The paper deals with the optimisation of a tapered tubular steel component to be used as an energy-absorbing device in the front structure of a vehicle body. Aim of the optimisation problem is the minimisation of a load uniformity parameter evaluated as the ratio between the maximum and the average crushing loads. The optimisation problem takes into account two design variables describing a tapered geometrical configuration, the diameter of the component at one of its bounds and the tapering length. The optimisation process has been carried out by using a multi-point approximation scheme based on the response surface methodology.

The optimisation process led to the identification of two promising geometrical configurations characterised by a quite low value of the load uniformity parameter. The two solutions have been analysed with respect to their sensitivity towards two model parameters, the sheet thickness and the Young modulus of the material. Their different behaviour led to select the solution characterised by the higher load uniformity value because more robust and then more probable to be obtained in practice.

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