn, G. S., Daehn, K. E., & Kuttner, O. (2023). Environmentally responsible lightweight passenger vehicle design and manufacturing. Automotive Innovation, 6(3), 300–310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42154-023-00241-4
Dong, S., Li, S., Fu, S., & Wang, K. (2022). Finite element analysis and optimization of tractor gearbox body under various kinds of working conditions. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 17386. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22342-6
Ghasemi, A. F., & Duarte, J. P. (2025). A systematic review of innovative advances in multi-material additive manufacturing: Implications for architecture and construction. Materials, 18(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18081820
Goh, G. D., Wong, K. K., Tan, N., Seet, H. L., & Nai, M. L. S. (2024). Large-format additive manufacturing of polymers: A review of fabrication processes, materials, and design. Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 19(1), e2336160. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2024.2336160
Hagnell, M. K., Kumaraswamy, S., Nyman, T., & Åkermo, M. (2020). From aviation to automotive: A study on material selection and its implication on cost and weight efficient structural composite and sandwich designs. Heliyon, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03716
Hussain, H., & Kim, D.-K. (2023). Advancements and future prospects of buckling restrained braces for corrosive-environments: A comprehensive literature review. Buildings, 13(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13092156
Jaganathan, S., Kandasamy, R., Venkatachalam, R., Gunalan, M., & Dhairiyasamy, R. (2024). Advances in optimizing mechanical performance of 3D-printed polymer composites: A microstructural and processing enhancements review. Advances in Polymer Technology, 2024(1), 3168252. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/3168252
Kazemi, H., Vaziri, A., & Norato, J. A. (2020). Multi-material topology optimization of lattice structures using geometry projection. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 363, 112895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2020.112895
Kupfer, R., Schilling, L., Spitzer, S., Zichner, M., & Gude, M. (2022). Neutral lightweight engineering: A holistic approach towards sustainability driven engineering. Discover Sustainability, 3(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-022-00084-9
Li, Y., Yuan, P. F., & Xie, Y. M. (2023). A strategy for improving the safety and strength of topologically optimized multi-material structures. Acta Mechanica Sinica, 39(8), 422134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10409-023-22134-x
Li, Z., Xu, H., Zhang, S., Cui, J., & Liu, X. (2025). Multi-material structures topology optimization for thin-walled tube used by vehicles under static load: A review. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 32(8), 4769–4809. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-025-10285-w
Moro, C. (2023). Comparative analysis of multi-criteria decision making and life cycle assessment methods for sustainable evaluation of concrete mixtures. Sustainability, 15(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712746
Müzel, S. D., Bonhin, E. P., Guimarães, N. M., & Guidi, E. S. (2020). Application of the finite element method in the analysis of composite materials: A review. Polymers, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12040818
Phiri, R., Rangappa, S. M., Siengchin, S., Oladijo, O. P., & Ozbakkaloglu, T. (2024). Advances in lightweight composite structures and manufacturing technologies: A comprehensive review. Heliyon, 10(21). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39661
Sacchi, R., Bauer, C., Cox, B., & Mutel, C. (2022). When, where and how can the electrification of passenger cars reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 162, 112475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112475
Sahoo, S. K., & Goswami, S. S. (2023). A comprehensive review of multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods: Advancements, applications, and future directions. Decision Making Advances, 1(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.31181/dma1120237
Salmani, H., Khalkhali, A., & Ahmadi, A. (2022). Multi-objective optimization of vehicle floor panel with a laminated structure based on V-shape development model and Taguchi-based grey relational analysis. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 65(3), 95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-021-03100-0
Scheurer, M., Friese, D., Penzel, P., Dittel, G., Bhat, S., Overhage, V., Hahn, L., Heins, K., Cherif, C., & Gries, T. (2023). Current and future trends in textiles for concrete construction applications. Textiles, 3(4), 408–437. https://doi.org/10.3390/textiles3040025
Shan, Z., Long, J., Yu, P., Shao, L., & Liao, Y. (2020). Lightweight optimization of passenger car seat frame based on grey relational analysis and optimized coefficient of variation. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 62(6), 3429–3455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-020-02647-8
Sheng, M. S., Sreenivasan, A. V., Sharp, B., & Du, B. (2021). Well-to-wheel analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption for electric vehicles: A comparative study in Oceania. Energy Policy, 158, 112552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112552
Shimoda, M., Nakayama, H., Suzaki, S., & Tsutsumi, R. (2021). A unified simultaneous shape and topology optimization method for multi-material laminated shell structures. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 64(6), 3569–3604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-021-03039-2
Simões, S. (2024). High-performance advanced composites in multifunctional material design: State of the art, challenges, and future directions. Materials, 17(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17235997
Singh, M., Yuksel, T., Michalek, J. J., & Azevedo, I. M. L. (2024). Ensuring greenhouse gas reductions from electric vehicles compared to hybrid gasoline vehicles requires a cleaner U.S. electricity grid. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1639. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51697-1
Solahuddin, B. A., & Yahaya, F. M. (2023). A state-of-the-art review on experimental investigation and finite element analysis on structural behaviour of fibre reinforced polymer reinforced concrete beams. Heliyon, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14225
Su, J., Ng, W. L., An, J., Yeong, W. Y., Chua, C. K., & Sing, S. L. (2024). Achieving sustainability by additive manufacturing: A state-of-the-art review and perspectives. Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 19(1), e2438899. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2024.2438899
Tafsirojjaman, T., Manalo, A., Tien, C. M. T., Wham, B. P., Salah, A., Kiriella, S., Karunasena, W., & Dixon, P. (2022). Analysis of failure modes in pipe-in-pipe repair systems for water and gas pipelines. Engineering Failure Analysis, 140, 106510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106510
Tan, Q., & Li, H. (2024). Application of computer aided design in product innovation and development: Practical examination on taking the industrial design process. IEEE Access, 12, 85622–85634. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3404963
Wan, N., Wang, Z., Zhao, B., Ding, W., & Liu, Q. (2025). Intelligent evolution strategies for high-performance cutting tools: Status, challenges, and trends. International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, 8(2), 022007. https://doi.org/10.1088/2631-7990/ae24c2
Wang, D., & Li, S. (2022). Material selection decision-making method for multi-material lightweight automotive body driven by performance. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L: Journal of Materials: Design and Applications, 236(4), 730–746. https://doi.org/10.1177/14644207211055661
Wang, Y., & Sigmund, O. (2024). Topology optimization of multi-material active structures to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 67(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-023-03698-3
Xin, H., Tang, D., Dang, L., Gao, L., Yang, Z., Wu, B., He, X., & Zhan, Z. (2025). Fatigue failure mechanisms and life prediction of additive manufactured metallic lattices: A comprehensive review. Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 20(1), e2451124. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2025.2451124
Yan, L., & Xu, H. (2025). Lightweight composite materials in automotive engineering: State-of-the-art and future trends. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 118, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2024.12.002
Zhang, J., Li, Z., Fang, Q., & Chen, C. (2020). Topological optimisation design of passenger car seat backrest frame based on multiple-loading conditions. International Journal of Crashworthiness, 25(5), 581–590. https://doi.org/10.1080/13588265.2019.1634355
Zhao, X.-W., Tong, X.-M., Ning, F.-W., Cai, M.-L., Han, F., & Li, H.-G. (2026). Review of empowering computer-aided engineering with artificial intelligence. Advances in Manufacturing, 14(1), 103–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40436-025-00545-0
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fauzi Ibrahim, Agus Apriyanto, Adam Wisnu Murti, Alexander Sembiring, Farli Rossi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
JOURNAL DETAIL 
