Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Global Tech.inc

Scott Crane

Ching-Hung Chuang

Ronald Machin

Xiao Wu

Amar Ourchane

A three-piece tailor welded blank vehicle door structure includes a periphery defined by a bottom portion, a pair of opposing side portions, a top portion, and an inclined portion. A first thickness gage sheet material portion is disposed generally along the door hinge side of the door structure. A second thicker gage sheet material portion is disposed generally along the door latch side of the door structure. A thinner gage sheet material portion is disposed between the first and second thickness gage sheet material portions, whereby the overall weight of the vehicle door is reduced.

Method and apparatus for forming a three piece tailor welded door blank

A mounting structure having improved stiffness characteristics. The mounting structure includes a pillar which forms a portion of a vehicle body and which operatively supports a vehicle door which is selectively attached to the pillar by hinges The structure includes a pair of &ldquo;closed-loop&rdquo; beads which are formed around hinges and which increase the stiffness characteristics of the pillar and of the vehicle door.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Scott Crane